Justice And Mercy

Micah 6:6-9 KJV; Do justice and love mercy; walk humbly with your God.

What Does the Lord Ask Of You?

Micah 6:1-8 KJV; 4th Sunday after Epiphany. He desires that we do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him.

Love Mercy And Walk Humbly

Micah 6:8 KJV; The Lord has shown us what is good. Let us act with justice; love mercy and walk humbly with God. Do no harm.

He Is From Everlasting

Micah 5:2-4 and John 1:1-3 KJV

Walk Humbly With God

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8 KJV)

Do Good! Do what is just! 

The word of the Lord unto Micah was that what he wanted out of humankind was for us to humble ourselves and treat each other with loving mercy. 

The world is full of people who try to do just that. But, often our egos take over and we do not even recognize how we may be harming others. We become so engaged in seeking happiness for ourselves that in the end happiness and any semblance of peace end up eluding us because  we have not recognized that the injustice and lack of love that we have for others is engulfing us in a blanket of darkness.  

Why choose the darkness when you can be engulfed in the light of Jesus the Christ? Walking in the light of Christ we will be following in his very steps. As we walk in his light we will do for others as he did for us; humbly and lovingly putting the needs of others before our own desires;  doing justice; doing what is right; doing what is good. 

The light who is Jesus the Christ has come into the world to show us the way. That same light will guide us if we would but follow wherever he will lead us.

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." (Isa 60:1)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Stand On What Is Right And Good

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?." 

                                                                       Matt 6:25-27 KJV

There have been more than a few times that I have been quite confrontational when it comes to injustice. When others were shrinking back and warning me that I should too for safety's sake, I advanced. I did indeed consider the worst case scenarios before I advanced. What is the worst thing that could happen to me? What is there to fear? Nothing, not even death. There is so much more to life than what we see or hear or feel in this world. I have eternal life.

When considering a new venture; whether it be a new job or investing in a project or a person or whatever challenge the day might bring; again, the same question: "What have I to fear?" Nothing. Life in this world is temporary. It will all pass. I have eternal life.

Jesus knowingly went forward to the cross; to his death, that we might live. He could have gone in the other direction. He could have. But, he did not. He did not shrink back from saving the world; even though much of the world would reject him. He did not pretend that everything in the world was okay. He was willing to give his life because the world was not okay.

Do not fear. Our Father in heaven loves you. Believe this. Know that you too have nothing to fear. You will be much more able to attempt to make radical changes within yourself and in the world around you with the knowledge that God is with you and for you. The world may abandon you. You may even lose many things in this world that you now treasure. But, there is nothing to fear. By faith, you have received eternal life! By faith in Christ you have inherited your place in the Kingdom of God.

May God help us to always stand in His truth; in His Way, no matter what possible dangers may lay before us. Following in the "Way" means to stand on the truth; doing justice out of love for others. Micah reminds us:  "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8)

May God help us to always remember that we have nothing to fear in doing what is right for through God's own Son, Jesus the Christ, we have eternal life.

God's Peace - Pr. J

He Was; He Is; He Is To Come

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

                                                                           (Micah 5:2-4 KJV)

The one who was promised has come. Jesus has come. He is here. He will come again. He has always been and he will always be. He abides even now in the world and the people around us.

There are those who would say that Jesus' life began when he was born. But, according to scripture that is not true. Micah prophesied that one who was to come is "from of old, from everlasting."

The Gospel according to St. John begins:  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."  (John 1:1-3)

He has come. He is present even now. He will come again in full glory. S Thanks be to God for his abiding and eternal presence for without him we would have no hope; we would have no peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Love Your Neighbor

 

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Matt 22:37-39 KJV)

Do no harm! And... don't stand by and watch anyone do harm to others. It was many years ago in Spain. One of the Marines had witnessed an assault on someone. He did nothing more but witness the event. He ended up in a Spanish prison for not going to the aid of the victim. When we stand by and do nothing but witness the harm being done to others are we also not sinning? 

When we strive to love as God loves we will not only do no harm; but, we will help and support them in any way that we can as we learned from the Small Catechism that Martin Luther wrote for us so that we might better understand the word of God.  

"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Matt 13:8-10)

Love is seen when we do all that we can to help our neighbors in time of need. But, we must be careful that we do not support anyone to further victimize others.  

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Mic 6:8)

And... last but not the least thought for this morning:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Cor 13:4-7 NIV)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Vengeance Is Not Justice

Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. 

