Balancing Righteousness and Mercy in Faith

Devotional

Day 1: Righteousness and Mercy as Complementary Forces

Righteousness and mercy are often seen as opposing forces, but they are actually complementary aspects of faith. Righteousness involves moral correctness and maintaining right relationships with God and others, rooted in honesty, virtue, and justice. However, an overemphasis on righteousness can lead to moral superiority and judgmental attitudes. On the other hand, mercy is an act of grace that acknowledges human imperfection and offers a chance for redemption. Excessive mercy, however, can result in permissiveness, allowing continued wrongdoing without accountability. Balancing these two aspects can prevent the pitfalls of moral superiority and permissiveness, creating a more holistic approach to faith. [02:10]

"For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." (James 2:13, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you actively balance righteousness and mercy in your interactions with others today?

Day 2: Mercy Leading to Righteousness

The story of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, illustrates the transformative power of mercy. Despite his past and his role in the Roman Empire's oppression, Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus. The crowd, in their self-righteousness, blocked his way, but Jesus chose to show mercy by inviting himself to Zacchaeus's home. This act of mercy led Zacchaeus to repentance and restitution, demonstrating that mercy can lead to righteousness. This narrative challenges us to reconsider how we balance righteousness and mercy in our lives, showing that mercy can be a catalyst for genuine change and transformation. [04:39]

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (Matthew 5:7, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a situation where you can extend mercy to someone who has wronged you. How might this act of mercy lead to transformation in their life or yours?

Day 3: The Dangers of Polarization

Our tendency to polarize can hinder our spiritual growth. Like the crowd blocking Zacchaeus, we may justify our actions as righteous while missing opportunities for mercy and transformation. This polarization can create barriers between us and others, preventing us from seeing the potential for change and reconciliation. By recognizing our own biases and opening ourselves to the possibility of mercy, we can overcome these barriers and foster spiritual growth. [06:49]

"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." (John 7:24, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a belief or attitude you hold that might be polarizing. How can you approach this with a more balanced perspective of righteousness and mercy?

Day 4: Inviting Rather Than Condemning

Jesus's approach of inviting rather than condemning challenges us to reconsider how we engage with those we disagree with. By showing love and mercy, even to those we consider enemies, we open the door to genuine change and reconciliation. This approach requires humility and a willingness to see beyond our own judgments, allowing us to build bridges rather than walls. [08:55]

"Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." (Romans 15:7, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life might you be condemning rather than inviting? How can you extend an invitation of love and mercy to them today?

Day 5: Trusting in the Way of Jesus

The integration of righteousness and mercy is essential for a faithful life. The world desperately needs both, and as followers of Jesus, we are called to embody this balance. Trusting in His way over divisive worldly ways requires faith and courage, but it leads to a more authentic and transformative spiritual journey. By embodying this balance, we can become agents of change and reconciliation in a divided world. [10:49]

"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, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you struggling to trust in the way of Jesus? How can you take a step towards embodying the balance of righteousness and mercy today?

Sermon Summary

In today's exploration of the polarities of righteousness and mercy, we delve into the complexities of these two essential aspects of faith. Righteousness, as defined biblically, is about moral correctness and maintaining right relationships with God and others. It is rooted in honesty, virtue, and justice. However, an overemphasis on righteousness can lead to a sense of moral superiority and judgmental attitudes towards those who do not meet our standards. On the other hand, biblical mercy is an act of grace that acknowledges human imperfection and offers a chance for redemption. Yet, excessive mercy can result in permissiveness, allowing continued wrongdoing without accountability.

The story of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, serves as a powerful illustration of these concepts. Despite being despised for his role in the Roman Empire's oppression, Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus. The crowd, in their self-righteousness, blocked his way, but Jesus chose to show mercy by inviting himself to Zacchaeus's home. This act of mercy led Zacchaeus to repentance and restitution, demonstrating that mercy can lead to righteousness.

This narrative challenges us to reconsider how we balance righteousness and mercy in our lives. It is easy to become entrenched in our beliefs, justifying our actions while condemning others. However, Jesus's approach of inviting rather than condemning offers a path to transformation. By showing love and mercy, even to those we consider enemies, we open the door to genuine change and reconciliation.

The call is not to abandon righteousness or mercy but to integrate them as complementary forces in our faith journey. The world desperately needs both, and as followers of Jesus, we are called to embody this balance. The question remains: do we trust in the way of Jesus, which harmonizes righteousness and mercy, over the divisive ways of the world?

