During the Queen's visit to the Open University in 1979, Kay Ritson's daughter met the Queen. Aged four, Sara broke through security and passed Her Majesty a bag of sweets.
Kay wrote: I was distracted by my younger child, and turned my back on Sara for a moment. When I turned around I saw she was talking to the Queen. Sara had walked straight through security and right up to her. The Queen asked for her name, where she was from, who she was with, and my daughter gave her a bag of aniseed balls which the Queen said she’d have for afternoon tea. The police then escorted my daughter back to me.
There were rules or protocols that separated Queen Elizabeth from four-year-old Sara yet Sara was able to circumvent those protocols and the Queen welcomed her when she did.
In today’s Gospel reading (Luke 5.27-32), the Pharisees were using the Law - the rules about when and how to make sacrifices - in ways that kept out those thought of rule breakers or sinners. They were doing so by adding additional requirements to the laws in order to define who was pure and who wasn’t when it came to making the sacrifices.
Jesus, by contrast called his disciples from among those considered impure and sat and ate with such people; tax collectors and sinners. Why did he do so?
The first reason he gives is that those who had been excluded from worship because they were considered impure where actually far more aware of their need of God, than those, like the Pharisees, who thought they were right with God because they kept the laws. Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” In other words, if you realise you are sick, you also realise you need help. If you don’t, you don’t.
He saw the Pharisees as being those who were sick and in need of a physician but who didn’t call for one because they thought they were well. He was happy to sit and eat with the tax collectors and sinners because they knew they needed God’s help. We see that clearly in this story through Matthew’s instant response to Jesus.
The second reason he gives is that God desires mercy not sacrifice. In its original form, the Law provided minimum standards to prevent abuse of God and of others, while also leading people towards whole-hearted love for God, ourselves and others.
The purpose of the Law is, therefore, not to be found in following the letter of the Law but in keeping the spirit of the Law. As a result, what is important is living out mercy towards others and ourselves, rather than following the practices of making sacrifices in the Temple. God doesn't want the rules kept for the sake of the rules, rather he wants people to love others, to connect and meet and care; that is mercy, not sacrifice. One could follow all the laws or rules of making sacrifices in the Temple without that changing one's behaviour towards others one jot. Jesus looks for behaviour change and for compassion or mercy to be shown towards others.
During the period of mourning for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II we have been reflecting upon a life lived in service of others and taking Her Majesty’s 70-year reign of service as an inspiration for our own future commitment to our shared service within our nation and beyond. In doing so, we have been reflecting on mercy, not sacrifice. As the Archbishop of Canterbury said in Monday’s Funeral Service: “People of loving service are rare in any walk of life. Leaders of loving service are still rarer. But in all cases those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are long forgotten.” Again, this was a reflection on the significance of mercy, not sacrifice. God doesn't want the rules kept for the sake of the rules, rather he wants people to love others, to connect and meet and care; that is mercy, not sacrifice.
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