Justice from the Heart

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   Distributive, retributive, procedural, economic, restorative, corrective, social, political. What do these words have in common? They describe different types of justice. Throughout human history, we have wrestled with this idea of justice. Something deep within the human heart looks at the world and realizes that this isn't the way things are supposed to be. Even when we were kids, we wanted things to be fair. If someone got something we didn't or if someone was treated better than we thought he should be, we would cry out, "That's not fair."

   This past Sunday, I preached from Psalm 10. Psalm 10 is likely a continuation of Psalm 9, and together the form one of the many psalms of lament. The psalmist looks at the broken world and asks, "Why do you stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" How many of us can look at what is happening around us and echo those same questions, "Where are you, God?" Psalm 10 goes on to accurately describe the reality of injustice in the world around him. He sees the wicked succeeding, the unjust oppressing the helpless, and evil men attacking the innocent. The wicked have no time or care for God and His ways. The psalmist comes to the Lord and cries out for Him to do something about the injustice in the land. This is not a demand of God but a heart-felt cry to God, who alone is sovereign and who sees and knows all things.

   The reason we have injustice in the world is because injustice comes from within the heart of every person. What we see is simply the overflow of sin that began in the Garden of Eden when Adam disobeyed God. Our attempts at justice still reflect some residue of the image of God that remains, but these attempts will always be contaminated by sin. This is why God sent Christ into the world. Jesus was the only one who ever lived a truly just life. His obedience took Him to the cross. At the Cross, God the Father poured out the full measure His wrath on His Son, thereby making the way for sinful humanity to be reborn and reconciled to a just God.

   As we think about justice, let us remember that our fallen cry for justice is reflected in an even greater way by our holy and sovereign God. In the midst of the injustices we see all around us, let those things drive us to the Lord, longing for the day when at last true justice will be done and all things will be made right.