Key Takeaways

1. Righteousness and mercy are not opposing forces but complementary aspects of faith. Righteousness involves moral correctness and right relationships, while mercy offers grace and redemption. Balancing these can prevent moral superiority and permissiveness. [02:10]
2. The story of Zacchaeus illustrates the transformative power of mercy. Despite his past, Jesus's invitation led Zacchaeus to repentance and restitution, showing that mercy can lead to righteousness. [04:39]
3. Our tendency to polarize can hinder our spiritual growth. Like the crowd blocking Zacchaeus, we may justify our actions as righteous while missing opportunities for mercy and transformation. [06:49]
4. Jesus's approach of inviting rather than condemning challenges us to reconsider how we engage with those we disagree with. Love and mercy can open the door to genuine change and reconciliation. [08:55]
5. The integration of righteousness and mercy is essential for a faithful life. The world needs both, and as followers of Jesus, we are called to embody this balance, trusting in His way over divisive worldly ways. [10:49]
** [10:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:10] - Defining Righteousness and Mercy
[04:39] - The Story of Zacchaeus
[06:49] - The Crowd's Reaction
[08:55] - Jesus's Invitation
[10:49] - Balancing Righteousness and Mercy
[12:00] - Conclusion and Reflection

Sermon Clips

Biblical righteousness is focused on moral correctness, on doing the right thing. It is also about being in right relationships with God and with others. Relationships that are built on honesty and virtue and that embody justice and the teachings of our faith. Biblical righteousness is a good thing. However, if we are not careful, our efforts at righteousness can lead to a sense of moral superiority. We can become judgmental toward those whose standards are different, who we think are falling short of what it means to be faithful. [00:01:22]

Biblical mercy is an act of grace which recognizes that no one is perfect. We all make mistakes, and sometimes we knowingly do the wrong thing. Mercy recognizes that, offers grace, and gives us a chance to do better. Biblical mercy is a good thing. However, if we are not careful, our efforts at mercy can lead to permissiveness when that happens we give people a free pass for continued wrongdoing without any expectation of a course correction. [00:01:59]

Some churches get so focused on righteousness that mercy is hardly mentioned, while others focus so much on mercy that there is little discussion about biblical righteousness. When either of those things happen, we are missing out on everything in between them. And as you might expect, Jesus has some things to say about that. Which leads us to today's story. [00:03:06]

To say that tax collectors were hated in the ancient world is an understatement. They were a tool of the Roman Empire, betraying their own people and enriching themselves in service to the oppressor. There is a reason the phrase, tax collectors and sinners, is used so often in the Gospels. And as a chief tax collector, Zacchaeus would have been seen as one of the worst of the worst. It would be hard to find a person more loathed than he was. [00:03:44]

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today. So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. To say that people were shocked by this would be an understatement. Everyone in that crowd would have given anything for Jesus's attention, and he chose to give it to a person who had harmed a lot of people, a person who rarely, if ever, exhibited anything close to righteousness or mercy. [00:05:24]

All who saw it began to grumble and said, he has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner. Y 'all, if there was ever a passage that proves the Bible is real and relevant, it is this one. The people saw something they didn't like, something they believed wasn't right or fair, something that made them angry. So they grumbled. And so do we. Sometimes our reasons for doing so are justified. There are things about which we should be grumbling. [00:06:02]

Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much. Then Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of God came to seek out and to save the lost. Instead of calling Zacchaeus, out, Jesus calls him in. [00:07:31]

In response to Jesus's invitation, Zacchaeus comes down from the tree and promises to make things right. In so doing, he began the process of entering right relationships with God and with his neighbors. There's a part of me that wonders if Zacchaeus had been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time. But because the community of faith had dug into their positions of righteousness, he did the same. [00:08:02]

I can't help but wonder if we've gotten so dug in that even though the gospel repeatedly calls us to show mercy, we continue to believe that we know better. That surely Jesus isn't talking about showing mercy to that person or to those people. We also get so caught up in our own understanding of righteousness that even something that we or those on our side are doing is antithetical to the gospel, we refuse to admit we are wrong and are unwilling to make amends with those we've hurt. [00:08:45]

Maybe Jesus was on to something when instead of calling Zacchaeus out, he invited him in. Maybe that approach allowed Zacchaeus to make the move he'd been wanting to make for some time, but needed some cover so he could save face. No longer on the defensive, he let his defenses down. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus calls us to love our enemies because he knew that it was the only real way to guide them and ourselves into salvation. [00:09:26]

In today's story, we are reminded that the way of Jesus requires both righteousness and mercy. These two things are not meant to be seen as polarities, but as equally important aspects of our faith. And there is no question that the world needs more of both. The question is, do we believe that? Do we believe that the way of Jesus is better than the way? the ways of this world? I hope we will answer wisely. Amen. [00:10:22]

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