Stop the Jericho March: Jesus’ Justice and Mercy Demands Action NOW!
The Pious Priest and Levite on Their Way to Jericho . . .
The ancient command blazes: “Justice, justice you shall pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20). No suggestion—just raw, unyielding duty. Then Micah 6:8 hits harder: “Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.” The Hebrew rabbinical sages—Hillel, Akiva, Maimonides—forged this into a call for action, balancing righteousness with compassion. But Jesus of Nazareth doesn’t just echo it—He lives it, sharpens it, and thrusts it at us like a live wire. In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, justice and mercy aren’t polite ideals but battle cries. And today, the political and ecclesiastical class strut toward their next Jericho photo-op, blind to the bleeding on the roadside. Rise up—now—and answer His call.
The World’s Mess—and Theirs
Look at the wreckage. Power grinds the weak into dust. Greed chokes the poor. Hypocrisy parades as piety. Jesus saw it in His day—Pharisees preening, widows begging, the guilty smirking. Today’s suits and collars are no different. Politicians thump podiums with promises, chasing votes with spam texts for cash, ignoring their constituents’ cries. Church leaders polish their brand, staging selfies at the next big march while the downtrodden rot without help. In Luke 10:30-33, the priest and Levite sidestep the beaten man on the Jericho Road—too busy with their rituals, their optics. Sound familiar? Our elite—secular and sacred—speed toward their next Jericho photo-op, eyes fixed on the spotlight, ignoring the downtrodden they trip over.
Jesus didn’t play that game. In Matthew 23:23, He rips into the Pharisees: “Woe to you, hypocrites! You tithe mint and dill and cumin, and neglect the weightier matters: justice and mercy and faithfulness.” Today’s ecclesiastical leaders tithe their soundbites and sermons, obsessed with the optics of cumin while justice and mercy bleed out. He’s not asking us to clap for their speeches. He’s commanding us to move.
Justice: Jesus’ Reckoning
Jesus wielded justice like a blade. John 2:15-16—tables flipped, whip cracked, temple cleansed: “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” It’s fury unleashed on corruption. Luke 4:18—His mission: “good news to the poor… liberty to the captives… freedom for the oppressed.” Justice isn’t a buzzword; it’s chains broken, stomachs filled. Mark 10:21—He tells the rich man, “Sell it, give to the poor.” No compromise. Hoarding while others starve? That’s theft, and Jesus calls it out.
The sages knew justice as order—Maimonides pushed restitution, Nachmanides tied it to creation’s spine. Jesus doubles down. Matthew 5:20: “Unless your righteousness exceeds the scribes and Pharisees, you’ll never enter the kingdom.” Politicians bicker over who can be the best at political theater while ministers turn the temple into a market—“Send me $1,000, and you will get a seven-fold blessing.” Yet, Jesus celebrated the widow who gave two mites—Luke 21:1-4. Justice demands more—action, not press releases or photo ops for clicks and views. The Talmud says it sustains the world (Berakhot 7a); Jesus says we’re the ones to enforce it, not the Jericho-bound photo-op brigade.
Mercy: Jesus’ Defiance
Justice alone cuts too deep—mercy tempers it. John 8:7—adulterous woman, stones ready: “Let the sinless cast first.” They drop and walk. “Go, sin no more” (8:11)—mercy with teeth. Luke 15:20—the prodigal staggers back, and the father sprints, arms wide. Mercy doesn’t wait; it runs. Hillel said, “Don’t do what’s hateful” (Shabbat 31a); Jesus ups it in Matthew 7:12: “Do to others what you want.” Love neighbors (Mark 12:31), even enemies (Matthew 5:44). He ate with tax cheats (Luke 5:30), touched lepers (Mark 1:41). “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13)—a gut punch to the pious who’d rather pose than help.
Our leaders? They march past the wounded, clutching their scripts. The Samaritan stopped (Luke 10:34)—bandaged, paid, cared. Today’s political class are all talk and no action; the ecclesiastical elite preaches love while shunning the outcast. Jesus didn’t stage photo-ops—He got dirty with mercy. The Kabbalists sought “Tiferet”s harmony; He lived it, and they don’t.
The Command—and Their Failure
Jesus doesn’t mince words. “Blessed are those who hunger for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6)—justice-starved, not justice-tweeting. “Blessed are the merciful” (5:7)—doers, not talkers. Luke 6:36: “Be merciful, as your Father is.” God’s mercy in Exodus 34:6 meets Jesus’ “Father, forgive them” on the cross (Luke 23:34). Matthew 25:40: “What you did for the least, you did for Me.” Feed, clothe, visit—or face “Depart from Me” (25:41). The Baal Shem Tov sweetened judgments; Jesus says we’ll answer for ours.
But the elite? They’re too busy. Politicians jet to summits while people suffocate under bad governance. Bishops bless exclusive events while money is wasted. The Jericho road’s littered with the ignored—downtrodden, robbed, abused, ignored, falsely accused—and they’re stepping over them, cameras flashing. Jesus stopped. Healed. Cared. Taught. Fed thousands (Mark 6:41). Forgave. “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19) isn’t a hashtag—it’s a march into the mess.
No More Excuses—Their Time’s Up
It’s 2 April 2025; this is no April Fool’s Day post—the scales still tip. Jesus flipped tables, not pages, in a PR playbook. The sages debated; He acted. Justice purges—call out the corrupt, free the oppressed. Mercy heals—forgive, lift, restore. Rabbi Soloveitchik urged elevation; Jesus demands execution. The political and ecclesiastical class have had their shot—parading to Jericho while the road bleeds. Enough. Psalm 89:14—God’s throne stands on righteousness and mercy. Jesus plants it in us.
Rise up. Pursue justice like it’s your last stand—confront the powerful, and help the downtrodden. Love mercy like it’s your pulse—help the fallen, defy the indifferent. Their photo-ops won’t save us. His—JESUS—command will. Move. Now. The wounded wait and the clock’s done ticking.
