Suffering, grace, mercy and justice

Jesus was asked a question about human suffering (Luke 13:1-5).  In his answer Jesus includes a second type of suffering.  Suffering at the hands of fellow humans (Herod slaughtering jews) and being caught up in accidents (natural disasters). 

Jesus’ answer is stark, abrupt and crushing:  “Unless you repent you too will die”.  The question is how could God allow these things to happen, and underneath is a deeper issue – How can God allow innocent people to suffer?

Jesus’ answer in effect says “You’re asking the wrong question.  You should be asking “Why don’t I suffer as well?”  We know we are sinners but reckon there’s also enough good in us that we don’t deserve to suffer and in fact are owed mercy and grace.  We expect them.  We take mercy and grace for granted.

God in the norm is repeatedly merciful, so we tend to expect God to be merciful.  The next step is short and easy: We demand it.  When God isn’t merciful we are angry against Him, cry “It isn’t fair” and accuse Him of injustice.  We forget that with sin we all forfeit the right to the gift of life.  God owes us nothing; we owe Him everything.  If He allows a drunk driver to mow me down tomorrow I cannot claim injustice.

Justice and Mercy
Justice and mercy are different.  We all suffer injustices at the hand of other human beings.  But nobody has ever suffered the slightest injustice from God.  Others may mistreat me.  God doesn’t.  That God permits another person to mistreat me is just of God.  God would be perfectly justified in throwing me in prison for the remainder of my life for a crime I didn’t commit.  Or, to put it another way, God is justified in taking my life.  I may be innocent before other people bug I am guilty before God.

The divine prerogative

We often blame God for permitting injustices done to us and feel He has not been gracious enough.  We think we deserve more grace.

But it is impossible to deserve grace.  Grace is by definition undeserved.  Only justice can be deserved.  God isn’t obliged to be merciful.  Mercy and grace must be voluntary or they are no longer mercy and grace.  God regularly states “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy” (Ex 33:19).  This is the divine prerogative.  God has the supreme right of executive clemency.

Say ten people equally sin and God punishes five and is merciful to five.  Is this injustice?  No!!  Nobody received injustice!  We assume He must be equally merciful to everybody.  Why?  God is never obligated to treat all people equally.  If he grants mercy to one person that doesn’t give another claim on his mercy.  Mercy is voluntary.

Nor is God’s grace infinite.  God is infinite and God is gracious but he has not made his grace infinite.  He has set limits on his patience and forbearance.  One day he will judge the whole world.  With our tendency to take grace for granted it is no surprise that the God who made and knows us on occasions reminds us of the dreadful power of his justice.  Don’t forget the gravity of sin.  Remember that I am holy.

Questions posed by the book

1. In what ways does God’s justice frighten you?  In what ways does it comfort you?
   
   
2. What is your response when you realise that you deserve to die because of your sin?
   
   
3. What is your response when you realise that God’s justice demanded Christ’s death for you?
   
   
4. In what ways has God demonstrated his mercy to you?