In his earthly ministry, Jesus was bold in his condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders in his time. On one occasion, he pronounced “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith” (Matthew 23:23). We don’t often think of judgment, mercy and faith when we consider the law, but Christ maintained that these are among the law’s “weightier matters”.
When the Lord speaks of judgment in this instance, he has in mind not just a right conclusion, but also a right reasoning to achieve the righteous conclusion. In short, these so-called spiritual leaders were inept in rightly dividing the word of God (I Timothy 2:15) and, consequently, unable to render God-honoring judgment in any matter. Jesus spoke to this in his Sermon on the Mount. In that teaching, he showed their traditions replaced the law’s precepts and genuinely missed the mark. For example, he declared “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). We must see sin as God sees it, not as we want to see it.
We really should not be surprised at the Lord’s reference to mercy here as well. Christ had previously taught his disciples that the Father “is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father is also merciful” (Luke 6: 35-36). Mercy is an essential ingredient in satisfying the law. Christ taught that to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…is the first commandment. And the second is…Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31). We cannot love our neighbor as ourselves without exercising much mercy. This is true for each of us! We each need mercy from God and from others.
Finally, to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is the law’s greatest commandment. This commandment speaks of a personal and intimate walk with God. Such a relationship cannot be achieved without faith for “without faith it is impossible to please him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). We remind ourselves that the Old Testament saint approached God on the basis of faith as we do today. The prophet Habakkuk wrote “the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). It is through faith that we both know God and show our love for God through a walk of loving obedience. Christ taught “if ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
We ought not be surprised at the references to judgment, mercy, and faith in the context of the law. God is the same God today as he was then. These qualities speak to what he values and his is the only opinion that counts.
From the Chaplain 