                                                                               (Rom 12:14-21 KJV)

Avenge not yourselves! I have heard a lot about justice; particularly social justice, this past year. There were multitudes of people rioting for the sake of social justice. But, is it justice to destroy whole communities because you want justice? Is it justice to destroy whole communities that most probably need justice done for them in the first place? 

When we seek justice, we need to ask ourselves if the justice that we seek really justice for the people in need of justice or is it merely to going to feed our own egos; to accomplish our own self-centered and hate filled goals?  

Is it justice to falsely produce evidence or exaggerate claims against someone because you have decided that they are an evil person and they need to be taken down. Vengeance is not justice!

Justice does not happen when we destroy or take anything that belongs to someone else without having earned it. Justice happens when we freely give a drink of water to the thirsty; when we freely feed the hungry. 

Micah prophesied: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Mic 6:8)

Before we step out to do justice let us consider if what we plan is going to actually do justice or will it do more harm to others who are not even involved. There can be a lot of collateral damage in avenging ourselves. Consider this is what you are about to do going to cause others to take vengeance on you? We ought to humble ourselves when we consider whether what we desire to do will actually bring about justice or will it cause more harm. 

May God help us to do real justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with him.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Righteousness Exalts A Nation

"Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."

                              (Prov 14:34 KJV)

I woke up thinking how fortunate we are that we don't live in long ago times where children were killed because they had deformities or were simply not wanted. Oh, wait, we do live in those times. I was thinking about the horrible deaths innocent people suffered because of false accusations or because they were not politically correct. Oh, wait, people do suffer persecution for those things today. Thank God that we no longer kill them by having them disembowled or being pulled apart by horses. 

We have come along way since those times when it comes to justice. We are a bit more humane when it comes to our injustice. But, injustice is still injustice.

Is it justice, does it exalt our nation, to kill children up to moment of birth? Is it justice to accuse someone of a crime and when they are acquitted or the charges dropped completely continue with the accusations as though they were a proven fact in attempts to ruin their reputations? Is it justice to loot and riot, destroying other people's livelihoods and even to the point of taking their lives because what we think should be happening doesn't happen exactly the way we want it to whether it is good or bad? Is it justice to judge and persecute someone because of the color of their skin or because of how much they may or may not have in their bank accounts? Is it justice to judge someone by their sex or their age or even by the color of their hair or the clothes that they wear? Is it justice to judge someone because of the career choices that they have made? The list of injustices; the list of unrighteousness prevalent in today's world goes on and on.

This country is a great country. We have come a long way since its' inception. But, are we not backsliding? I have witnessed more injustice this year than I have seen all together in my lifetime and I have lived quite a few years and have witnessed and lived through much unrighteousness and injustice in those many years.

It is time to move forward instead of falling back to repeat the history that we would not want to relive. We are all sinners. None of us are innocent. Not a one of us will be found righteous by our own works; but, by faith in the only righteous one Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. But, just because we are sinners that does not mean that we should not strive to do what is right so that we might live in peace with the rest of humankind.  

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"                                                                                       (Micah 6:8)

Although our own righteous can never save us; we can and should still seek to be righteous because of our love for the Lord and out of love for one another. In his sermon on the mount Jesus tells us:

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." 

                                                                             (Matt 5:6-7)

Do you want to be filled? The good news is that this same Jesus died in our place so that we might be reconciled to God and to one another in him. Why then do we allow the evil one to divide us through his inspirations to do injustice? 

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

                                                                              (2 Cor 5:18-21)

If we are ambassadors for Christ, and we are, then maybe we should strive just a little harder to love one another as he loves us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Inhumanity At Jamestown And In The Present

Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

Psalm 64:1-7 KJV

Has humankind become more humane over the generations or just better at justifying our inhumanity before others? We must always remember that no matter how we attempt to justify our own inhumanity, we cannot justify it. We are only justified by faith in the blood of Christ shed for us. St. Paul wrote to the Romans: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Rom 5:8-9)

I spent a lot of time the other day trying to hook my husband up with PBS Passport so that he could watch the "Jamestown" series. Oye! Oye! Oye! I have been attempting to spend more time with him so have been trying to watch at least some of it with him. "Some of it" being the key phrase. I cannot stay in the room to witness the inhumane words and actions of so many in "Jamestown." The misuse and abuse of others: the Naturals (Native Americans); the African Slaves; the White Indentured Servants; even each other; is just overwhelming. It makes me just a bit crazy to watch such injustice for the sake of wealth and power. Since, I know the outcome of Jamestown, even though I know the series is fiction, I do not doubt that much of what is portrayed in the series is indicative of what actually went on in Jamestown. And, these people of Jamestown, for the most part, claimed to be Christian.

