Fr. Jose Varickasseril has his qualification in biblical exegesis from Biblicum. He has completed a PhD in biblical theology and spirituality. He serves different communities in his capacity as a teacher and an assistant parish priest.

Introduction

The world over, people are flocking to the Church to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday (12 April 2026). Although a fairly recent devotion, it has gained momentum. Individuals and communities cherish this devotion. The Catholics in particular, aware of their vulnerability and fragility, long to experience God’s Mercy made visible in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit. In this short write-up, we want to discover to the extent possible the meaning of this popular piety. We limit ourselves mainly to a few New Testament perspectives.

1. Jesus spoke several parables to explain God’s mercy

Jesus was a teacher – and an excellent one at that. He had the ability to explain his thoughts with an incredible variety. Jesus expatiated on the fifth beatitude – “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7) – with different parables. Let me recall some of them here. The first is the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37). Jesus elicited the reply about who an ideal neighbour is from the lawyer himself. He had no option but to reply, “The one who showed mercy on him” is the perfect neighbour (Lk 10:37).

Mercy and forgiveness are inseparable. In fact, they are like two sides of the same coin! Jesus expounded the meaning of the fifth beatitude with the parable of the unforgiving servant (Mt 18:21-35). This parable is also a literary piece! The servants felt “greatly distressed” (Mt 18:31) when they noted that the one who was forgiven much did not impart the same to another! In this case, Jesus did not leave the parable with an open end when narrating it. He said explicitly, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Mt 18:35).

The parable of the Last Judgement is a classic (Mt 25:31-46). There is no mercy in the abstract! Mercy has to find expression in concrete deeds of love towards anyone in need. The corporal works of mercy – feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and the prisoners – are the yardstick to measure one’s merciful attitude.

The three parables in Luke 15 (the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son) further elucidate the meaning of mercy. God does not abandon those who go astray. He goes in search of them! So too, his followers must show a sympathetic and caring attitude to those who are fragile and vulnerable and go astray. Compassion should be the hallmark of a Christian towards those who have failed in their responsibility and commitment!

2. Jesus worked miracles to show his mercy

On design, the evangelists have underlined mercy on certain occasions when Jesus was working miracles. St Mark recounts the cure of the leper. He says, “moved with pity” (Mk 1:41). Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and healed him. Jesus restored dignity to a man who had been ostracised from society according to the mores and customs of the day!

Jesus paid heed to the cry of two blind men, “Have mercy on us, Son of David” (Mt 20:29-34). Mathew narrates, “And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight and followed him” (Mt 20:34).

The multiplication of loaves for the five thousand (Mt 14:13-21) is prefaced with an important statement by the narrator. Mathew writes, “As he [Jesus] went ashore, he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick … and gave them something to eat (Mt 14:14-16). Compassion did not remain at a mere theoretical level. It found expression in answering the aspirations of the people! In the second Gospel, Mark tells his audience that Jesus began to teach the crowds many things on account of his compassion (Mk 6:34). [Here the narrator refers to a spiritual work of mercy – a parallel presentation to the corporal works of mercy that we mentioned above in the parable of the last Judgment.

3. Jesus taught forgiveness and personally set an example

Three evangelists mention the healing of the paralytic (Mk 2:1-12 and passim). John has another source, which he has re-worked when he refers to the invalid at the pool of Bethzatha (see Jn 5:18). Returning to the synoptic presentation, Jesus said with a heart filled with goodness, “My son, your sins are forgiven” (Mk 2:5). The original Greek for “son” is one of tenderness!

Jesus empowered Peter (Mt 16:19) and the entire group of Apostles as well (18:18) to forgive sins. He reiterated the same after his resurrection from the dead. Jesus had experienced the ‘defection’ on the part of his apostles who had fled (Mk 14:50). Knowing their vulnerability, he empowered them to forgive when he said, “Receive the Holy Spirit, whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven” (Jn 20:22-23). In his final commissioning, Jesus wanted precisely “repentance and forgiveness of sins” to be preached to all nations (Lk 24:47).

