Justice and Mercy

16 Pentecost, September 13, 2026 The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

Genesis 50:15-21

Psalm 103:(1-7), 8-13

Romans 14:1-12

Matthew 18:21-35

O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

Many, many years ago I was involved with two colleagues, one being a Roman Catholic layperson and the other being a UCC pastor, in which we responded to the news that a level 4 men’s prison was coming to our town. You can imagine the outrage and pushback from the public. And so the three of us, after much conversation, decided to create a non-profit organization called Justice and Mercy.

Our intentions were to educate not only ourselves but also our neighbors about the criminal justice system. We wanted to learn more about the prisons in our town. So we spent some time talking to the officials and staff at the level 4 men’s prison as well as the already established level 2 women’s prison. After the state mental hospital was closed, a few of the buildings were repurposed to accommodate women who had committed “soft” crimes and were serving short-term sentences. Some people wondered which was “worse” - a prison or a mental hospital.

     The three of us engaged in various activities. I met with some women in the level 2 prison who had stolen money to support their drug addicted partners. I heard their stories of feeling trapped and sounds of regret. I heard how they worried about their children. I also attended a worship service in the level 4 men’s prison which was organized and sponsored by an evangelical Christian non-profit organization. I learned that when some men were released from prison, they were given $50 and a bus ticket to our state’s capital. Not surprisingly, the three hots and a cot were preferable to life on the streets; and so recidivism rates were high. When asked if I might be interested in volunteering in the sexual predators’ unit, I declined.

Our attempts at education varied. We held meetings at our churches; and we searched for scripture passages that mentioned justice, mercy, or both. I recall that most of our efforts focused on “mercy.” As word got out a local television group interviewed two of us, which resulted in a follow-up phone interview with me. Nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof I answered their questions with a shaky voice. I had never spoken publicly anywhere before, whether it was in a church, prison, or on camera. To my horror, I received a death threat. Fortunately, the highlight for me that year was an Advent choral concert in which members of the level 2 women’s prison traveled to the level 4 men’s prison to sing together. I was grateful for the joy and faith I found in their concert.

Honestly, I was unfamiliar with the word “justice” and my understanding of it at that time. I soon learned that there are various ways of carrying it out - the 3 R’s”:  retribution, restoration, and redemption. Of course, Wikipedia and IT offer volumes of definitions and explanations. Justice is “just behavior or treatment: a concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people. It is the quality of being fair and reasonable: the administration of the law or authority in maintaining it.”

Being religious people, my colleagues and I looked for scripture, various religious traditions, as well as ethical writings to support our understanding of justice. Was it right to champion an “eye for an eye”? Were there differences between the Old Testament and New Testament messages? How does love play a part? What about those slippery slopes that lead us away from right actions? And how is it that given the same information two people can come up with totally opposite conclusions or interpretations? And exactly which discipline (theology, ethics, legal, philosophy, sociology, psychology) is being used for the argument? Proof texting (selecting specific writings to prove one's point) was common. I began to wonder what today’s readings from our lectionary might say. (See excerpts below)

Theologically, sins can be categorized as mortal or venial, or just simply: “a sin is a sin” no matter how large no matter how small, no matter how vicious no matter how soft. If you break the civil law or God’s religious commandments (i.e. Thou shall not murder) then it goes without saying that there must be some accountability and retribution. And that’s when we wade into the waters of discernment.

Some theologians claim that God’s retribution for our human sins was delivered and paid for by Jesus. Simply put, He needed to die on the cross for our sake. Justice demanded it. If this is true, our atonement is given to us through Christ. “It is finished” and “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do,” said Jesus from the cross. Accordingly, if God’s mission in Jesus was accomplished through his death penalty then we are forgiven and set free because of God’s mercy for all humanity. In other words, God’s justice and mercy were actualized through the retribution, restoration, and redemption of all creation in Christ. It only follows then that we should also show that very same forgiveness and mercy to others. So goes one theological argument.

So what exactly is mercy? The Merriam Webster dictionary offers these definitions: “compassion, leniency, or restraint (as in imposing punishment) shown especially to an offender or to one subject to the power of another; lenient or compassionate treatment; imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder, and compassionate treatment of those in distress.” Does an insanity plea on behalf of a defendant, who is clearly guilty of a crime, or suffers from a mental or physical illness, justify a merciful verdict, that is a "lenient or compassionate treatment of those in distress"? If the opposite of faith is not doubt but certainty, then is it being faithful to recognize reasonable doubt in a trial? And who can be certain about the workings of anyone's mind except God? So goes another theological argument, not a legal brief.

I come from a liturgical tradition in which a common refrain to our prayers is “Lord, have mercy.” Similarly, I come from a place where “justice” is emphasized in public with signs and loud cries for “justice.” There is no mention of mercy in these outcries. We often talk about the scales of justice and to my mind the scale of justice must be balanced equally with mercy. When one or the other, that is when justice or mercy is emphasized at the expense of the other, our scales have tipped, and I would argue unfavorably for us all. Yes, there must be accountability for crimes and illegal activities; and yes we must extend mercy to others. How is it that we can balance that scale?

Has justice been served in the Lindsey Clancy trial? Has mercy been extended? 

Horrified by the details of the murders, and disgusted by some people’s responses and reactions to the trial, I remain amazed at the realities and depths of our human natures and the various ways we defend our positions, sometimes blindly and ignorantly. When people argue that the three small deceased children deserve justice for their deaths, my experience tells me that these children probably would be the first to extend mercy and forgiveness to their mother. As a mother and grandmother, I can only imagine the depth of despair felt by so many after the murder of these innocent children. And there is no question that there was human failure evident on many levels, inside and outside the courtroom. Sadly, no one is free from the tragedy of this story. 

Has justice been served in the Lindsey Clancy trial? Has mercy been extended? 

Many people will say that the “jury” is still out.

Genesis 50:15-21

Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” So they approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died, ‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

Psalm 103:1-4

Bless the Lord, O my soul, *

and forget not all his benefits.

3 He forgives all your sins *

and heals all your infirmities;

4 He redeems your life from the grave *

and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;

Romans 14: 1-12

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,

"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

and every tongue shall give praise to God."

So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Matthew 18:21-35

Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”