Where Justice and Mercy Meet

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." — Isaiah 53:5

At the heart of our faith is something that doesn’t make sense unless you look through the lens of the cross. It's this: God is both perfectly just and perfectly merciful. That means He doesn't turn a blind eye to sin, and He doesn't withhold compassion from the broken. And nowhere do those two realities collide more beautifully than at Calvary.

If you want to know how seriously God takes justice, look at the cross. Sin wasn't swept under the rug. It was paid for, fully. The punishment that should have fallen on us fell on Jesus instead. If you want to know how wide God’s mercy reaches, also look at the cross. Jesus didn’t wait until we cleaned ourselves up. He bled for us while we were still His enemies.

Justice wasn't compromised. Mercy wasn’t cheap. Both were satisfied in Christ.
That means we don’t have to choose between being people of justice and people of mercy. We are called to be both. Because we follow the One who held both in His hands as He hung on that cross.

The gospel doesn’t give us permission to ignore the pain around us. It calls us to enter into it with the same grace and grit Jesus did. The world doesn't need more performative justice or hollow compassion. It needs people marked by a cross-shaped love that costs something and redeems everything.

Reflection Question
How does seeing the cross as the place where justice and mercy meet challenge the way you respond to people who have hurt you—or who are hurting?

The cross is not where justice and mercy fought. It’s where they held hands.

Prayer
Jesus, thank You for stepping into my place. For taking the justice I deserved and extending the mercy I never could have earned. Teach me to live from that place. Help me not to turn away from injustice or withhold grace from others. Make my life look like Yours. Amen.