Chapter 4

Understanding Morality in Scripture

Introduction
This chapter explains the fundamental understanding of morality in Scripture. How we
understand what morality means is rooted in certain events in Scripture. We now take a closer
look at how morality is understood in Scripture and what this means for Catholics today.

Learning Objectives
 Sketch how morality, sin, and grace is understood in Scripture
 Explain how the themes of sin and grace developed in the cohesive and complex
narrative in Scripture
 Interpret Scripture as part of the process of discernment

Exposition
Understanding morality in Scripture can be complex. Each book gives different, nuanced,
yet not mutually exclusive understandings of what it means to be and do the good. Reading
Scripture and understanding what the good is requires skill and an understanding of the nuances
that Scripture has. Much can be said about morality in Scripture, but this chapter will focus on
the broad theme of mercy that Scripture offers on what morality means and how this should be
lived out. Mercy is defined as the willingness to enter into the chaos of another, and of being
willing to accompany that person in his or her journey. 50

Mercy occupies a central place in Catholic tradition. The social engagement and acts of
charity of the Catholic Church is not simply born out justice, but out of mercy and love. Various
Catholic charitable institutions are engaged in works of mercy feeding the hungry, clothing the
naked, visiting the prisoner, to name a few. There is a long legacy of Catholics engaging in
works of mercy, and today Catholic hospitals, orphanages, prison ministries, and food banks all
over the world continue to enter into the chaos of others, willingly accompanying these people
who are often at their lowest points and helping them get back on their feet physically and
spiritually. The Catholic Church is one of the largest charitable organizations in the world, with
many religious and laypeople acting out the virtue of mercy every day.

We see in Scripture that it is mercy that God offers to all people, and that this is what we
are to live out. As Jesus says in the parable of the Good Samaritan , we are to "go and do likewise
and show mercy to others as well (Luke 10:37). Thus, rather than understanding morality as

50
James Keenan, ''The Scandal of Mercy Excludes No One," Thinking Faith: The online journal of the Jesuits in
Britain, December 4, 2015, [Link]
simply following rules and avoiding evil, Scripture invites us to look at morality as a way of
showing compassion for others and living out God's love.

Morality in the Old Testament

The Torah

Morality in the Old Testament is always rooted in the covenant. The life of Israel always
refers back to the covenant and the Exodus account, when God delivered them from slavery and
oppression in Egypt into freedom. However, while most cultural renditions of this show a
''happily ever after'' ending, the rest of Scripture showed that it was still a struggle to do the
good. Time and time again, Israel would refuse to respond to God's love and invitation to
relationship and the good, yet time and time again, Israel would also ask for forgiveness, and
God would forgive them.

Mercy in the Old Testament was often understood as God's hesed. lt describes the
covenantal love between Yahweh and Yahweh's people that is gratuitous, meaning that
God freely gives this grace and human beings have not and do not need to merit this
gift. "It is mutual and endearing, implying action on both parts."?' This unfailing compassion
and loving kindness is also sometimes translated as rahamim, from the word racham
which also means ''womb." ''God's mercy is a nurturing womb, implying a physical response and
demonstrating that mercy is felt in the center of one's body.''52

The Covenant

The stereotypical image of a Christian is that of a ''highly individualistic Roman Catholic

penitent obsessed with the law and worried over moral lapses, especially regarding sexual activity
" This image is partly due to how we have used and interpreted the Ten Commandments. Most
parish churches have two big stones outside their churches with the ten commandments etched on the
a list of do's and don'ts that people are taught to follow lest they end up in hell. The image of God
is thus a God of anger and punishment; it is a monarchical God who inflicts punishment on those
who do not obey God. However, a rereading of Scripture shows that the God of the covenant is a
merciful God:

At the root of this many-sided conviction, which is both communal and personal, and
which is demonstrated by the whole of the Old Testament down the centuries, is the
basic experience of the chosen people at the Exodus: the Lord saw the affliction of
His people reduced to slavery, heard their cry, knew their sufferings and decided to
deliver them. In this act of salvation by the Lord, the prophet perceived his love and
compassion. This is precisely the grounds upon which the people and each of its

51
Wojciech Zyzak, ''Mercy as Theological Term," The Person and the Challenges 5, no. 1 (2015): 139-40.
52
Zyzak, 140.
53
James Keenan, Moral Wisdom: Lessons and Textsfrom the Catholic Tradition (Diliman, Quezon City: Claretian
Publications, 2004), 112.
 members based their certainty of the mercy of God, which can be invoked whenever
tragedies strike. 54

This act of salvation from God to which Israel responded to becomes the beginning of the
covenant. This covenant was a mutually loving relationship; however, Israel would break
this covenant, and whenever Israel broke this covenant, Israel would appeal to God's
mercy.