What about today? Around the world people are being imprisoned unjustly. They are being tortured, beheaded, and killed in so many ways so that others may  continue their pursuit of power or wealth or both. How many in this country are unjustly accused and persecuted? For the most part, innocent men and women are not imprisoned or killed here. But, it does happen and it happens with the facade of justice. This too makes me very weary to witness. 

Jesus once told the Pharisees (and ultimately us) "...Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. (Luke 16:15)

There is a better way to live than to climb up any ladders on the backs of others. According to the prophet Micah: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8)

May God help us to live more justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly following  in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus the Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

George Washington's Prayer; Our Prayer

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"(Micah 6:8 KJV)

"I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation."(George Washington, intent to retire as Commander In Chief of Continental Army, Circular, 8 June 1783)

George Washington's prayer should be all of our daily prayers. The ideas of justice and mercy seems to have gotten lost in the years since the founding of this country. The freedoms afforded us by our Constitution have become distorted. Freedom of speech has become the freedom to lie and to not act justly  or mercifully in order to pursue one's own pursuit of happiness. 

It seems that, way too often, we forget that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is to be afforded to all people. I can barely turn on the news on any day without hearing someone indicting someone else and most often that is based totally on hearsay. What ever happened to innocent until proven guilty? And, you know what I am talking about! I am not talking about the guy who was caught on camera shooting a clerk in a convenience store. I am talking about the slander thrown about by our politicians! I am talking about the propaganda produced by the news media! No justice! No mercy! Just tear the country apart with slander and lies for personal agendas! This was not the intent of our founding fathers! 

And, I'd really like to know what happened to Jeffrey Epstein's cohorts? As active as he was, someone besides the victims knows something. Not hearing too much about that! Should there not be a real investigation into him or is there one and it just involves too many people who are held in high esteem so it must be swept under the carpet? It is not justice or mercy for any victims to sweep crimes under the carpet. 

George Washington prayed that we would entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for our fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and for those who have served in the field. He prayed that we would do justice, love mercy, and live our lives with charity, humility and pacific temper of mind.

May God help us all to humble ourselves and with peaceful hearts and minds to do justice and to love mercy.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Evil Is Good?

Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 97:10 NIV)

It's hard to hate evil when you don't know what evil is. The world has turned what is evil into something good and many, many listen to the world rather than God. Even many who claim to be Christians have not heard his truth. They do not know him and they do not hear his voice. They hear only the voice of the world calling them to accept what is evil as not evil.

You may not hear the audible voice of God speaking to you. But, those who love the Lord will hear the Word will hear within themselves what is sin and what is not. Those who love the Lord will read and hear the word found in the Holy Scriptures: Long ago, the prophet Isaiah warned us:

Woe to those who call evil good

  and good evil,
who put darkness for light
  and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
  and sweet for bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
  and clever in their own sight.
                    (Isaiah 5:20-21)

If you love the Lord, you will hear his voice and you will know what he calls you to. He has shown us all what that is according to the prophet Micah:  

He has shown you, O mortal, 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)

Acting justly toward all people, being merciful and walking humbly with God are good things. Living life in this way will help us to not be quite so prone to calling what is evil good.

It is important to know what is sin and what is good. According to Martin Luther: "For from the error of not knowing, or understanding, what sin is, there necessarily arises another error, that people cannot know or understand what grace is."

If you truly love your neighbor, our God, and even yourself, then please understand that evil; that sin, will lead you and the world down a path that will lead to destruction. We may not destroy someone with our own hands when we call evil good; but, by calling it good we are promoting the destruction of others and of society as a whole.

Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 97:10) 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Walking Humbly With God

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
   and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness, 

   and to walk humbly with your God?

                                   (Micah 6:8 NRSV)

What does the Lord require of us? Does he require that we make a daily sacrifice? Does he require that we do any specific good works or follow the traditions of our churches or cultures? 

No, what he would have us do is to do good to one another. He would have us love our neighbors; by treating them with justice and kindness. He would have us understand that we are not better than our neighbors. No matter what circumstances our neighbors may find themselves in, not one of us has been created better than another by the hands of God. Just maybe, God is waiting to see if you will treat them justly; with kindness; as you walk humbly with Him.

