True Justice and Tender Mercy
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’” — Zechariah 7:9-10 When the people questioned the value of their religious rituals, God responded through the prophet Zechariah with a striking redirection: focus not on outward observances, but on inward transformation and relational righteousness. The measure of faithful worship is not how consistently one fasts, but how deeply one loves. In God’s eyes, true justice is inseparable from loving devotion and compassion. Justice is not sterile lawfulness; it is truth infused with mercy. To “administer true justice” is to resist the temptation of performative fairness. It is not justice tailored to our convenience, culture, or comfort, but justice grounded in God’s unchanging character. And where true justice is practiced, compassion must follow. The ...