Justice and Mercy @ Christ Sanctuary - Palmerston North Church


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Justice and Mercy

“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

Justice

God’s heart is aflame with a vigour for justice. Psalms 89:14 says “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne”; and Psalms 11:7 affirms that “the Lord is righteous he loves justice. Upright men will see his face”. Through the prophet Zechariah he says: “Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor, and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another,” 7:9-10.

We desire for Christ Sanctuary, not only to be a community where people act justly, but also a place where justice is actively, even aggressive promoted and pursued. The prophet Micah asks the question “What does God require?” Justice is not something to be appreciated when we happen to express it incidentally. God requires it. Indeed He demands it. He watches to see if we will fight for it.

Mercy

The Hebrew word that Micah uses in 6:8 that is translated “mercy” is an amazingly beautiful word “hesed”. It speaks of “tender mercies, loving-kindness, steadfast love”. God’s own heart is etched with the mark of mercy. When we most deserve His wrath and judgment, He had mercy on us. God loves mercy, and in turn He expects you and I to be merciful. Jesus said: “Blessed are the merciful”.

God is not merely asking us to have mercy. He is asking us to love mercy. Micah begins by asking the question, “What does God require?”. Like justice, mercy is not something good if we happen to express it. God requires and demands it.

What does this mean for Christ Sanctuary?

It means that we’re here to do for our community what Jesus Himself would do if He had hands and feet.
It means speaking up when people in our community are unjustly treated.
It means fighting for justice, even if in our fight, we may have to suffer for it.
It means lovingly showing mercy to those who are in grave and desperate need.
It means praying consistently for God to birth in our hearts a passion to see people in our society treated with dignity.