'To Bless All Mankind' November 21, 2016 Issue

Divine Love: where mercy meets justice

Elizabeth Mata

Adapted from an article published in The Christian Science Monitor, August 9, 2016.

The human heart longs to right injustices of all kinds. It would seem that justice and mercy are often at odds, but the Bible reveals that they have their source in God and work together for good. Justice comes from Principle and Truth, which are synonyms for God, while mercy originates from God as Love, another synonym for God. The Bible speaks of justice and love, which include God’s abundant mercy, laying the foundation for God’s law of good: “Equity and justice are the foundation of your throne. Loyal love and faithfulness characterize your rule” (Psalms 89:14, New English Translation).

This points to the kingdom of God that Christ Jesus said is “at hand” and “within you” (Matthew 4:17 and Luke 17:21, respectively). With his deep spiritual understanding of this kingdom, Jesus expressed a justice that didn’t sanction any act underived from God. And he expressed mercy in compassionately lifting individual lives above wrongdoing to a higher understanding of God’s unchangeable love. He healed them.

Divine justice, as a vital and irresistible force for good, rebukes and corrects wrongdoing where needed, while mercy is shown in the freedom this brings—lifting individuals out of wrongdoing and the suffering it brings. And these qualities are reflected by each one of us, the image of God. This means we naturally know the rightness of good. It gives us the ability to see and correct wrongdoing while expressing God’s love with its infinite capacity of mercy.

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