Do Justice and Love Mercy

05/09/24 • 2 min

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What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. — Micah 6:8 The prophet Micah spoke out for the Lord against the unjust practices of his day. He pictured people asking how they might please God with offerings in order to pay for their sins: “What is it that God wants from us? How much must we sacrifice before God will be happy with us?” The answer is simple and yet profoundly life-changing: As long as you practice injustice, it doesn’t matter how much you sacrifice to God. The Lord calls you to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with him! Then you may bring your offerings and find favor with God. Get rid of your rigged scales. Stop your price gouging. End the practice of driving people into poverty so that you can buy them as servants and slaves. Practice justice. And even more than that—love mercy. Give freely to your poor neighbor rather than scheming up ways to make them your slaves. Find ways to relieve poverty rather than profiting from it. At the college where I serve as a campus minister, foreign students often struggle financially. But many of them have been embraced by local churches. On Monday mornings when they come to school, they often tell me with beaming faces how their church communities have blessed them on Sunday. God smiles along with these students as he sees his people showing love and mercy. We love you, merciful God. Teach us to love by showing mercy to others. Guide us to act with justice each day for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

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They Despised God’s Rest

“When will . . . the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?”—skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales. . . . — Amos 8:5 Many of Israel’s rich and powerful merchants and other leaders despised God’s rest and justice. For them, the Sabbath was not a day for observing physical and spiritual rest in honor of God’s promises to his people. Instead the Sabbath was an unwelcome intrusion into their crooked, unjust business practices. It was as if they said, “When will this Sabbath be over so that we can overcharge for wheat, and use faulty scales to cheat the people? We will drive them into poverty so that we can buy them as our servants and slaves for the price of a pair of shoes! And in the meantime we will pretend we are good, God-fearing, law-abiding citizens.” Their sin was a violation of nearly every law that God had given to the people before they entered the promised land. Israel was intended to be a nation of truth and justice, but the ruling class generally despised those important values. God’s verdict: “I will expel you from my kingdom. Not because I want to, but because you want to live unjust, unforgiven, and God-forsaking lives.” Let’s examine our own hearts and minds to see if we are living in the way God calls us to. Lord Jesus, send your Spirit into our hearts and minds today. Guide us into living by the values of your kingdom rather than by the ways of this world. Amen.

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Your Kingdom Come

“This . . . is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. . . .’” — Matthew 6:9-10 Most of us face many, many choices each day. What clothes will I wear? What will I have for breakfast? What route will I take to work? What do I need at the store? Which tasks will I focus on? There is one choice, however, that is far more important than all the others: Which kingdom will I serve? Where will I spend my best efforts—in the kingdom of God or in the kingdom or domain or country or community or family that I am dwelling in? Jesus teaches us to pray, “Father . . . your kingdom come.” As we pray these words, we are making a commitment to living God’s way. “Your kingdom come” means, first of all, “Rule over me! Master my soul. Make me a loyal citizen of your kingdom.” It means, “Lord, rule in my life and master me in such a way that my deepest desire is to walk with you. May your principles and ways be the air that I breathe.” “Your kingdom come” also means, “Help me to see your kingdom advance in the people around me—my family, friends, classmates, coworkers, and neighbors. Help me to foster a love for kingdom living in them as well.” This also means seeing institutions and organizations align with the principles of God’s kingdom. And as the Lord’s kingdom comes, any forces that revolt against him will be overwhelmed and shattered. Lord, in all that I think, say, and do, may I serve to advance your kingdom in my life and in the world around me. Lord, I pray today, ‘Your kingdom come!’ In Jesus’ name, Amen.