The Natural Tension Between Justice and Mercy
February 8, 2011
Dear Friends,
When God shows himself to Moses, He describes Himself using the following words:
The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation. (Ex. 34:6,7 NIV)
Notice the balance inherent in His self-description. God is, on the one hand, extraordinarily merciful and gracious, but at the same time He exercises a demanding justice on those who disobey. God is both of these qualities and His glory is manifested in the balance between justice and mercy.
It is important to keep in mind the circumstances of this demonstration of God’s glory. Moses is tasked with leading God’s people and does not feel quite up to the challenge. He tells God preceding this event,
You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people. (Ex. 33:12-13 NIV)
It stands to reason then that those like Moses who choose to serve God, and especially those who have the task to lead God’s people, must show forth both characteristics of justice and mercy. These two characteristics are the key to declaring God’s glory. The prophet Micah refers to this balancing act when he says,
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.(Micah 6:8 NIV)
Believers who only manifest mercy while ignoring God’s standards for holiness are not honoring God. Believers who only demand judgment without ever showing mercy are not honoring God. If we could just show one or the other, life would be very simple. As it stands, there are no easy answers. Believers must expertly walk the line between these two.
I appreciate the difficulty in finding and the importance of maintaining this balance between justice and mercy. I can’t imagine wanting to be a part of a church that allows anyone to do anything with no consequences. I also can’t imagine attending a church where no forgiveness is extended to the truly repentant. Finding this balance is extremely difficult. There is a natural tension between justice and mercy. We must uphold God’s standards while recognizing that all of us will at some level fall short of it. Where is the dividing line? Where does justice stop and mercy begin? We find ourselves in the unenviable position of examining whether someone is producing “fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Luke 3:8 NIV) We find ourselves being required to put aside emotional responses –whether for or against the accused –and try our best to look at it from God’s perspective. Needless to say, even with our best efforts, we are going to fail in keeping a perfect balan ce.
It also stands to reason that if we come close to finding the right balance that we are naturally going to find ourselves criticized by those who err toward one or the other side whether too judgmental or too lenient. In fact, criticism coming from both positions may be one of the best indicators that we are approaching a proper balance between justice and mercy.
In order to even have a passing chance at accomplishing a proper balance between justice and mercy, we need to immerse ourselves in God’s word. This immersion is for taking in and processing the mind of God Himself. How does God think? How does God react in certain situations with justice and mercy? If we can understand and appreciate some of the interesting and perplexing examples of God’s justice and mercy, we may be able to implement His will with some degree of exactness here on earth. Why did God slay the man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath? Why did God forgive King David? Why was Jesus so kind to the woman caught in adultery but tough on his disciples when they didn’t understand what he was saying? All of these examples and many more are there for our learning about the important concept of balancing justice and mercy.
May God grant us the wisdom to understand and follow His glorious example!
Have a great week,
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