Justice and Mercy

March 29, 2021 AdminLeave a comment

Zechariah 7:9-10

Looking at Justice and Mercy first let us define our terms. Justice is seen as the quality of fairness, the principle of moral rightness, the process of fairly using law to judge and punish. It is equal in all cases when deciding what is fair. To be fair one must be honest, upright, honourable, trustworthy. Mercy, on the other hand, is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.

In the Bible we are told that God is just. Sometimes He links justice and mercy together. “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress….” (Zechariah 7:9-10). Jesus, pronouncing a woe upon the Pharisees, said: “…you neglect justice and the love of God” (Luke 11:42). Hosea also talks about maintaining love and justiceo (2:19). And so we see the prophets speak about the dangers of withholding justice from the poor and oppressed.

Let’s pose a question: How can mortal man bring justice and mercy together in the 21^st century?

Mercy is an attitude of heart expressed in feelings of compassion. When we look at a criminal, for example, we might feel compassion for the situation in which that person finds themselves, knowing the judgment that will be a consequence of wrong choices. However, that feeling does not negate the consequences unless justice can be satisfied in some other way.

An example might be in the news account of a man jailed for murder. Having become a Christian while incarcerated, with a compassionate attitude would we not want to see him go free, now that his life had turned around? However, he suffered the death penalty for his crime, willingly acknowledging the mercy of God, while accepting the consequence of his murderous temper.

Divine justice and mercy factor into this account. Would we, with our finite wisdom, pervert the very mercy of God? We need to be wary of being guided by our feelings instead of maintaining a balance between cognitive and emotive understanding. Often our judgment is impacted by our own feelings more than we realize. Instead of facing the result of sin in our lives, we look for any escape from those ramifications.

How does God view each individual situation? There is the promise given through Isaiah “My justice will become a light to the nations” (51:4)! That means that God’s merciful provision for the sins of the nations, through Jesus Christ the Lord, will effectively save those who repent and receive God’s forgiveness. Our knowledge of God gives us a wonderful answer to the dilemma of sin. Divine Justice is not something to fear when tempered with His matchless mercy!

Reflection:

How often do we want to deal with our problems in our own way? Is this not a rejection of God’s mercy? What is the consequence? What is God’s perfect provision?

by Marilyn Daniels (MarilynDaniels.net)

Devotional

Valuing the Vulnerable

February 21, 2021 AdminLeave a comment

Matthew 18:3

Jesus showed a tenderness towards children by both word and deed. Parents must have sensed this because they brought their children to Him to be blessed, for Him to lay His hands on them and to pray for them. (Matthew 19:13). When Jesus’ disciples protested He spoke words that over centuries of time have become famous. “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them” (:14).

Mark records a further demonstration of His love, saying that Jesus “took the children in His arms” (10:16). He cuddled them. Physical touch was important to Him. Just imagine the memories of those children in years to come. The actual touch of One who would become Saviour of the world!

Earlier as He was teaching His disciples about the kingdom of heaven and who would be “first” there, Jesus took a small child into His arms as an illustration of His point, saying: “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the One who sent me!” (Mark 9:37). This certainly prioritized the important deeds the disciples might have imagined themselves doing, in His name!

Jesus went on to explain: “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, will never enter it” (Mark 10:15). Now that is humbling. What sort of intellectual assent could a child give to something of such magnitude as the kingdom of heaven? But that was just the point! Coming into the kingdom of God is “not by might nor by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6)….and His Spirit could reveal truth to a little child. I can attest to that since I knew Jesus was my Saviour at a very early age. I also knew I was naughty – a sinner who needed to ask God’s forgiveness for my daily sins – a wonderful habit to begin as a child.

A child has very little to offer in an adult world. They are learning. But what they do have to offer, no amount of education can teach. I have seen mentally challenged children, perhaps the most vulnerable of the vulnerable, giving gifts of love and trust to their adult counterparts. How amazing is that? We can learn from their innocence, from the very dependency of children, how to relate to God who views us as His children.

Jesus explains again: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). He goes on to say this would require humbling themselves in order to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (:4). John the Baptist understood this. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). There was no cousinly jealousy, no competition in ministry. Perhaps this is why Jesus described John as the greatest among those ever born of woman! (Luke 7:28).

As children of God we have the privilege of calling Him our Father! He knows us well – we are so vulnerable to feelings of pride, the need to control our lives (and perhaps the lives of others as well). We are weak in understanding the bigger picture and the plans God has for us. We see relationships from our own perspective, rather than through the eyes of Jesus. Yes – we are very vulnerable! But Jesus takes us in His arms and blesses us. He is in heaven right now praying for you and for me (Hebrews 7:25).

Reflection:

Why do we often turn away from those who are vulnerable? What does that tell us about the inner person?

When we truly love, how do we express that?

Do we love those who are vulnerable in words only, or in deeds?

by Marilyn Daniels (marilyndaniels.net)

God’s Justice

February 9, 2020 AdminLeave a comment

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Isaiah 5:9-17

“But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by His justice” (Isaiah 5:16)

Many people fear the wrath of God. They perceive Him as an angry judge. True – we are accountable to Him whether or not we acknowledge His supremacy, and for our response to Him, one day all people will be judged (Philippians 2:10, Hebrews 12:23). For that reason, if we are not right with God, one might well fear Him.

It is interesting then to explore the words of Isaiah. “God will be exalted by His justice” (Isaiah 5:16) This quality is one that brings us to reverential worship. Why? Because we know He will be fair in His judgment. Since God is all-knowing, He views a bigger picture than our finite vision allows. He knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Psalm 94:11), when sometimes even we do not understand ourselves. Paul spoke of that dilemma when he exclaimed “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15).

Perhaps this is why scripture instructs us not to judge others. Jesus warned: “Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged” ( Matthew 7:1). Our understanding is obstructed by the plank in our own eye through which we try to assess the sawdust in our brother’s eye (Matthew 7:3ff).

Notice that Isaiah’s prophecy begins with a “but”. Looking at the previous verses we see that in spite of all that Israel had done to displease God, and the punishment they had therefore brought down upon their own heads, “God would show Himself Holy by His righteousness” (Isaiah 5:16).

Contrasting verses 15 and 17 we see man brought low, humbled (:15) but then as God exercises His justice, the nation, redeemed because of His righteousness “will graze as in their own pasture” (:17). This is a picture resembling Psalm 23 which so many people find comforting in times of trouble. “He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul” (:2-3). What a beautiful picture of peace and contentment in the place designed for restoration!

This is what exalts our God above every other God – the mercy and grace of His tender Spirit towards fallen man. You see – justice has been served. Jesus Christ died on the cross, taking the sins of mankind on Himself – paying that awful penalty, so that we might be freed from guilt and condemnation (Romans 8:1). “He sacrificed for their sins, once for all when He offered Himself” (Hebrews 7:27). This is the ultimate expression of love – God’s love which tempers His justice with mercy and grace.

Reflection:
How much does mankind know of real love today?

Are we fair in our perception of our great God or does our fear of His justice, often born of unresolved

guilt, colour our response to His great gift of love?

Do we fear God out of respect for the qualities in His character which links wisdom with love, exalting His supremacy in all that is worthy of worship?

by Marilyn Daniels

http://www.marilyndaniels.net