Justice

[From 6-9-09]

"And the LORD said, 'Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day & night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them...'"

(Luke 18:6-8)

This parable of Jesus has always bothered me. There's a judge who doesn't fear God or respect people. A woman comes with her case. He refuses to hear it. She comes back again. He still refuses her. She never gives up. Eventually, in order for her to stop bugging him, he agrees to grant her request. Jesus says God is even more loving than this human judge. End of story.

I guess I've always lumped this in with the parable of the "Friend at Midnight" (who begs food from a neighbor at midnight when a visitor of his catches him unprepared)... and assumed these both were about persistence in prayer: Ask long (and hard) enough and you'll get it. But then there are those who ask long & hard and don't get their prayers answered... or ask for something they shouldn't be asking for in the first place.

But when I read the story this morning, one word jumped out at me: "JUSTICE!" The widow came to the judge saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent." And when the judge finally relented, he didn't say, 'Okay, you win, You get what you want.' No. He said he would grant her justice.

God is a big proponent of justice - at least when it comes between people. God is all about us working for justice among each other... doing what's right. Redressing the wrongs that have occurred. If we want to truly follow Jesus, then we, too, must be proponents of justice.

Fortunately, God is NOT a big proponent of justice when it comes to divine/human relationships. Instead of holding us constantly accountable for our sins against him, God repeatedly offers us GRACE & FORGIVENESS. We still have to be accountable to those whom we sin against, but God offers grace.

What a gift.
AMEN.