WALK IN MERCY

“To PERFORM the MERCY promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant” – Luke 1:72

To Walk in God’s Way is to WALK IN MERCY: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David…that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to PERFORM the MERCY promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant” (Lk.1: 68-72). This was the Spirit-inspired prophecy of Zacharias the priest, the father of John the Baptist. It also ends on the note of Mercy: “Through the TENDER MERCY of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (vv.78-79).

The generality of humanity wants justice – equality, fairness, rightness. But life isn’t fair. Diligent workers lose their jobs; drunk drivers kill innocent children; the poor toil for the rich to thrive; powerful people manipulate the system to get what they want. Charlatans lurk everywhere. As we noted yesterday, Micah 3:8 presents what our response should be in the face of such pervasive injustice: “What does the Lord require of you but to DO JUSTLY, to LOVE MERCY, and to WALK HUMBLY with your God” (Mic.6:8). Only God is perfectly just and our desire for justice comes from Him; not only in terms of defending personal rights and condemning social evils, but the justice that starts in the heart – Justice that’s inseparable from love and humility. What God expects of whoever seeks Him are to: Act justly; love mercy; and walk humbly with God.

Our God is both the God of Justice and God of Mercy. For this we must be deeply thankful. Without God’s Mercy we would have remained dead in sin. God represents all that is just, yet He chooses to show us Mercy and Grace continually. We all have sinned and fallen short of His Glory (Rom.3:23). Before the just God, we all stand accused; not one of us deserves mercy, grace, or forgiveness. Yet because of God’s Mercy, we are not consumed, and His compassion never fails (Lam.3: 22-23). The Author of Justice simultaneously chooses to show us unceasing Mercy. To walk in mercy therefore means to love the mercy we have been shown, and in exchange to love showing mercy to others in the same way. God is Rich in Mercy He performs Mercy (v.72). Mercy is God’s Love in Action. He equips and expects us to live likewise.

Justice and Mercy are intertwined; and both require action, not mere talk. Speaking about injustice may make us appear caring, but words do nothing to ease the pain of those suffering. Biblical justice is never divorced from acts of love and mercy. Everyone likes to avert punishment or escape the repercussions of wrong behaviour, but mercy doesn’t mean letting injustice prevail. God’s Mercy for us cost Jesus His life as He took the penalty and punishment that we deserved (2 Cor. 5:21). All of us are guilty before God, and only in Christ are we forgiven and pronounced guiltless. We show mercy because mercy has been shown to us. To love mercy is to show compassion towards others.

God’s Character is continually merciful to us. He calls us to live in this same way, both in our relationships with Him and with others. Mercy is showing compassion or forgiveness to those who deserve harm or punishment. Too often we love justice and are rather miserly with mercy. Walking in Mercy will cost us comfort and time, money and status, or give heartaches. It may involve facing insults without retaliating; forgiving for the umpteenth time; graciously bearing the consequences of another’s sin; reaching out to the vulnerable, lonely, neglected or addicted without expecting anything in return. These are impracticable to demonstrate on our own. We desperately need Christ’s Love living and breathing in us to WALK in MERCY!