_The Prophets

Though the prophetic books are more associated with their social critique and emphasis
on justice, mercy also plays an important role in the prophetic task: ''it is significant that in their
preaching the prophets link mercy, which they often refer to because of the people's sins, with
the incisive image of love on God's part. The Lord loves Israel with the love of a special
choosing, much like the love of a spouse, and for this reason He pardons its sins and even its
infidelities and betrayals. When He finds repentance and true conversion, He brings His people
back to grace. In the preaching of the prophets, mercy signifies a special power of love, which
prevails over the sin and infidelity of the chosen people."55

''Mercy differs from justice, but is not in opposition to it, if we admit in the history of
man as the Old Testament precisely does the presence of God, who already as Creator has
linked Himself to His creature with a particular love.''56 The prophetic task that is strongly
concerned with justice and repentance always ends on a hopeful note of God's mercy and
restoration for Israel. Prophets such as Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah all offer visions of the future
of Israel as coming back to God's embrace and once again being faithful to the covenant, with
God showing God's mercy through God's unconditional love and care.

Wisdom Literature

''To declare thy loving kindness in the morning and your faithfulness in the night seasons''
(Psalm 92:2) is part of the praise that is rendered to God in the Psalms. Acknowledging God's
hesed is an important theme in wisdom literature. For example, the famous Psalm 103 reads:

The Lord is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.

54
John Paul II, ''Dives in Misericordia," [Link], November 30, 1980, [Link]
ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf jp-ii_enc_30111980_dives-[Link]. Hereafter referred to as DM. DM 4.
55
DM 4.
56
DM 4.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:8-12)

In the prophetic books, Israel will tum away time and time again from God, yet God continues to
accept Israel back. Thus, when the Psalms sings praises of God, it is always in reference to God 's
care and mercy for erring Israel.

Morality in the New Testament

_The Gospels

In the New Testament, mercy is an important theme in Jesus' ministry. ''We see ourselves
at first indebted to God's own mercy toward us and therein recognize our call to be like God and,
as Jesus Christ instructs us, to go and do likewise. ''57 Jesus himself reiterates a line from Hosea
about desiring mercy rather than sacrifice (Matthew 9: 13) and shows mercy through his healing
of the sick and pardoning of the sinners. Mercy was how early Christians witnessed to the
Gospel and is rooted in many of Jesus' parables and actions. We can look at the parable of the
Good Samaritan, the parable of the prodigal son, and the sermon on the mount and on the plain,
where Jesus discusses the Beatitudes.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

Jesus discusses morality in his telling of this parable. A lawyer asks Jesus what he must
do in order to gain eternal life; in short, what is the good that he ought to do? Jesus responds with
what Christians understands as the two greatest commandments: loving God with one's whole
heart and loving one's neighbor. However, the lawyer continues to ask Jesus to elaborate further
on what this means in the concrete; thus, Jesus tells the story of the good Samaritan, who cares
for a wounded man on the side of the road, compared to a Levite and a priest who simply pass
the victim by. Jesus then asks the lawyer who he thought was a neighbor to the injured man, and
the lawyer answers that it was the ''one who showed mercy," to which Jesus responds that the
lawyer must "go and do likewise'' (Luke 10:37).

Many interpretations have been given on this parable. One such understanding of this
parable interprets the good Samaritan as Jesus, who is able to save humankind, represented by
the robbery victim, when ritual (represented by the priest) and the law (represented by the
Levite) are unable to do anything for the victim. For this chapter, we focus on mercy, especially
since Jesus asks us to do the same thing as the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan was merciful to
the victim of robbery, even though that person was not part of his community and even though
that person and his community would most probably be hostile towards him.

57
Keenan, Moral Wisdom: Lessons and Textsfrom the Catholic Tradition, 97.
 Christian morality then, is one that should be characterized by mercy- mercy for those
around us, regardless of whether they are our kin or not. It is a mercy that does not villainize
others, even if they may have done evil. It is a mercy that is radically inclusive and radically
caring. Such mercy does not first ask whether one is worthy of mercy before bestowing it; on the
contrary, this mercy is given so generously and gratuitously.

A related text will be that of the Last Judgement in Matthew 25, which details how mercy
is a condition for salvation: whatever is done for the least is done unto Jesus Christ:

The parable of Matthew 25 is striking in that everyone is surprised by the judgment.

The sheep never realized that in feeding the hungry, they were feeding the king;
unfortunately, the goats never realized that by not visiting the sick, they were not
visiting the Lord. For Matthew we will be judged by whether we practiced mercy and
we will not be excused if we did not know to practice it. Thus, like Matthew's goats,
the rich man in Luke 6 learns this 'moral' in Hades; he never showed mercy to poor
Lazarus begging at his gate. The practice of mercy is the measure of our judgment. It
should be as scandalous as the scandal of our own salvation. 58

Jesus gives concrete actions of mercy that become the criteria upon which we are measured, and
it is these words that will be developed into the corporeal acts of mercy.

