And he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. – Zechariah 5:3

Today's Scripture Reading (August 26, 2020): Zechariah 5

Fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss says that "music sounds different to the one who plays it. It is the musician's curse." There is little doubt that he is right. The musician hears the mistakes or weaknesses in the music that they write and perform. But they also experience the emotion of the music in a way that is impossible for anyone who hears the music without playing it. Maybe my struggle with Rothfuss's words is found in the word "curse." Because if a "curse" is a bad thing, perhaps "curse" isn't quite the right word for the experience of the musician with their music.

I have a similar struggle when I consider these words of Zechariah. Zechariah insists that every thief will be banished, as will everyone who swears falsely. Scholars take this to be an example of what was written on the flying scroll and wonder if this scroll might have contained all of the Ten Commandments, even though only the two are actually mentioned. But the words of Zechariah seem to indicate that our actions will judge us. And part of me argues, isn't that what justice looks like in our lives. We serve a just God, and our societies struggle to be just, so that those who commit the crime, pay the penalty for their actions. Let me be clear, in our racially charged environment, the cry is not that atrocities should not be prosecuted, but instead that those who commit the crimes pay a similar penalty, regardless of their race or societal standing.

But Zechariah seems to indicate that this is a curse that is being held over the land. If you steal, or if you lie, if you contravene any of the commandments, you will pay the penalty for your wrongdoing. If you commit the crime, you will be banished. But the question remains, is receiving the just punishment for your actions really a curse.

It is a reality with which I know that even we as Christians struggle. We strongly believe that we serve a just God, which leaves us a little hazy about the role of grace and mercy in our lives. But we need to be precise. We do serve a just God. But we also serve a God who is marked just as much by grace and mercy as he is by justice, which is a good thing because we all need a little of God's grace and mercy mixed into our lives.

How it all comes together is something that we will probably never understand. But Zechariah is right, with all of the ways that we fail God in our lives, a sovereign marked only by justice is a curse. The blessing is that God took the penalty on himself so that we can receive his grace and mercy in those moments when we really need it.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Zechariah 6