When Pope John Paul II drew the person of Christ in relation to mankind, he described Him as Redemptor Hominis (“The Redeemer of Man”), which is the title of his first encyclical letter. Later, when he drew attention to the countenance of God as especially revealed by Christ, he described God as Dives in Misericordia (“Rich in Mercy” – also the title of another encyclical), drawing from Paul’s description of God as the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (Eph. 2:4-5). In this revelation of the mystery of God and of His love, we have the core of kindness in Sacred Scriptures.
God is described in Scriptures in many ways: He is Creator, Savior, Redeemer, Almighty, Lord, Presence, etc. But above all, Israel experienced God as He revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush – as “the Lord merciful (rahum) and gracious (hanan), slow to anger and rich in kindness (hesed) and fidelity” (Ex. 34:6).
In describing divine mercy, the Books of the Old Testament often use three Hebrew words with related meanings which converge on the idea of graciousness, kindness, and love. The first word is the verb hanan which means to “act kindly towards” or “to show favor to.” A term related to it, the noun hen, is rendered as “grace” or “favor.” Both words are used most often of God. The second term is hesed which is often rendered as “kindness” or “covenant love.” It often goes with emet (“faithfulness”) and the expression hesed we-emet (“kindness and faithfulness”) is the classic description of God’s love for His people because of the covenant (see 2 Sm. 2:6; Ps 25:10). Thirdly, the term rahum is related to rehem which refers to the mother’s womb. It thus generates a whole range of feelings related to motherly or generative affection, including goodness and tenderness, patience and understanding.
In pointing to God as “rich in kindness and mercy,” the Old Testament encourages people suffering from misfortune, especially those weighed down by sin, to have recourse to the benevolence of God. In times of failure and loss of trust, people can appeal for God’s love which is revealed precisely through mercy. How beautifully the prophet Jeremiah describes this love which is greater and more profound than “divine justice.” “I have loved You with an everlasting love, therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to You” (Jer. 31:1).
THE IMITATION OF GOD
Jesus Christ reveals the Father within the framework of the perspective of the Old Testament. In Jesus, we have the Son who knows the Father and has made Him known to us (cf. Jn. 1:18). And in Christ and through Christ, God also becomes especially visible as “God who is rich in mercy” (Eph. 2:4).
The Old Testament hesed and rahum are inscribed with great exactness by Jesus in His parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk. 15:14-31). Although the word “mercy” or “kindness” do not appear, the parable expresses the essence of divine mercy in a particularly clear way. When the father saw the son returning, he “was filled with compassion,” filled as he were with a mother’s love for the fruit of her womb (rehem). Here, love is transformed into mercy as it goes beyond the norm of justice (which would render to the prodigal son what he deserved: shame and expulsion from the community).
Kindness and mercy is at the heart of the messianic program of Christ which He formulated in the synagogue at Nazareth (Lk. 4:18-21). According to the words once written in the prophecy of Isaiah (61:1-3), this program consisted in the revelation of merciful love for the poor, the suffering and prisoners, the blind, the oppressed and sinners. And so Jesus went about doing good: He healed the sick, shared table fellowship with outcast and sinners, fed the hungry, forgave sinners, welcomed and blessed children, and reached out even to pagans.
The greatest expression of God’s mercy is Jesus’ cross and resurrection. Mercy here is the interior form of love (agape). The Father in heaven is absolutely faithful to His eternal love for us – that “He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 14:9).
As God loved us, so must we love in return. As God had mercy on us, so must we show mercy. This idea of imitating God’s kindness is everywhere in the New Testament. Jesus blesses the merciful, “for they will be shown mercy” (Mt. 5:7). On the other hand, in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, He warns us that the Father’s forgiveness, already given, will be withdrawn at the final judgment for those who have not imitated His forgiveness (Mt. 18:35). When we ask the heavenly Father for forgiveness for our debts, we should be ready to forgive those who are indebted to us (Mt. 6:12).
Kindness and mercy is at the heart of the Christian message. Jesus said: “You received without pay, give without pay” (Mt. 10:8). This applies first of all to mercy. The Church must, therefore, seek to put mercy into practice and to proclaim it to the men and women of today.