Jesus taught forgiveness also through the prayer – the Our Father – that he gave during the Mountain discourse. “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors … For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mt 6:12, 14-15). The illustration for this teaching has been indicated through the powerful parable of the unforgiving servant (see above)!

Jesus forgave those who treated him with cruelty during the crucifixion. From the cross, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing” (Lk 23:34). Jesus practised what he taught!

4. Two connected aphorisms of Jesus on forgiveness

 We return once again to the discourse of Jesus on the Mount of Beatitudes. He said to the crowds, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Mt 5:23-24). A slightly re-worked tradition is found in Mark. He quotes Jesus saying, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Mk 11:25). The difference in the two aphorisms is significant. Jesus wants us to take the initiative in offering forgiveness – whether one is in the wrong or the neighbour is in the wrong!

5. Precedence of forgiveness over every form of sacrifice

Jesus mingled with all sections of people in society to draw them to God. He did not look disparagingly at the tax collectors and sinners! [In fact, the protagonist and hero in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican is the latter, Lk 18:9-14].   Following on the heels of the call of Mathew, Jesus went to dine with him and his friends! When questioned about this nonconventional action, Jesus said, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice’, For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mt 9:13).

Here we can recall with profit the attitude of Jesus (as opposed to that of Simon the Pharisee) towards the woman who came to anoint him (Lk 7:36-50). Similarly, the words of Jesus to those who expressed surprise at his going to the house of Zacchaeus are unique. Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (Lk 19:9-10).

6. Jesus taught forgiveness through a classic example

Among the most emotion-packed episodes in the Johannine Gospel is the one about the defenceless woman whom the Pharisees brought before Jesus. The legalistic and merciless Pharisees quoted Moses so that Jesus himself would have to command them to stone her to death! It was a foul stratagem. If Jesus directed them to stone her, then he (the paragon of compassion) is merciless! If instead, Jesus asked them to let her go free, then he is against Moses and the Mosaic law! The malicious group took it for granted that they had scored a victory! Jesus shocked them into an embarrassing silence when he said, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (Jn 8:7). They all went away … and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him! Then, Jesus said, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again” (Jn 8:10-11). St Augustine has a beautiful expression to describe the scene. He says, Relicti sunt duo: misera et misericordia (two were left: the miserable [woman] and mercy itself [Jesus]).

Pope Francis delighted in returning to this episode on more than one occasion during the year of mercy (8 December 2015 -20 November 2016) that he had declared with the papal bull Misericordiae vultus (The Face of Mercy). On a similar strain, those who were present at the crucifixion scene must have been shell-shocked when Jesus promised Paradise to one of the criminals crucified along with him (see Lk 23:40-43). That is Jesus – the face of God’s mercy (see Exod 34:6-7; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Ps 103:8-10, etc.)!

7. A word on almsgiving

The discourse on the Mountain contains a teaching on almsgiving (6:2-4). Significantly, Jesus placed this duty before prayer and fasting. Here Jesus stands in the prophetic tradition of Trito Isaiah. He says that God wants ‘sharing of food with the hungry and sheltering the homeless poor and clothing the naked’ (Isa 58:7-8) as more acceptable than anything else! Jesus taught the value of almsgiving and sharing of goods, also when he spoke the parables of the rich fool (Lk 12:13-21), and the rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31). It was Jesus’ way of explaining his directive on “Sell your possessions and give alms” (Lk 12:33; see also Rom 12:13).

Conclusion

Today’s feast of divine mercy offers us an opportunity to rediscover the meaning of mercy – a divine trait which we are invited to imitate. Through parables, miracles, and a variety of teaching ministries, and the example of his personal life, Jesus interpreted his teaching on the fifth beatitude – “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”

St Faustina and John Paul II come to our mind when we think of Divine Mercy Sunday. Pope Francis played a great role in spreading this devotion.  We recall with profit his motto – miserando atque eligendo – He [Jesus] looked upon him (Mathew) mercifully and chose him. This is a refined translation of the literal meaning of the Latin gerund = by having mercy and by choosing (see also Mt 9:9). Mercy is a deeply nuanced biblical demand. A simplistic interpretation would miss the depth of meaning Jesus had in mind when he taught about mercy!