Balancing Mercy and Justice

During one of the worship services yesterday, God impressed on my mind and heart of the importance of BALANCE in our Christian life. It seems like we live in a time where many cannot display great balance. In other words it is either "my way or the highway" or we are extreme in one way or the other.

The text: Matt. 23:23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

What Jesus is saying here is that there is great value in having balance and doing what is right in God's law and doing what is necessary to meet the needs of people.

These Pharisees were perfect in paying 10% of the spices that they grew in their gardens, however, when it came to the important things when dealing with people such as showing JUSTICE, MERCY and FAITHFULNESS they were not so perfect. As a matter of fact, they neglected these things.

Let's go back to the gospel of John chapter 8. The story is about the woman caught in adultery. These same Pharisees wanted to stone her because the law said they could.
Here comes Jesus into the picture. His words were: "Those of you without sin cast the first stone." As you know, Jesus forgave her. Was that the end of the story? Not hardly, Jesus displayed perfect balance of law and mercy when he spoke these words to her: "Go and sin no more." Jesus assured her of her sin and forgiveness, however, he gave her great advice for her future when he told her to quit sinning like this.
Jesus balanced justice and mercy.

Are you able to display this kind of balance of mercy, justice and faithfulness in your life?
Do you remember these words in the Beatitudes?-"Blessed are the MERCIFUL for they shall  be shown mercy."

A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. "But I don’t ask for justice," the mother explained. "I plead for mercy." "But your son does not deserve mercy," Napoleon replied. "Sir," the woman cried, "it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for." "Well, then," the emperor said, "I will have mercy." And he spared the woman’s son.