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.”
Everybody who would have any standing with the Lord is required to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly. The Golden Rule is to treat others as you would want them to treat you. Deal justly if you want justice in return. Be merciful if you expect mercy from others. But the standard of a Christian is the law of love.
Christians are to go beyond justice. We are to be loving, kind, merciful, and forgiving. Christ explains that whatever kind of (just) actions we demand from our fellow man, the same will be used against us. “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use.” (Matthew 7:1,2 CSB)
Consider the example in the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18:23-35. A servant owed the king ten thousand bags of gold. Because the man could not pay it, the king ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, children, and whatever he possessed. But the servant begged for mercy. The lord had compassion on him, released him, and forgave him the debt. But then that same servant found a fellow servant who owed him 100 silver coins. So he grabbed him by the throat and said, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ When that servant begged for mercy, he was refused and sent to prison. Others told the king what had happened. The king was angered. He called the first servant and said, ‘Evil servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! Should you not have been just as merciful to your fellow servant?’ Then Jesus explained, “So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:35
We are all unrighteous, and we need mercy. To obtain mercy we must be merciful. “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13 CSB)
God allows us as individuals to set the standard as to how harsh (just) or how lenient (merciful) we want Him to be with us. In our daily living and interactions with the world, we are to love God with all our being and love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:27-29) Love and mercy triumph over justice.
