A Hermeneutic of Mercy?
On Jesus' Use of Isaiah 61 and Peter's Use of Psalm 34 (33 LXX)
(1) The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,(2) to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God (Isa 61:1–2b).
It has long been noted that the above quotation from Isaiah is used by Jesus to inaugurate his ministry in Luke 4:16–19. That is, with the exception of the last line, “and the day of vengeance of our God”.
Why the omission of judgment from the quotation?
According to Darrell Bock, “the omission represents part of the ‘already-not yet” tension of NT eschatology”.1
In other words, the inauguration of Jesus’ own mission and kingdom is characterised by mercy, forgiveness, restoration, Jubilee. Judgment will come later. Now is the time of reconciliation. Jesus might be said to be interpreting Isaiah (in this instance, at least), through a hermeneutic of mercy. Luke’s gospel demonstrates the outworking of this hermeneutic throughout Jesus’ ministry.
The apostles, it seems follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Note, for example, Peter’s use of Psalm 34:12–16 (33:13–17 LXX).
(10) For, “Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
(11) They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it.
(12) For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Pet 3:10–12)
In this instance, the line missing from Peter’s quotation of the psalm is “to blot out their name from the earth” (Ps 34:16b; 33:17b LXX).
Once again, a hermeneutic of mercy seems to be in play. In my PhD thesis, I make the case that Peter omits Ps 34:16b for two reasons:2
V. 16b is omitted for the benefit of non-believers for whom Peter has redemptive concern.
Peter omits v. 16b for the sake of believers as a reminder that they remain objects of God’s mercy even if, on occasion, they fail to live up to their new identity and mission in Christ.
Like Jesus’ mission, the church’s mission is to be characterised by mercy, forgiveness, restoration, and Jubilee, both within and without the community of faith.
Does this mean that the church should not talk about God’s judgment? That is not what I am saying. As the biblical text gives reason to speak about judgment, so should those tasked with teaching it.
But I do think it means that those of us whom bear the responsibility of preaching and/or teaching in the church would do well to dwell on this evident hermeneutic of mercy. I’d go so far as to say that this is especially important in the present cultural moment where anyone who stumbles into a faux pas that offends secular sensibilities will find themselves shamed, doxed, or ratioed into oblivion.
The world is not satisfied until such people are broken and destitute. Only then, maybe, if such people grovel hard enough and for long enough, will they be welcomed back into the public square, albeit with one eye of suspicion always gazing upon them and ready to pounced upon should they be so foolish again.
Into that world, the message of Jesus and his kingdom comes like a fresh sea breeze, offering forgiveness, renewal, restoration and mercy. A personal Jubilee for those bruised and broken by the world. To the weary, Jesus says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matt 11:28–30 MSG).
Many people—both within and without the church—know the judgment and condemnation of the world and even the church. What too many don’t know, is the mercy of God that is on offer through the gospel of Jesus or that God rejoices over those whom he loves and delights to rescue (Isa 62:5).
Sadly, if social media is anything to go by, there are all too many pastors/preachers willing to remind people of the judgment that awaits them and/or to contend over church matters that are of secondary or even tertiary importance. In the name of “contending for the faith”, such “pastors” act as warmongers rather than peacemakers and apparently, know not the mercy of God because they are incapable of extending it to others who so desperately need it. I would remind such “pastors” that even Jude— that great contender whom they are so eager to emulate—encourages mercy for those who doubt and struggle (vv. 22–23).
So, how ought the church respond? Well, in 1 Peter, Christian believers are reminded that “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Pet 2:10). The church is a mercied people, and its priestly ministry is to extend that same mercy to others. It is the church’s joy and privilege to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour until Jesus returns.
Darrell L. Bock, Luke 1:1–9:50, BECNT (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994 [2006]), 411.
David M. Shaw, “A People Called: Narrative Transportation and Missional Identity in 1 Peter”, PhD Thesis (University of Exeter, 2017), 278–80, http://hdl.handle.net/10871/29761.