Saturday, November 14, 2009

Two outta Three....

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" -Micah 6:8

Do Justly.
Love Mercy.
Walk Humbly with your God.

The Pharisees had the first part down pat --

Do Justly

Check!  They knew right and wrong like the back of their hands.

Though Doing Justly constituted only one third of the command given in Micah 6:8, they treated it as the be all, end all. 

In one instance among many, Matthew 12:7 to be exact, Jesus calls the Pharisees on their forgetfulness of the three-dimensional aspect of this directive:
Do Justly
Love Mercy
Walk Humbly

Interesting that Loving Mercy and Walking Humbly are underneath Doing Justly, not to make them less than, but to show them foundational to the doing of right and not doing of wrong.

Jesus looked deeper in to the posture of the heart from which their outward deeds proceeded.  In true form He measured what was seen by what was unseen, the bonafide barometer of holiness.

Do Justly is indeed only one third of the instruction here in this verse, yet how often do I stop there, fan out my "filthy rags"* for all to see, and put a big check mark in my "Holy" box?

It's a classic case of putting the proverbial cart before the horse --

I hear above the clamoring of the pharisee in me the still small voice of Jesus calling me to be merciful, indeed to love mercy, and to walk humbly in step with Him, to let all that I do stem from this stance...I feel Christ's gentle correction as his Shepherd's staff prods 'a wretch like me' toward true holiness...and with new eyes I read the ancient words written so long ago, yet relevant as ever...

Do Justly
Love Mercy
Walk Humbly with your God



*Isaiah 64:6

5 comments:

Dan said...

Thanks for this, Hindsfeet. This really resonates with me.... I need all the help I can get. And I particularly enjoy this (and all your posts) when I'm away from home and in need of a lift. Your writing always reminds me to look up... and I love that.

Joy said...

I read your comment and I'm praying for you, Hindsfeet. "Be still and know that I am God..." and, may you have 'the peace that surpasses all understanding'. Oh yes, do I ever know about anxiety!

Joy said...

Hindsfeet, the recipe for the apple cake is on the September 2, 2009 post. It's entitled, 'Apple Time in the Country'. It's very simple to make.

Hindsfeet said...

Glad to return the favor, Dan...Guess in this crazy world it's good to have each other's steadying perspective...So many other "voices" vying for our attention, distracting us from the "One Thing"...Safe peaceful travels, Friend... ><>

Hindsfeet said...

Thanks so much for your prayers, Joy (and the recipe!!) I'll write more to ya on your site : )