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Sample photo of corporeal acts of mercy based on Matthew 25.

58
Keenan, ''The Scandal of Mercy Excludes No One.''
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)

The parable of the prodigal son is part of a set of parables with a common theme:
something that was lost was then found. Jesus discusses these parables in response to the
Pharisees objecting to his eating with sinners. He recounts the story of a younger son who rejects
his father, leaves for parts unknown, and squanders his inheritance. Now destitute, the younger
son comes back to his father, who runs back to meet him and restore him to his place in the
family. The father even slaughters the fattened calf for his erring son!

It is important to note that the ''repentance'' of the younger son does not seem to be out of
genuine love. Rather, it seems to be more self-interested. He decides to return because he will
have food in his stomach at home, rather than suffer in his current predicament. However, this
does not deter his father. His father forgives him and does not even ask him to ''pay'' for his
behavior. The younger son is ultimately restored back into his father's house, even to the chagrin
of the elder son. The parable does not end with the father saying ''first you must atone for your
sins and then you can be part of this family again." Rather, the father immediately welcomes the
son, even running to him to embrace him. This is a far cry from how some Christians and
Catholics have hastily judged others, telling them to change their ways before it is ''too late.''

This parable once again shows God's mercy, but with other characteristics. The first
characteristic is joy: Pope Francis notes that joy comes with God's mercy:

In the parables devoted to mercy, Jesus reveals the nature of God as that of a Father who
never gives up until he has forgiven the wrong and overcome rejection with compassion
and mercy. We know these parables well, three in particular: the lost sheep, the lost coin,
and the father with two sons (cf. Lk 15:1-32). In these parables, God is always presented
as full of joy, especially when he pardons. In them we find the core of the Gospel and of
our faith, because mercy is presented as a force that overcomes everything, filling the
heart with love and bringing consolation through pardon. 59

In this case, God's mercy is accompanied by God's joy for those who return to God, something
which is not often mentioned as related to mercy. God's mercy is not given in a hesitating or
reluctant manner. God's mercy is given with joy and enthusiasm, not with sour and stingy
judgement. Our morality then is also one that is characterized by joy. Christians are an Easter
people, and morality is done not with a sour face or simply out of obligation, but out of the joy
and love for the other.

The second characteristic is the sense of response and agency in doing mercy. Mercy is
done not out of the father's obligation to the son, but out of our response to the love and care
bestowed by God. Rather than simply seeing the good that we ought to do as just another task to
finish, doing the good becomes our way of responding, with joy and gratefulness, to all that God

59
Francis, ''Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee ofMercy: Misericordiae Vultus," [Link], April 11,
2015, [Link] va/content/francesco/en/apost_letters/documents/papa-
francesco- bolla- 20150411 - [Link]. Hereafter referred to as MV. MV 9.
offers. Thus, human beings are not slaves of a monarchical god, who do only whatever God
wants. Instead, human beings are in a relationship of love with God.

This is not to be confused with pity. Pity only looks down on others, while feeling bad for
the circumstances of the one being pitied. Mercy "is the restorative power of God, revealed here
in the father's initiative of love and welcome to his son. The prodigal son begins to see and
experience himself as loved by his father, and his own conversion experience is ratified by the
loving embrace of his father's love. This is another name for mercy." 6º

The third characteristic to be highlighted is that of the forgiving aspect of this mercy.
''Jesus asks us also to forgive and to give. To be instruments of mercy because it was we who
first received mercy from God. To be generous with others, knowing that God showers his
goodness upon us with immense generosity.'" Christian morality entails much forgiveness,
knowing that people who strive to do the good often fall short. This forgiveness does not mean
condoning wrongdoing, nor does it mean that we can do anything that we want. Rather, this
forgiveness is a humble acknowledgement that we continue to strive to do better, knowing that
God will continue to be with us.

The Sermon on the Mount and on the Plain (Matthew 5:1-11; Luke 6: 17-49)

The Beatitudes have served as pronouncement of blessings for those who, in that time period,
would not have been seen as blessed or happy. They also served as signs for what a genuine
disciple of Christ would look like. We can see that the beatitudes themselves specifically
mention that mercy itself is a gift given to those who are merciful as well. Such mercy again
stems from the idea of hesed, emphasizing the need to show mercy and compassion to each
other. Being able to exercise this mercy also comes from a place of spiritual poverty and
humility, outlined in the first four beatitudes, knowing that we ourselves need this mercy that we
give to our fellow human beings.

