Albert Camus, the existential philosopher and atheist, once
wrote, “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely
free that your very act of existence becomes an act of rebellion.” That’s what we see in the life and ministry
of Jesus. That’s what we see in the Book
of Acts as those first disciples carry with them the full signature of Jesus. On the day of Pentecost they receive what God
had spoken through the prophet Ezekiel so many centuries earlier. He puts in them a new spirit and a new heart
and their lives begin to reflect a generous justice.
Years ago a man I know was on a trip to South Carolina from
New Orleans to speak to a group of Episcopalians. On the first leg of the journey he sat on the
aircraft and centered his thoughts and prayers on Jesus. He silently repeated Jesus’ name over and
over again. He focused on all that Jesus
had done for him on the cross. He said
that he became so conscious of Jesus’ presence in him that the flight into
Atlanta seemed like minutes. During the
two-hour layover he decided to get his shoes shined so that he might look more
presentable to the crowd later that evening.
He approached the elderly shoeshine man and asked for the going
rate. The man instantly said, “A dollar
fifty, sir.” He handed him two bucks and
sat in the elevated chair while the shoeshine man shined his shoes. When he finished the traveler said, “Now it’s
your turn. You get in that chair and
I’ll shine your shoes.” The man stuttered,
“Huh? What?” So the traveler said, “I won’t charge
you. Go ahead, get up in the chair and
let me shine your shoes.” The man stared
at him and said, “What for, then?”
“Because you’re my brother,” he answered.
The man looked disconcerted.
Finally, he said, “Well, when I ain’t busy, the boss leaves me some
shoes to shine. But thank you
anyway.” It was at that point that the
traveler saw the tears in the elderly man’s eyes. Instantly he reached out to him and hugged
him. And when he did the elderly man
said softly, “No white man ever talked to me like that before.”
Now what had possessed this traveler to engage in such
conversation? Had he planned it? Was it his good deed for the day? Was it the product of a fertile mind? Was it an underlying desire to be lauded by a
stranger? Was it a way to make the
traveler feel superior or wonderfully altruistic? It was none of that. It was the result of being lost in
Jesus. It was the product of a
Spirit-controlled heart, rather than a craven mind. In fact, it was the confluence of two
biblical attributes – justice and kindness.
This week we continue our examination of what the Lord tells
us in Micah 6:8. What does the Lord
require of us? To do justice, to love
kindness, and to walk humbly with Him.
In Acts 2:42-47 we see how the disciples of Jesus are living that out. As we will see, justice and kindness or mercy
are not two separate things. Throughout
the Old Testament the Lord portrays them as the two sides of the same
coin. Justice or misphat in Hebrew signifies an action. Misphat
is used more than 200 times in the Old Testament. When you read the Old Testament and pay
attention to this theme you find that God, by His own character, is acting our
justice all the time. However, it is critical
to note that rarely is justice required without hesed (mercy) or tzadegah
(righteousness). Scores of time in the
Old Testament justice and righteousness are spoken of in the same breath. While justice is the action, kindness, mercy,
or righteousness is the attitude behind the action. When the Lord commands His people to
discharge justice it’s always intended in a merciful or kind way. And that’s exactly what we see in Sunday’s
text. In short, we will see that justice
and mercy are the principle features of the Signature of Jesus.
In preparation for Sunday you may wish to consider the
following:
1. Do
you think Jesus was tolerant or intolerant of sin?
2. What
charge was repeatedly leveled against Jesus regarding sin?
3. What
did Martin Luther mean when he spoke of “the sin under the sin”?
4. How
and where does Jesus address the sin under the sin issue?
5. How
is doing justice and loving kindness a matter of heart motivation rather than
willful behavior?
6. How
do you define “fellowship”? How can the
Holy Spirit be the only author of true fellowship?
7. What
does it mean when Luke says in verse 42 that they “devoted themselves”?
8. Is
it true that one’s grasp of grace determines how much justice and generosity
someone dispenses?
9. What
is the motivation behind God’s command in Leviticus 24:22?
10. Look
at Judges 6:34(a). What does that mean
to you?
See you Sunday!
