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So, 

One of the things that makes me crazy is how judgmental some folks are. And not necessarily the ones you might think.

Of course, there are people in this world who are rude and act like bullies. I don’t understand what they are thinking, and why those childhood lessons of being nice didn’t take. But there are people in this world who are rude and judgmental all the time!  

The strange thing is they don’t make me as crazy nearly as much as the folks who seem to wander through life not realizing that their ideas about the world are very much colored by some real misunderstandings.

Now don’t get me wrong! Bullies are a scourge on the earth and I pray for them that God would change their whole demeanor. But folks who are just judgmental and don’t seem to know it are the kind of people who I worry about, partly because I realize I am one of those people! 

Not because I set out to be judgmental, far from it. 

But, at least in some sense I know I misunderstand people, I’ve never walked in their shoes, so I am prone to making discissions about who they are and what they believe and what matters to them using a fairly good sized lack of knowledge.

And I was reminded of that several times this past week, so I am sharing!


The first example is a story the Reverend Peter Rustico told at the Kiwanis luncheon I attended as a guest clergy person of Gerda and Chuck Krogslund. BTW, the food was amazing at Tony Boffa’s.  

In any case he was talking about the Middletown Interfaith Council’s warming station. For those perhaps not aware, the warming station in Middletown is now at the old original Mulberry house and takes in folks who in November to early April have nowhere to sleep that is safe and warm.

Peter related the story from a few years back, of an older couple, dressed quite nicely who came one night looking for shelter from the cold. 

The older gentleman had on a suit jacket and trousers, but related that they were without housing because of financial problems and losing their rental. Could they stay a few nights while they figured things out? 

It is really easy to think that everyone who is homeless is a drug addict or drunk. But the reality is, there are lots of people who are only one pay check away from homelessness, and an illness or a muffler falling off the car can tip the scales the wrong way!

And then there was this show on TV about a killer 17’ crocodile who was terrorizing a small village in southern Africa. The people in the village thought it was cursed. 

The host of the show pointed out that while he didn’t believe in curses, they did, and so after capturing the crocodile, he brought it back to the village so the local witch doctor could un-curse the crocodile!

By listening and believing in the people, if not the curse, he was able to let not only the croc go many, many miles upriver, but was also able to free the people of their fear and their need to kill the croc.

In fact, the host believed the croc was hunting people because of the lack of fish, and that the lack of fish was because of the world’s massive over fishing, including that of the villagers trying to eat. It had and has depleted many rivers of their former large fish, a croc food staple.

But he, aware of his own ability to misunderstand, or simply not know what was happening, listened, cared for, and found a way to solve both the people’s and the crocodile’s needs!

And isn’t that mercy at work!

Mercy is all about caring enough about another’s situation, that you choose to do something to help, even if that causes an expense to you of your time, money, energy, or even in some cases, your beliefs about how a situation should be resolved!

Because, for example, if you believe sincerely and unbudgingly that the man who was paralyzed, was paralyzed because of his or his parent’s sins, why would you help? Isn’t this paralysis God’s judgment on that man?

Isn’t that too often how we think, instead of how Jesus seems to think!

He seems to think that these calamities are not a curse from God but rather an opportunity for God’s people to show what God’s love and power can do to make a difference in this world.

Did you hear that? Not calamity, but opportunity!
His paralysis was indeed an opportunity! And if you understand that and believe that, your way of looking at the misfortunes of a whole lot of people could be turned upside down. 

Imagine Jesus doing that, turning our understanding upside down!

So, paralysis becomes not punishment, but opportunity, a moment of mercy and grace, undeserved favor, not something you can earn, but a choice by God’s people to do what Jesus would do in the same situation!

Notice what Jesus does and says in the presence of those who thought that the man’s sin deserved his life long paralysis? He said, “Your sins are forgiven. Get up, pick up your mat, and walk home!”

Mercy is the choice to make someone who is struggling and suffering whole. It is a decision to care, because God first cared for you! Mercy is offering another a way to get from the mess they are in to a less messy place. It is a gift, pure and simple, that changes their lives!

And then, we, like in last week’s sermon, are reminded to rejoice! To sing and shout. To be jubilant. To be like the paralyzed man’s friends who must have been over the moon.

Because it was not on the basis of the paralyzed man’s faith that Jesus healed him, but rather in recognition of his friend’s faith.

Be that kind of friend! Even if you don’t understand. Even if you have doubts. Even if your faith suggests a whole different understand of what is happening. Be like Jesus and extend mercy to all those you see who need it.

And God who sees what you do will be with you and rejoicing too! Amen.