Love Mercy, Do Justice November 2022 Scripture Reflection
Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lords’ favor has come.
Mark 12:29-31 The most important commandment is this: “Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind, and all your strength.” The second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” No other commandment is greater than these.
It sounds simple, “love your neighbor as yourself.” But many times my words and my deeds fall short of God’s expectations. God has given us Good News, yet we allow our differences to diminish God’s words and God’s image in us and, in doing so, we diminish God’s Kingdom.
If I ever wonder if a scripture is being taken out of context, I need to drop to my knees and pray to my Lord Jesus Christ for clarity. I shouldn’t let the outside voices of society direct my spiritual journey, instead I should lean into Jesus for His guidance.
Scripture tells us we are all created in the image of God. I can’t take that out of context; there is only one God, only one Creator. Compassion, mercy, and justice are the essence of Luke 4:18-19. This is how God’s love works, to love our neighbor as ourselves.
My neighbor is not only the person who shares my zip code, it’s the person who lives on the wrong side of the tracks, the person who lives across the ocean, who speaks a different language, has different colored skin. When I’m quick to point out “those people,” I need to remember that they too are created in the image of God.
The fruits of the Spirit don’t allow for superiority, arrogance, false pride. Jesus modeled how we are to live. We must be humble, loving, and willing to serve others.