Today Kevin and I were talking about justice in the context of getting justice for a wrong. Then we started talking about both mercy and justice and Kevin asked me if I could think of a time in the New Testament when Jesus displayed both mercy and justice. My first couple answers were ones that he had not thought of but which fit perfectly. After a few attempts I figured out the specific instance in the New Testament that Kevin was thinking of. He was talking about The Parable of the Prodigal Son.
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
The Father showed his son mercy when he accepted his son back home with open arms. The father showed his unconditional love to his son in the same manner as our Father in heaven loves each of us unconditionally. The son repented for his sins and the Father showed him mercy.
Justice is done when the Father says to the faithful son “everything I have is yours” but does not reward the lost son who spent all of his inheritance and returned home with nothing. The prodigal son squandered his inheritance and it would not be just to take from the son who has faithfully served his father to give to a son who had already been given his share of the inheritance but wasted it.
Your insight on this, is “remarkable!” I never in my life saw this “outcome.” Truly blessed by the Holy Spirit on this one! This was brilliant, Teresa. I also think this goes to show us, there are times in our life when we must do the “just” thing but still have “mercy” in doing so. Sometimes life throws us “curveballs” such as this, and it is important we know what to do, when it does. This post teaches us that. Thanks for posting it and God Bless, SR
Thank you so much for the compliments SR. Much of the credit goes to Kevin for being such a great teacher. Life does indeed throw us “curveballs”. We are called to look to God for guidance as to what is just and merciful during those times. Especially for the proper balance between the two. God Bless.