Punishment and mercy

In today’s first reading (Exodus 32:7-14), the Lord appears to be focused on punishment while Moses seems to push God in the direction of mercy.

A few verses after this passage, however, Moses himself is filled with wrath and inflicts deadly punishment on the people, whereupon the Lord reserves punishment to Himself.

Of course, God is the true source of mercy and also the ultimate source of justice.

Even as Moses pleaded for mercy, he himself was acting as God’s instrument of God’s mercy.

In our own lives, as individuals and as a society, we must always try to act with justice, even though justice ultimately can only be established by God Himself in the mysterious working of His eternal wisdom.

Yet also, like Moses, we must always seek to act as instruments of God’s mercy, mindful of how we ourselves are so dependent on that eternal mercy: poured out for us in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.