In Other Words...Justice

I think most of us would agree that the commonly held definition of justice is “getting what you deserve.” And it works both ways really. In some countries if you get caught stealing, you get your hands cut off. If a guy gets caught in adultery, he gets something else cut off. As I have heard it said, “Don’t do the crime if you aren’t willing to do the time.” But we also see that justice goes the other way too. If I am nice to someone they should be nice back. If I work I should get paid. In fact, bonuses, raises, and advancement in the workplace are built around just such a concept.

So here’s the problem—the Bible and God, they don’t follow that definition so precisely. God does not act “justly” as we define it. When we talk about justice we immediately go to rights and fairness. But such notions are often selfish and self-serving. Instead, God’s justice is something quite different. God’s justice has to do with His character and His sovereign rule in this world.

Let me give you an example. In ancient times, when a king was inaugurated, he would often cancel all debts, set slaves free, and release prisoners. Do you know how the people described such a king? They called him “Righteous and Just.” Interesting don’t you think, considering prisoners are in jail because they committed a crime. People are in debt because they owed people money. They were getting what they deserved. And yet a “just” king would free them from that.

So if God’s justice involves forgiveness to some measure, How is justice dealt out? To answer this question we need to turn again to the Parable of the Workers (Matthew 20:1-16). Though the workers were hired at different times, they all received the same wage. The workers were demanding a different view of justice. They felt people should get what is due them. Most of us look at that from the perspective of the early workers and think, “That is just not fair! Those late workers don’t deserve getting paid as much because they did less work.” And from a worldly perspective of justice, we would be right. But from God’s perspective we would be completely wrong. We do not share the same reference point that God has.

This parable clearly portrays how God administers justice. It is his brand of justice that gives people things that they don’t deserve. In strict justice, each person should be judged according to his or her merits—what they have done or not done. But God's mercy permits humankind to be judged by the sum total of all the goodness that exists in the world. God judges with the measuring rod of grace and mercy. And that is hard to swallow sometimes. Instead of punishing, God forgives. Instead of destroying, God restores. Instead of making us feel guilty, God frees us.

Clearly God administers justice in a completely different way than we are used to. God’s justice flows from his desire to have a world of peace; a world that is based on love, not punishment.

When we read the parable we often put ourselves in the place of the worker who gets screwed. We should instead put ourselves in the final worker’s position. Imagine how you would feel if you got paid for a day’s work while only working for a couple of hours. It is the same way you feel when you go and cut an old person’s grass just to be nice, and they come out with lemonade and some money. It is the same way you feel when you totally screw up an assignment or test at school and your teacher lets you retry it. That feeling is gratitude.

And that is how we should come before God—with gratitude. The way God responds to us far outweighs the way we respond to God. Justice is not satisfying what is owed or preserving his personal rights, but by governing and ruling with peace. In a truly just world we should all die for our sins. Do you get that? When we talk about people getting what they deserve, and fairness and our rights, in God’s eyes we are all worthy of death. Romans states it clearly:
“For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus.” (3:23-26)

Our brand of justice was poured out on Jesus in our place. Because of God’s mercy we don’t get what we deserve—death. Because of God’s grace we get what we don’t deserve—blessings, healing, restoration and eternal peace. And because of that we should have gratitude. And God’s brand of justice should guide us on how we treat others.

In Exodus 32, the people made a golden calf and worshipped it instead of God. God saw this and was angry—rightly so. Justice would have dictated killing them all, and that thought crossed God’s mind. But Moses went to God and reminded God of his reputation for grace and mercy. Then the Bible records this verse:
“Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.”
Mercy prevailed. But what is most startling is that Moses puts himself in the middle, and appeals on behalf of the Israelites. God had already told Moses that he would kill all the Israelites but spare him. But Moses says no, let’s save them all. He could have said, “Good. Let them burn. They deserve it. They have ignored me as their leader. Tough crap.” But he didn’t. Instead of focusing on enacting justice on these people he focused on what was best for them.

That must be our attitude. There are many in our midst who have committed an offense against us, against others, and against God. Our just world says, “Let them burn.” But God says, and we must say, “Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” Amos 5:24

There are many who are in need of this kind of justice and grace. Yes they may have made mistakes. Yes they probably deserve what they are getting. But never forget that as Christians we are forgiven people. We have been judged by God’s standard, not the world’s. And if you have any gratitude for what God has done for you, then let justice reign. God’s justice—a justice of grace, mercy and forgiveness.

The world is screwed up. Injustices are done. Life is "unfair." People think they aren't getting what they deserve. Our response is Lament. Justice is God's way of responding to our lament. God seeks to rule through grace and love and for us to treat one another in the same way. Life will remain "unfair" until we accept this grace and respond with gratitude.