THE PROBLEM WITH JUSTICE

Have you ever known that burning cry for justice? It is a normal response to being offended and sinned against. Because we were made in the image of God… justice is part of our DNA... We were created to live in a just and loving world. This is part of what it means to have ‘eternity in our hearts’. Eternity will have perfect justice.

But our enemy robbed us of that environment when sin entered the world at the Fall. But we still want it – we ache for it. We want them to own up – to pay – to apologise – to put things right… to restore our soul again. The thing we believers become blind to - is that none of this looks like Jesus, and none of this actually brings us peace of mind and heart. A friend of mine just 36 hours ago told me of her sister who is physically ill with the emotional pain of anger and unforgiveness. She just keeps saying, “I cannot let it go. Justice must be done!”

Scripture tells us repeatedly to seek justice for the oppressed and the needy. Many do noble work for justice on behalf of others – it is part of bringing God’s Kingdom rule on earth. We are called to do this. But there is a great danger in this pursuit of justice. And there is one unavoidable exception to this rule.

The great danger is that pursing justice can turn into seeking revenge – and we become blind to our own sinful responses to the situation. Our hearts become hardened and hateful and warped. We become oblivious to our own condition because we are so focussed on the wrong that has been done. We need a light to go on for us if we are trapped here.And the light is found in looking at Jesus.

And the unavoidable exception to seeking justice, is that we may zealously seek it for others, but not for ourselves. Listen to 1 Peter 2:23 “When they hurled their insults at him, Jesus, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” Jesus never sought justice for himself. Instead He entrusted himself to the only one who judges justly. His Father in Heaven. He entrusted himself… That is our answer – our only answer.

Romans 12:14 on says - “Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. Do not repay evil for evil… Do not take revenge, my friends, leave the judgement up to God … if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty give him a drink… do not be overcome by evil, overcome evil with good.” We are always ‘overcome by evil’ when we retaliate or repay or withhold or shun. The New Covenant is no longer ‘an eye for an eye’.
Luke 6:27 on - Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you… do to others as you would have them do to you. v. 33 Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the most High (a true reflection of your Father) because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
BUT IT IS SO HARD WHEN WE HAVE BEEN DEEPLY HURT OR UNJUSTLY TREATED!

I read this wonderful little sentence recently: “A deep sense of injustice is often part of the hard shell around the sweet fruit of forgiveness.”

The only way to crack that painful sense of injustice is to do what Jesus did. Hand it over to our Father - entrust our reputation, our redress, our restoration to Him. We do what the cross did – we cancel the debt they owe us – and let it go. “I let go my demands, I cancel the debt. You owe me nothing.” Only the grace of Jesus can enable us to do that. But it is possible, because he lives in us.

A while ago I came across a verse in Jeremiah 32:40 “I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing them good, and I will inspire them to honour me, so they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good…” This verse turned a light on for me. I saw that it was the nature of God in his covenant love to NEVER stop doing me good. And he delights in doing me good. So when testings and trials and hard relationship things happen I keep saying to myself – “God intends doing me good. So this has got to be good for me.” And I keep saying to the Father – “Show me your goodness in this. It is here somewhere… please let me see it.” And time and again I see it – because I am now intent on finding it. It turns me from getting mired in hurt and blame and feeling crushed by what others do. It is what that word ‘entrusted’ means. Jesus entrusted himself to the Father’s good purposes in his terrible suffering. So can we. I recommend it as one of those truths that sets us free to forgive and bless.