He would have us love and serve Him above all things. He would have us recognize that He is God and we are not. He would have us know that we are not in control of everything. He is! We do not know everything. He does!

He would have us to do justice and love kindness. May God ever remind us to walk humbly with Him. He; after all, is God. We are not.

God's Peace - Pr. J. 

A Savior Comes

“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
    who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
    from ancient days..” 

                                             (Micah 5:2 NIV)

The prophecy of the one who would be born in Bethlehem... The people of God looked for and waited for this promised savior to deliver them; to bring them peace. He is the one whose birth we celebrate on Christmas morning. The Christ child, Jesus, was born in a stable in Bethlehem as God, through Micah, promised. The savior has come. The bringer of peace is here. He came to bring His peace so that the people of God would be one with God and with one another. The divide would be forever destroyed as it has been for all who would live and abide in His name, through His death; His resurrection and His ascension.

During this Advent season, we remember how the people longed for this savior to be born. We remember; and, as children of God, we prepare for Him to come again in full glory.

Remember always and prepare your hearts for He has come! He is Risen! And... He will come again!

God's Peace - Pr. J

To Live Securely And In Peace

“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
    who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
    from ancient days.
^3 4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth;     

and he shall be the one of peace.” 

                                            (Micah 5:2,4-5a NRSV)

The people of God looked for and waited for this savior who would come from Bethlehem to deliver them; to bring them peace. He is the one whose birth we will celebrate on Christmas morning. 

The Christ child, Jesus, was born in a stable in Bethlehem as God, through Micah, promised. The savior has come. The bringer of peace is here. He came to bring His peace so that the people of God would be one with God and one with each other. The wall that separates would be destroyed as it has been for all who would live and abide in His name, through His death; His resurrection and His ascension.

During this Advent season, we remember how the people longed for this savior to be born. We remember and, as children of God, we prepare for Him to come again in full glory.

Remember always and prepare your hearts for He has come! He is Risen! And... He will come again!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Walk Humbly

 

"He has shown you, O mortal, 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 NIV)

It would be very good indeed in this world, if we all just did the good that the LORD has shown us. Can you imagine what the world would be like if every professing Christian actually made it a priority to act justly and love mercy as we walk humbly with our God?

One of my favorite descriptions of humility was written by Washington Allston. He wrote: "Humility is also a healing virtue; it will cicatrize a thousand wounds, which pride would keep for ever open."

Let us then set aside our pride as we walk humbly with our God, so that justice  and mercy might prevail.

God's Peace - Pr. J

What Is Good

He has shown you, O mortal, 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

God has indeed shown us what is good. So, why not just do it? I suppose it is not as simply or as easy as that. But, why not at least try? Why all the drama? Life does not have to be so chaotic. We do not have to hurt others or be hurt. We could live in relative peace if only we would listen and follow in the way our Lord Jesus has shown us.

May God help us to act justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly with our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Humility

Three of my favorite children (they are all my favorites) at the celebration of their

first Communion as they remember the night in which our Lord was betrayed; the night in which he humbled himself and bowed down to wash the disciples feet; when he broke bread with those who would betray and desert him;

the night before he humbled himself and was executed on the cross in our place.

Micah 6:8 NIV
"He has shown you, O mortal, 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."

I am preparing for tomorrow's sermon... We will consider humility. What is it? How does it come to us?

It comes to us when we recognize that we are sinners. We have turned our backs on God and on one another and we continue to do it. Daily, we continue to seek our own wills rather than the will of God to love mercy and act justly toward others. We deserve the death sentence.

Humility comes to us when we understand that God loves us so much; that His only begotten Son loves us so much; that he was willing to pay the penalty for our sin; for our crimes, by being executed on the cross in our place. The penalty for our sin has been paid in full by another. What can be more humbling than that.

It would be very good indeed for this world, if we all just did the good that the LORD has shown us. Can you imagine what the world would be like if every professing Christian actually made it a priority to act justly and love mercy as we walk humbly with our God?

One of my favorite descriptions of humility was written by Washington Allston. He wrote: "Humility is also a healing virtue; it will cicatrize a thousand wounds, which pride would keep for ever open."

Jesus was willing to humble himself and die for us that we might be healed; that we might be made whole.

But He was wounded for our transgressions,He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:5-6 (see also 1 Peter 2:24-25)

Let us then set aside our pride as we walk humbly with our God, so that justice and mercy might prevail.

God's Peace - Pr. J