Jesus speaks of judgment, mercy, and fidelity as the weightier matters of the law. (Mt 23:23) Setting these three together is essential for the right understanding of the more compact statement that mercy is better than sacrifice. (cf. Hos 6:6) Mercy cannot be rightly understood apart from judgment and fidelity.  In writing about these three qualities of fidelity to the covenant I have been referring to the original Hebrew concepts that stand behind our English translations: misphat for judgment; chesed for mercy; emeth for fidelity. I have already written about mishpat as......

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