Do not pervert justice or show partiality (Deuteronomy 16:19). Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of a widow as a pledge (Deuteronomy 24:27). Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow (Isaiah 1:17). Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another (Zechariah 7:9). Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:24).
One can't help but come to the conclusion after reading the scriptures that justice is important to God. One can't help also coming to the conclusion after reading God's heart, that He is especially interested in providing justice to the alien, the poor, the fatherless, the widow, the oppressed. And, one will also observe that often, when God calls for justice, He links it with mercy. To some, these two terms may appear to be in opposition to each other—you can either have justice, or mercy, but not both. But to God, applying justice is showing mercy and compassion. Because justice is setting things right.
We gain further insights into God's compassion and mercy from Paul's letter to the Romans, where he states, "God presented him (Jesus) as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:25, 26).
The gospel of justice is the good news that through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, God can be just while justifying the wicked (Romans 4:5), to declare righteous those who put their faith or trust in Him.
To the guilty, justice is something to be feared. To the victim, justice is something to long for. To the forgiven, justice is something to embrace. It is from our position of being justified with God, forgiven by His grace, that we are free to embrace justice and to extend mercy, compassion and justice to others.
The good news about compassionate and merciful justice is that it is right. It is the thing that we intuitively know to be good.
Oddly enough, the young can be more perceptive about injustice than the mature. They instinctively know when the scales are tipped in the wrong direction, and are often militant about setting things right. I am constantly amazed at how liberal and generous the young can be, and how willing they can be to forego personal gain for the sake of another. To be honest and fair, some are also quick to victimize the weak and the odd without showing any mercy or remorse—like chickens in the barnyard, pecking away at one of their peers until the the back of the head is bare and bloodied. We turn away in disgust at such behavior.
On the other hand, mature, loyal, conservative Christians can make choices of appetite or comfort that inadvertently victimize the less educated, unappreciated or ill-equipped without batting an eye. Is that any less disgusting to their Creator?
To embrace the gospel of justice is to embrace the righteousness offered freely to those who trust and believe in God. The gospel of justice embraced, expresses itself by extending justice with mercy and compassion to those whom society would oppress and exploit. It will not keep silent, but cries out on behalf of the poor, the alien, the fatherless and the widows. It recognizes the commonality of our human frailty and our utter dependence on the grace and mercy of God. It identifies with the least and lowest, and stoops to serve and build up. It expresses itself like the prayer on the following page.
Gary Burns is the communication director for the Lake Union Conference.
