Justice?
As
we reach this, the third and final question from the pews, the end of this
summer sermon series, we reach a question heavy with history and packed with
political import even today.
The
question is: “What is God’s justice? Is God concerned with Justice? How should
we act to be in accord with God’s justice?”
The
short answer is, God’s justice is about making all things right. God is deeply
concerned with Justice, in fact, it is mentioned explicitly in scripture 173 times
and words related to it are mentioned nearly 2,000 times! Finally, we ought to
act with justice.
In
order to get a sense of what justice might mean to God, and to us, it is worth
looking at the broad scope of scripture and how justice is expressed therein.
So, take a peek at what Justice looks like in the Torah, Prophets, and Writings
of the Old Testament and how Justice is found in Jesus. Then we’ll think for a
moment what that means for God, and for human beings.
Prayer
In
the first five books of the Old Testament, the Torah, we find God’s people
newly freed from slavery
—one of the ultimate acts of
injustice,
and shaping their society with an eye
toward justice. Making right that
which is wrong.
But what does that look like?
1. Impartiality,
2. fair distribution of land and forgiveness of debt,
3. and all of this is done in an expansive way.
Justice
looked like impartiality on the part
of those in power. Courts and kings and everyone else was to govern fairly,
treating everyone equally,
especially
those who had the least power,
widows, orphans, and the like.
Now, you could rightly say, “hold up
there Pastor” Equally and especially, don’t go together
—either you treat everyone the same,
or not… ...but as we read in our first lesson today, the author of Exodus was
well aware that
the least of these are least
likely to get a fair shake,
most likely to loose a lawsuit
because the deck is stacked against them,
most likely to bear the brunt of
bribery and corruption.
So, justice involves the rules of
society to be fair for all, but especially
for the least of us.
One
of the most radical aspects of Israelite society, one that some scholars think
was so impractical that it was never
actually practiced, was the idea of a Jubilee year. A year when everything,
especially land, reverted back to its
original owner…
This
is a strange proposition when you think of it, simultaneously leftist and
reactionary!
The idea is every 49 years everyone
returns to the land that their tribe received from God as laid out in the Torah
and the book of Joshua.
Think
of it!
You’re from the tribe of Dan in the
north, but you’ve lived down south in Judah your whole life and prospered well,
you’ve accrued a bunch of land and wealth, and then year 49 hits. All of a
sudden you’ve got to take your family and move north to Dan, and live on a tiny
plot of land there, giving up all you own to the members of the tribe of Judah who
have ancestral right to it.
Think
if this was the case today, where did your family originally settle? Imagine
having to leave everything you have and trek back there with your family and
start over again.
The
Jubilee year recognized that over time power and wealth accrue to some families more than to others,
and if you’re one of the others,
dug into a hole,
digging out becomes harder the longer
you are down there…
and so, every 49 years there was a reset button—like the one for the
router of your wireless, you poke a pen tip into it and boom,
debts forgiven,
slaves freed,
land restored.
Finally,
we see in the Torah that the promise of justice is not solely for citizens of
the Land, but also for those passing through the land or immigrating to the
land.
Justice, for sojourners and
immigrants,
resident aliens and even enemies!
Justice, for all!
In
the Torah the community that came out of slavery in Egypt is encouraged to be just by being fair, especially to the least of these,
by resetting social standing every generation,
and expanding out this sense of justice beyond those within its
immediate borders.
This
understanding of Justice swells in the books of the Prophets.
Prophets look around at their society
and recognize that so often the ideals of the Exodus have been abandoned,
that Justice is for just us,
that debts have been accrued so much that the poor go without
footwear and coats on cold nights,
that simple ideas of equal treatment aren’t practiced anywhere.
If all that wasn’t bad enough, the
people try to cover up all of their societal sins with religious ritual
—look,
I made a burnt offering, I even did it in a big way
—our
country is so very religious!
To
which the prophets of every age reply, “do justice! Love kindness! Walk humbly
with your God!”
As
for the Writings, the focus is on how a Just society creates individual good, they explored how
Justice created what Philosophers might call the good life.
If you act unjustly it is unwise and
leads to death.
If you act Justly you also act
wisely, in a life giving way.
As
for the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, listen to Jesus’ mission
statement:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’
Jesus
embodies God’s justice. His presence among us is good news, especially for the poor, captive,
blind, oppressed, he is proclaiming a Jubilee
year for them all
—a new start for them,
for all of us!
Yes,
God showing up in Jesus is an example of justice
—that same type of Justice God has
been about since the exodus.
Justice for all, but especially for the least of these.
A leveling—think of Mary’s Song in
which thrones are thrown down and the
lowly are lifted up.
An expansion of those who fall under
the Reign of God—the citizenship among the saints is expanded, most noticeably
in Paul’s mission to the Gentiles.
So, what does this all mean for God and for
us humans?
Judging
from the descriptions of God’s concerns found in scripture, we can be assured
God is concerned about Justice and
that part of God making all things right involves the 3-fold pattern of
justices I’ve described.
How should we act…there is the rub, right?
We
cling to the Just and Merciful acts of God, and then act as if we don’t just
believe them in our head and heart, but with our hands and our whole self as
well.
Working in our own selves to make it true, and among our whole society to make it so.
It
is a right and Christian thing to call for fairness and focus on those who bear
the brunt of injustice.
There
was a Christian movement back in the year 2000 to make it a Jubilee year in
which the richest countries in the world forgave the debts of the poorest
countries in the world—you might remember the musician Bono of U2 heading it up
this effort—this was faithful to the original intent of the Jubilee year.
Christianity
ought to always be peeking through the cracks that our culture creates so that
we might see those left out, and invite them in and act in such a way that
their full dignity might be upheld.
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