Pope Francis, in response to the challenges of the modem day Catholic, proposes an
additional six beatitudes:

• Blessed are those who remain faithful while enduring evils inflicted on them by others,
and forgives them from their heart.
• Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalized, and show
them their closeness.
• Blessed are those who see God in every person, and strive to make others also discover
him.
• Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home.
• Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others.

60
Peter J. Vaghi, ''The Merciful Father: Always Ready to Greet a Prodigal Son," America Magazine, January 19,
2016, [Link]
61
MV 14.
 • Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians. All these
are messengers of God's mercy and tenderness, and surely they will receive from him
their merited reward. 62

Pope Francis' beatitudes include those who do specific acts of mercy "each new beatitude
offers a specific example of a person serving as "a messenger of God's mercy," a much needed
example in our time." 3

_The Epistles and Early Christian Community

In the New Testament, mercy is understood as eleeó, similar to hesed. The theme of
mercy is tied with Jesus' salvific act through the cross and resurrection the ultimate scandal
and the ultimate mercy given to human beings. ''He saved us, not because of any works of
righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy'' (Titus 3 :5) Thus, salvation was
God's act of mercy, and the works are a response to this mercy, rather than a bargaining chip to
''trade'' for God's mercy. ''In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead'' (1 Peter 1:3).

God's mercy through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is seen, not as a
weakness, but as God's strength; the entire life-event of Jesus Christ affirms God's mercy.
Imitating God, then, entails imitating God's mercy. Mercy now becomes one of the cornerstones
of the early Christian Church; mercy ought to permeate the Church's activities and be a primary
criteria in the Church's ministry and identity.

The early Christian community sought to live out this mercy to each other and with
others. In the first few centuries after the death of Christ, the conditions of many cities were
miserable and filled with chaos, with a high infant mortality, short life expectancy, and a steady
stream of people coming into the city it is in this setting that the early Christians began
practicing mercy to the newly arrived immigrants. 64 ''Moreover, [Christianity] was new. Certain
demands were imposed by the gods of pagan religions. But these demands were substantively
ritual; they were not neighbor directed ... The religion was new to the Roman empire, therefore,
because the Christian God required mercy to be practiced toward all who called upon the name
of the Lord. Christianity required the recognition of the stranger in need as neighbor and,
inevitably, as sibling; Christianity commanded the Christian to embrace faithfully the one in
need of mercy.''65 lt is through these actions that the early Christians witnessed to the gospel.

Conclusion

62
''Pope Francis Proposes New Set of Beatitudes," Manila Bulletin News, November 3, 2016,
[Link]
63
''Why Pope Francis Updated the Beatitudes,'' America Magazine, November 8, 2016,
[Link]
64
Keenan, Moral Wisdom: Lessons and Textsfrom the Catholic Tradition, 98.
65
Keenan, 98-99.
 The Christian Tradition has a rich history of mercy as an important component of moral
theology. ''Thus, in deeds and in words, the Lord revealed [God's] mercy from the very
beginnings of the people which [God] chose for [God's self]; and, in the course of its history,
this people continually entrusted itself, both when stricken with misfortune and when it became
aware of its sin, to the God of mercies. ''66

''Catholics have taken the insight [of mercy as the basic stance of our God toward us]
further in terms of a long legacy of the corporeal works of mercy feed the hungry, give drink to
the thirsty, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury te
dead and the spiritual works of mercy give good counsel, teach the ignorant, admonish
sinners, console the afflicted, pardon offenses and injuries, bear offenses patiently, and pray for
the living and the dead."67 This fundamental stance of mercy has shaped Christian morality and
ethics. It is what drove the early Christian to live in communities where no one was inneed (Acts
2:43-47). Until today, mercy is seen in the Catholic Church's continued actions of corporeal and
spiritual acts of mercy.

Mercy makes a big difference in how morality is understood and what kinds of choices
we would make. Rather than a cold, punishment-based morality, mercy as the motive behind our
actions allows us to be more empathetic and to choose our actions not just based on our own
good and self-interest, but also those of others. Mercy is not just about alms-giving, but it is a
virtue cultivated in the acts of mercy. A society based on mercy would have a very different
justice and social welfare system: "in the culture based on Divine Mercy the question is to
protect the human being as a person bestowed with inalienable dignity, reasonable and free, by
their nature social, called to love, a subject and participant of God's plans."68 The criteria
becomes: ''what is the most loving and merciful thing to do?'' rather than ''what is most
efficient?'' or ''what gives me the best return?''

66
DM 4.
67
Keenan, Moral Wisdom: Lessons and Textsfrom the Catholic Tradition, 124.
68
Zyzak, ''Mercy as Theological Term," 146.
Guide Questions

1. Define mercy in the Old Testament. Why is mercy an important theme in the Old
Testament
2. How does Jesus exemplify mercy in the New Testament?
3. What difference does mercy have in Christian morality compared to a rules-based
Christian morality?
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