Listening Mercies for Scum Like Me

By Brian Gee, Tyndale House Publishers. Follow Brian here or check out his site here. 

"When the Pharisees saw this, they asked [Jesus'] disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with such scum?' When Jesus heard this, he said, ‘Healthy people don't need a doctor-sick people do.' Then he added, ‘Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: "I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices." For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners,'" (Matt. 9:11-13 NLT).

Mercy. It's such an abstract word to me. I think that's because mercy can't stand on its own. No one simply shows mercy. Mercy always needs an action to complete it. I show mercy by [fill in the blank].

There are a lot of incredible things Christians do to fill in that expression of mercy: feeding the homeless, adopting the orphan, bringing clean water to those who don't have access to it. We must continue doing mercy in these ways.

When I read Jesus' words above, I admit that my mind is drawn first to a quieter set of smaller mercies - actions that I can practice every day. I call them listening mercies.

Jesus made no secret of those with whom he kept company. Tax collectors. Prostitutes. Gentiles. All of these societal outcasts - the unclean - scandalized the religious leaders of Jesus' day. You can feel the disdain of the Pharisees when the New Living Translation describes the group as scum.

But Jesus invited these very same scum to eat with him. Or more scandalously, he invited himself to recline at their tables. And he listened to them. He listened as they told stories about their most troubling questions, their deepest doubts, and the cutting pains that plagued their souls. This was not a group who pretended everything was alright. These were the "sick people" whom Jesus came to call and heal. And Jesus extended to them one of the most profoundly simple mercies I can think of: he listened to them.

If your life is anything like mine, you can't describe most things you've lived through with a neat and tidy "good" or "bad". Whether it's wrestling with sexuality, paying this month's rent, or dealing with an abusive father, we've all gone through incredibly complex situations that involved questions, doubts, guilt, and more. In fact, I'd bet that most of us carry any combination of these concerns at any moment.

There's a bitter mix of joy and pain that runs through the core of what it means to be human. I can more frequently identify with the scum at the table than I can with Jesus. And I don't think I'm unique in that.

But here's the amazing thing about Jesus' mercy: he still comes to my table to dine with me. And he shows me listening mercies.

You see, I used to think that I couldn't come to Jesus unless I had already "dealt with" the scum that was in my life. I needed to be well before I spoke with my soul's doctor. But that's not where Jesus chose to meet those who ate at the table with him. He showed mercy while they were still sick. The junk in their lives didn't scare him off. Jesus didn't push away those who had questions, doubts, guilt, and fear. Rather, he listened to them. Then he drew them close and let them put their fingers through the wounds in his hands.

I want to be like Jesus. I want to listen and love like Jesus. I want to be a safe space for others to bring their own scummy souls without worrying about being judged or excluded. Because my soul is filled with its own scum. It's only in Jesus' listening mercies that I can find rest, peace, love, and forgiveness.
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In our "Christian" culture, it's easy to overlook Jesus' listening mercies. We aim to create a sanitized environment for those who have already recovered instead of a safe space for those who profess to be sick. Even the books & bibles we put out seem too often to have that sanitized feel of someone passing down a trite answer, like they never really took the time to listen in the first place.

I want to advocate for these listening mercies at Catalyst and beyond. But I need your help. This past April, Tyndale House Publishers released a Bible called The Way that's all about the listening mercies of Jesus. It's a Bible that refuses to give easy or trite answers to some of the most controversial and mishandled issues that each of us encounter in our lives. Abandonment by God. Poverty. Homosexuality. Divorce. Child trafficking. Pain. Doubts.

These aren't simple issues, and the questions that all of us face deserve something better than a simple answer. Not political answers. Not religious answers. They deserve the listening mercies of Jesus. Answers that speak to the dignity of each person who actually lives within the reality of their pain and confusion.

Throughout the Catalyst conference, the Tyndale House Publishers booth will be running a campaign called "Spread the Way". We'll be giving away over 1,000 copies of this Bible that we want your help to spread. If you get a copy, we want you to read it and listen - really listen - to the stories of others who bare their souls in the deepest way.

Then, we want you to give it away. That's right. Spread the Way.

But don't just hand it to a stranger and walk off. Pick a story or two that sticks out to you and start a conversation with the person you're going to give it to. Practice the listening mercies, and be ready to open up your own wounds for others to see. Make sure to let us know that you're participating by tweeting about it using #spreadtheway & #catalyst.

Then, if you want, pick up your own copy of The Way online or at a local Christian bookstore and start the process again. This isn't about promoting a bible. This is about starting conversations. It's about showing the listening mercies of Jesus in ways that meet real people in the midst of their real lives. It's about showing others that Jesus cares for every one of his children, scum included.