This week’s reading brings us to Jesus calling Matthew the tax collector, dining with those considered outsiders, healing a woman suffering for twelve years, and raising a synagogue leader's daughter. Peter Walsh, Elizabeth Garnsey, and John Kennedy identify a common thread running through all these stories: mercy. Learn how following Jesus is a journey into greater mercy, deeper trust, and true spiritual freedom.

Questions for Further Discussion

Themes and Application

1. Peter suggests that mercy might be a word worth carrying in your heart for an entire year. If you chose one spiritual word or practice to focus on this year, what would it be and why?
2. John notes that God often chooses unexpected people throughout scripture: Jacob over Esau, David over his brothers, and Matthew over more respectable candidates. Why do you think God is drawn toward people on the margins? 
3. Elizabeth argues that everyone in the story needs mercy, including the Pharisees. How does that challenge the way we typically divide people into "good guys" and "bad guys"? 

Personal Reflection

1. When have you experienced mercy from someone at a time when you least expected it?
2. Have you ever felt like Matthew, the hemorrhaging woman, or the synagogue leader, carrying a burden that left you feeling isolated, ashamed, or desperate?
3. Peter speaks about following Jesus as moving from a profession to a vocation, from simply doing something to becoming someone new. Where have you experienced that kind of transformation in your own life? 

Broader Spiritual Considerations

1. The clergy describe Jesus as both faithful to his tradition and radically transformative within it. How can religious communities honor tradition while remaining open to new insights from God? 
2. The conversation suggests that many of society's divisions are fueled by fear, pride, and exclusion. How does the Gospel challenge these forces?
3. What is the relationship between mercy and justice? Can one exist fully without the other?

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