What does the Lord require of us?
“With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, 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 6:6-8
This prophet’s message to the nation of Israel was one of judgement and hope. Judgement of their sin, not only in turning away from God but also in the way they treated people who were not like them or of their fold. The hope he spoke of would come in the form of a savior born to a virgin to save them from their sin and show them the right way to live.
Micah’s admonition to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God would be Jesus’ way of life.
“Jesus leads with justice. Throughout the gospels, Jesus is constantly reaching out to both people regarded as immoral, or the people simply regarded as unclean”. Ray Low - Pastor www.leadwithjustice.com
Would that we might do the same. What does this kind of justice look like in our lives? How many groups of people do we consider not worthy of Jesus’ love and grace?
Many Christians today believe that they are acting justly in condemning those who are ‘sinners,’ specifically those who identify as LGBTQ, non-heteronormative, or as ‘Queer.’ They want to honor God and therefore cannot accept this group of people for the sake of upholding the Gospel. But that’s not how justice works in the eyes of God.
Pastor Ray Low writes, “Justice is about leveling the playing field for all to come and meet Jesus. It’s about upholding the inherent dignity and worth of Every person, as well as every person’s basic right to food, health, and shelter. It is only within that context of radical love that we can begin to see hearts transformed by the power of the gospel.”
The definition of mercy is ‘the compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward another,’ and some biblical translations use the word kindness or compassion in place of mercy in this verse.
Jesus offered mercy at every turn to every person he came in contact with. He sought out the downtrodden and the outcast - those who the righteous people called ‘sinners.’ He was kind and compassionate to all, only turning his anger on the self-righteous religious leaders. Jesus imposed no faith requirements on the people he reached out to. In many cases, he was the instigator and sometimes those he touched eventually went their own way.
How is turning people away from our Christian church in any way related to the mercy and kindness Jesus offered?
“What a beautiful picture it would be if we abandoned our image and our need to be “right” all the time - and instead showed compassion to those who need it,” adds Pastor Ray Low.
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.” Romans 12:16
Without humility, our attempts at justice are nothing more than power plays, acting out of our own self-righteousness. When we put ourselves in charge of deciding who deserves God’s love and who deserves to be cast out from God’s kingdom, we become God in our own eyes. This is idolatry; a violation of the first commandment.
Let us aim to be people of God who create safe spaces for the outcast and downtrodden, becoming conduits of God’s grace and allowing all people to experience the redeeming love of Jesus Christ.
Peace,
Merryl Dietz
February 17, 2021