Psalms 85:10-11. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Mercy or Judgment – Jean Valjean’s Salvation

Mercy and truth should meet together.  The truth sometimes says judgment.  Mercy says forgiveness.  Mercy wins out over judgment.  Righteousness and peace meet.  They kiss each other.  We can have peace with God through the righteousness that is in Christ Jesus.  There are a lot of seemingly contradictory things in the Bible.  Judgment and mercy appear to be unreconcilable.  The novel Les Miserables tells the story of Jean Valjean, a desperate former prisoner, who deserved judgement, but received mercy from a clergyman while trying to report for parole.  Instead of “pressing charges” when Valjean attempted to steal from him, the clergyman insisted the stolen items were a gift when questioned by the police.  This act of mercy utterly changed Valjean.

The World Only Knows Judgment – Inspector Javert

Later, after starting a new life under an alias, Inspector Javert catches up to Valjean and tries to arrest him.  Javert only believes in judgment and upholding the law.  After a series of events, Javert sees the changed Valjean have mercy on many, including himself.  Inspector Javert cannot reconcile this contradiction of judgment and mercy in his mind and ends up committing suicide.  He could not see mercy and truth meeting together.  The lost can never reconcile the two.  They can only be reconciled in salvation through Christ.  We avoid absolute judgment through accepting Christ and receiving His righteousness.  We deserve judgment but we get mercy.

Christ Produces Mercy and Peace Through Salvation

Do you show mercy when others deserve judgment.  That is the way of your Lord.  Truth springs out of the earth today in the Word of God.  Javert could only see judgment.  We see mercy and truth.  The world only condemns.  They cannot have true Bible mercy.  Where are you?  Do you let Christ’s righteousness in you produce mercy and peace or do you strictly allow only judgment?

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