Which other scriptures emphasize justice and love as essential Christian duties? Luke 11:42—The Launching Point “Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and rue and every herb, yet you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.” Justice and Mercy: Old Testament Foundations • Micah 6:8 — “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” • Isaiah 1:17 — “Learn to do right; seek justice, correct the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead the cause of the widow.” • Amos 5:24 — “But let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” • Proverbs 21:3 — “To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.” • Hosea 6:6 — “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” • Zechariah 7:9-10 — “Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.” • Leviticus 19:18 — “…love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” • Deuteronomy 10:18-19 — “He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves the foreigner… And you are to love the foreigner.” Jesus Reinforces the Standard • Matthew 23:23 — “You have neglected the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.” • Matthew 22:37-40 — “All the Law and the Prophets hang on… ‘Love the Lord’ and ‘Love your neighbor.’” • John 13:34-35 — “A new commandment I give you: Love one another… By this everyone will know that you are My disciples.” Early Church Echoes • James 1:27 — “Pure and undefiled religion… is to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” • James 2:13 — “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” • Romans 13:8-10 — “Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.” • Galatians 5:13-14 — “Serve one another in love. The entire Law is fulfilled in… ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” • 1 John 3:16-18 — “Let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.” • Colossians 3:12-14 — “Clothe yourselves with… compassion, kindness… Above all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.” Living It Out Today • Practice impartial fairness in all dealings—home, church, workplace. • Champion the vulnerable: unborn, orphaned, widowed, poor, refugee. • Keep love central: every act of justice must flow from genuine neighbor-love. • Balance: do the outward duties (tithes, offerings, worship) yet never sideline justice and mercy. • Let Scripture set the agenda—God’s timeless call to justice and love remains non-negotiable. |
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