Justice and mercy

<p>JUSTICE AND MERCY </p> <p>Micah 6:8 ‘He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?’</p> <p>The prophet Micah had a burden for justice to be seen amongst God’s people Israel. In chapter three Micah opposes two groups in Jerusalem, the spiritual and the secular authorities. First, he opposes some of the other prophets, because they were misleading the people and unjustly using their position and power for their own advantage. He said the prophets ‘lead my people astray’ (Micah 3:5). The second group against which Micah speaks are the political leaders and rulers in Jerusalem ‘because they eat the flesh of my people’, that is, financial extortion and oppressive control over the people. In all these passages it is clear that what motivates Micah is concern for this unjust use of power against his own people. JUSTICE Jesus also had a burden to see God’s justice amongst his own people, Israel, and like Micah, Jesus confronted the religious political power base of his day, the Scribes and Pharisees. Jesus told them they were ignoring the most important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23).  The Bible tells us that when he was threatened and insulted he did not threaten and insult back again but committed himself humbly into the hands of his Father, who judges righteously on our behalf – He settles the score – His way in his time. (1Peter 2:23). Jesus didn’t have to fight against injustice because he knew where to find true justice – it comes when you put things into God’s hands. That is why Jesus talked about turning the other cheek, loving your enemies, doing good to those who hate you – all those Scriptures that annoy everyone. They’re especially reinforced in the new Testament (Matthew 5:39, Romans 12:19)</p> <p>This is not the way that we in our entire human history have ever organized our system of Justice, which follows the simple reward and punishment model that we see everywhere.