Justice

Introduction

A. During the fall of 2011, the Occupy Movement began. It was a global protest against a number of inequities in this world—real or imagined depends on one’s political view. Primarily the movement championed the slogan “we are the 99%”. The movement expresses a great desire for justice and fairness in the world both socially and economically. While different groups in different parts of the world emphasize various themes, overall the occupy movement holds to the idea that large corporations and the banking industry benefit a small minority to the detriment of the vast majority. The demand is for fairness in such matters either through the dissolution of large corporations or through the government taxing the minority at a higher rate in order to bring greater fairness.

B. The fallout from this movement is unmistakable. Current political fodder from both major parties tries to capture a vision for equitable distribution of wealth which will speak to a candidate’s desire for fairness. Those of us who are old enough to remember that similar protests took place in the 60s and 70s. While the initial protest was largely anti-war, there was a push for civil rights and then equality of gender rights later. Whether one agrees or disagrees with these movements both from the past and currently, these movements reveal one underlying truth—there is a desire for justice.

C. We want fairness; we do not want life to be slanted favorably toward another at the expense of someone else and especially at our expense. Personal justice is far easier to seek than is justice for another. Recognizing that God loves all he creates, God wants justice as well. As one reads through the Old Testament particularly, one see the number of times that God speaks of the importance of justice—fairness in economic dealings and in the courts. What applies to one must apply to all. An exception given to one is an exception that is to be given to others. Favoritism is an injustice and is to be shunned. Fairness is God’s desire and is to be the desire of those who follow him. Today we will look at justice and see how as Christians we are to engage this world.

Micah

A. Micah’s writing is a call for justice and mercy at a time when God’s people were not participating with God in seeking justice. Those with wealth and power were living and participating by one set of rules and those who were poor and powerless were subjected to another set of rules. When someone went to court to seek justice, judges bribed by the wealthy made rulings favoring the wealthy rather than justice for the poor. It is in this setting that Micah calls on God’s people to change. Chapter 3 is especially pointed. The leaders who are supposed to know justice are figuratively described as tearing the flesh from the bones of those who have no recourse. They are eating the flesh of those who have no power. The prophets also are part of the problem because the prophets are speaking words of peace when the judgment of God is coming.

B. Verse 9 is telling “hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right” and then in verse 12 the judgment is coming “Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.” Money ruled the day. The leaders got what they wanted and the people suffered because of their injustice. God is going to punish.

C. God wants justice. He wants fairness. In one of Micah’s more telling texts God confronts his people with their lack of justice. In chapter 6 he points to his own expression of justice and mercy toward his people and in doing so demands how he has mistreated them. Of course, he hasn’t and so God calls his people to follow his ways. And in that well known text Micah says the following “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Application

A. In previous messages I tried to remind us that conviction as an American and conviction as a Christian are not the same thing. We must be careful not to allow our American heritage to obscure our sight to the greater calling of God. While government is from God, the danger of politics is found in believing that a political point of view is God’s view as well. This is dangerous because at the very core of government is the wielding of power to punish and to protect while at the very core of God is to love and bring all into unity in Christ. Governments argue about power even as they couch it that discussion in terms of “public service.” Let us not be fooled. This is not to say that Christians are not in politics or shouldn’t be in politics but the direction of politics is not at its core the character of God. Our government system is a democracy not a theocracy.

B. Within our culture we hold to the political view that all people are equal. This may be politically ideal but we know that it isn’t true practically. We know that not all people are equal in terms of outward or inner beauty, in intellect, athletic skill, business acumen, or motivation. Our culture rewards those who excel in one area or another and even those rewards are not equal. The exceptional athlete will be rewarded more in money and prestige than the most celebrated scientist. The most creative teacher is rewarded by her peers and superiors for her excellence but she will continue to teach in relative obscurity. Hard work does not result in equal consequence. The farmer who works hard physically may not receive the same monetary reward as the business person who works mentally hard. Inequality abounds.

C. So what does this have to do with justice? We want justice in terms of our legal system. The person who commits a crime should receive his/her deserved punishment and the victim should receive recompense. We want justice economically. The person who works should be paid and the employer should not take advantage of the employee. The call for justice in our culture, however, often comes from envy. The call for equality is a call for no distinctions to be made when distinctions must be made and should be made. It is a belief that one who has succeeded in some way has cheated others, although that may or may not be true. It is a call for our culture to ignore the truth that equality is not practical nor possible. Aristotle defined justice as getting what one is due. In other words, justice is the consequence of one’s labor. Our culture’s call for justice or equality or fairness is for equal results when in fact different effort calls for different results. There cannot be equal results when there are distinctions in intellect, hard work or society values.

D. The student who works hard earns an “A” has the expectation that what has been earned through study is deserved. But some would argue that it is unfair to award an “A” to one student without awarding an “A” to all. Much as we have done in children’s sport by making sure that all get a trophy so that all are equally rewarded for effort even the child who has spent the season trying to catch bugs in right field rather than pay attention to the task at hand. Thus, you can see the difficulty. Justice is getting what one deserves or has earned. One deserves pay for his work. This is just. But one does not deserve greater punishment for his crime than another who commits the same crime, this is unjust.

E. Here is the spiritual point. God is just. He endorses the reward one should receive for labor. But God is also merciful. And when these are put together some become confused. Some believe that if God is merciful to one, he is obligated to be merciful to all. This is not true. God does not claim, but individuals who do not want to recognize the justice of God demand, that God must give mercy to all. The truth is we deserve death and separation from God. This is the deserving consequence for all people. Not because God is cruel but because God is just. Instead, here is what God has done. In his mercy, God presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement in order to demonstrate his justice so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

F. Paul says at the end of Romans 3 that God carried out his justice in Jesus not so he would set aside his justice but to fulfill his justice. Sin must be punished and Jesus took our place and in doing so God expressed his justice while allowing his mercy to come through in order to pronounce us “not guilty” in relationship with him through Christ. Jesus paid for our sin so that we could enjoy God’s mercy. There is nothing fair about that for us. God makes such mercy available for all but he is under no obligation to force his mercy on anyone. Only those who come to Jesus can experience this mercy. There isn’t anything fair about this. It is an unequal solution to our problem.

G. So how is this to help us in living life tomorrow? Consider the following:

1. We seek justice in the legal and economic terms. We look to care for the poor and powerless so that they may be treated fairly. Specifically we do not want to take advantage of another person. If we employ someone to cut our grass, we pay a good wage. If you are selling something, you tell the truth about the object rather than withholding information in order to get a better deal. We deal fairly with people even if it costs us our profit. We treat people the way we would want to be treated and we share God’s mercy in the same way that God has been merciful to us.

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