Discernment: What is Just?

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8

I want justice!  Do you ever find yourself demanding justice?  Stop for just a second and seriously consider what it is your are asking for and whether or not that is really the good God defines in Micah and the rest of the Bible.  When we want justice we are usually asking for someone to be punished, right?  Are we asking for justice or are we demanding vindication?  In demanding punishment/vindication are we taking up the position of judge and jury and saying we know all the fact and therefore know how this situation should play out?  Are we demanding justice all the time, or only when it suits us (which isn’t justice at all)?  Really, is that the good we should be doing?  Probably not.

God’s idea of justice isn’t just about punishment, it is about setting things right.  Justice is about things as they ought to be.  God declared His creation good – that is the standard.  So, getting back to that is the just God is looking for.  That is right, that is good.  Go wouldn’t say “no justice, no peace.”  God would say, and has in Jesus, declared “no peace, no justice.”  God’s justice and our justice are very different from each other.  If we want good, really want it, then we must pursue His justice and not our own.

God’s justice looks like injustice to us.  Think about it.  The very thing we want the most – forgiveness, salvation, heaven – has been made possible through an unjust act – the crucifixion of Jesus.  We find our justification in the unjust death of Jesus.  If you want justice, it starts with Jesus.  It starts with living in Him and for Him.  It starts with forgiveness, love, and grace. 
 
Pastor Matt