Beyond Justice

What if true blessing lies beyond justice, in a mercy that demands no return?

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees. He said to the host who invited him, “When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or sisters or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Luke 14:12-14

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Uneven Scales: Mercy Beyond Justice

Why is it blessed to give to the needy without recompense? Mirroring the magnanimity of God, unrequited mercy is divine. From the Incarnation to his Passion and Resurrection, Jesus pours himself out to the spiritually poor, crippled, lame, and blind with no possibility of repayment.

Christ’s counsel exceeds the virtue of justice, which gives each their due by balancing the scales according to value. Inviting to the banquet the poor, crippled, lame, and blind leaves one side of the scale empty. Mercy does not seek equalization or profit between two parties. Driven by the desire to relieve the suffering of others, mercy selflessly reaches out. The Good Samaritan, spontaneously merciful, does not think twice about helping the beaten man on the road (Luke 10:33). “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing” (Matthew 6:3).

The Eye of Christ

In serving the poor and needy, we serve Christ, for we are not individuals. Serving the blind opens the eye of the heart to behold the face of Christ. Serving the poor relieves the poor Christ. Serving the crippled heals the crippled Christ. Serving the lame uplifts the lame Christ. The eye of the Lord sees all as one Mystical Body. 

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light” (Matthew 6:22). Indeed, the Lamp of the Body is Christ. When Christ is present, the whole Body is filled with Light. 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free.”

Luke 4:18

Traditional Chinese Translation

《超越正義》
主的眼看眾人如一：
窮人和瞎子都屬於聖子。