Just a few words, you think it would be easy to do. Why would anyone want to oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor? But as Jesus pointed out, it's not just our actions that are judged, but our hearts as well and that becomes murky. Murky? Murky is a nice word for what lurks in the bottom of our heart if we delve deeply enough. The lazy landlord who rents the house down the street drives up to carelessly patch the leaky roof for another time and resentment wells up. Is it resentment for his poor tenants or for what he is doing to the neighborhood property values? We pass a couple of young, tattooed kids, and have to step to the edge of the sidewalk to get by them as they lay lolling against our building and a combination of fear and loathing takes root. We are almost sideswiped as we get out of our car by a glitzy blonde in an expensive foreign car. 'Who does she think she is,'we mutter to ourselves as she flings her bling out of the car and storms past us into the store? Daily, over and over again, we have to confront the enemy who is in our lives, not in others. Even as we are fighting to administer justice, we're select in those to whom we would show mercy and compassion. Just a few words, "In your hearts do not think evil of each other." That means anyone, period. Do not think evil of each other in your heart.
2010 Post - Zechariah 5-7: Justice and Mercy Not Fasting
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