August 6, 2002
Joe was the runt of the litter, at least in the minds of his brothers. They hated his cocky self-assurance and that their father gave him the best of everything.
One day while they were at work, along came Joe. He said dad had sent him to see what they were up to. Their tempers flared. They began to plot how to get rid of him and came up with a scheme. Slave traders passed by on occasion. They would sell Joe to a slave trader but tell their father he had been killed in a horrible accident.
They got away with their scheme. Their father, Jacob suffered grief beyond imagine. The brothers felt guilty but stuck to their story.
In a few years, a drought hit their community. Soon Jacob had to send them in search of food. They found it, but they also found something they did not expect: Joe was the kingpin over all available grain. When they finally recognized who he was, they realized they were at his mercy. What would he do to them?
This story comes from Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Joseph wound up in Egypt. By living with integrity, he landed first in jail for something he didn’t do, and then in the Pharaoh’s court for something he did do — with the Lord’s help, he predicted a severe famine.
The Pharaoh saw his wisdom. He put Joseph in charge of everything, and by his prudent decisions, the Egyptians had food enough for themselves and other nations.
The brothers did not know how Joseph came to such power. All they knew was that they had wronged him, and he could now do whatever he wanted to them. They were terrified.
But Joseph wept as he heard them talking. He realized they did not know his character. Finally he told them his story, then said, “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”
He added, “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.” At that, Pharaoh told Joseph to invite his family to live in Egypt where he could take care of them.
After a time, their father died. The brothers thought Joseph would now retaliate, but they were wrong. He forgave them and said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Throughout Scripture, this theme repeats itself. God’s people suffer, yet out of their suffering comes good. Job suffered yet God eventually blessed him (and us too, as we read his story). Jesus suffered, yet God raised Him from the dead to provide salvation for sinners.
The Bible says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Often, this verse is interpreted to mean that good things will happen to anyone who suffers, but the words are specific: this promise is for those who “love God” and obey His call on their lives.
More than that, the context is also specific. The next verse says that these called ones who love Him will be “conformed to the likeness of his Son.” In other words, God teaches His people the Christlike response to suffering, and this is the “good” that comes from trials.
Jesus, like Joseph, “did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
Jesus knew that the Father was just. Yes, He died on a cross for sins He did not commit, but God also raised Him from the dead to rule at His right hand and live forever.
God can work good from our troubles. Sometimes, those troubles are the only way good can happen. We may not become world-class leaders like Joseph, but nothing happens to us haphazardly. God will reveal His purpose in His time. He promises, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Suffering may be here for a little while, but His people must not give up hope. God is still in control.
Showing posts with label Justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Justice. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Monday, October 23, 2017
Wanting Justice? .......... Parables 657
October 26, 1999
In Edmonton, a youth sexually assaulted a female classmate, pleaded guilty and was sentenced. However, authorities have not prevented him from returning to the same school where his victim still attends. Local talk show hosts and many callers are enraged at this injustice.
Lack of justice does not upset everyone. ABC news surmises that the tabloids are quite happy that no one has been prosecuted in the JonBenét Ramsey murder case. For them, any unsolved crime adds grist to their rumor mill. They can speculate as long as the public is intrigued by their probable scenarios and bizarre headlines.
Nevertheless, justice is a universal issue. It affects both educated and ignorant, rich and poor, cultured and barbarian. If anyone’s law (according to their understanding of law) has been broken, all people cry for justice. Those who break the rules must be punished.
This even explains the popularity of most fiction. We want our heroes to eventually overcome the villains. We want right to defeat wrong. As in life, mystery whodunits would not sell if in the final chapter the hero always loses.
If villains violate a law or moral code and get away with it, my adrenalin runs. I yell or weep or both. If victims are people close to me and justice fails, I’m tempted to take matters in my own hands and retaliate. However, God says no revenge. It is not the same as justice.
Yet justice does not always win. Some cases have holes in them, like the JonBenét Ramsey case. The Grand Jury decided that the evidence was not sufficient for a prosecution. It seems that whoever killed this little girl is going to get away with it.
While we are tired of hearing about this murder, this conclusion is not what Joe or Jill Citizen wanted to hear. We are not comforted by knowing that this is only one of many unsolved murders. We want a neat wrap-up or a last hour confession. Justice should not allow criminals to live out their natural lives with blood still on their hands.
While we cannot always control it, God tells His people to “love justice.” We are to consider the oppressed and deal with oppressors. The New Testament says, “The authorities that exist have been established by God. . . and he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
This passage from Romans goes on to explain that God ordained governing authorities to punish those who do evil. They are “God’s servants” to bring justice to those who break the law. The problem is, sometimes the governing authorities fail. Justice does not happen. What then?
God has other solutions. He created conscience; even successful criminals can be tormented when they are alone with their memories. He also is sovereign. Life’s events can turn sour at His command. What looks like a victory over a victim can swiftly change.
Most important of all, God says, “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither. . . The wicked plot. . . but the Lord laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming. . .”
I’m consoled that God is beyond the “evidence is insufficient” reasoning. No matter the crime, He knows what happened and who is guilty. He does not need police files or conclusive evidence. He does not even care that a human prosecutor will not take a “loser case” to court.
The Bible assures me that one day, those who choose lawlessness will face a Judge. In His time, justice will be done.
In Edmonton, a youth sexually assaulted a female classmate, pleaded guilty and was sentenced. However, authorities have not prevented him from returning to the same school where his victim still attends. Local talk show hosts and many callers are enraged at this injustice.
Lack of justice does not upset everyone. ABC news surmises that the tabloids are quite happy that no one has been prosecuted in the JonBenét Ramsey murder case. For them, any unsolved crime adds grist to their rumor mill. They can speculate as long as the public is intrigued by their probable scenarios and bizarre headlines.
Nevertheless, justice is a universal issue. It affects both educated and ignorant, rich and poor, cultured and barbarian. If anyone’s law (according to their understanding of law) has been broken, all people cry for justice. Those who break the rules must be punished.
This even explains the popularity of most fiction. We want our heroes to eventually overcome the villains. We want right to defeat wrong. As in life, mystery whodunits would not sell if in the final chapter the hero always loses.
If villains violate a law or moral code and get away with it, my adrenalin runs. I yell or weep or both. If victims are people close to me and justice fails, I’m tempted to take matters in my own hands and retaliate. However, God says no revenge. It is not the same as justice.
Yet justice does not always win. Some cases have holes in them, like the JonBenét Ramsey case. The Grand Jury decided that the evidence was not sufficient for a prosecution. It seems that whoever killed this little girl is going to get away with it.
While we are tired of hearing about this murder, this conclusion is not what Joe or Jill Citizen wanted to hear. We are not comforted by knowing that this is only one of many unsolved murders. We want a neat wrap-up or a last hour confession. Justice should not allow criminals to live out their natural lives with blood still on their hands.
While we cannot always control it, God tells His people to “love justice.” We are to consider the oppressed and deal with oppressors. The New Testament says, “The authorities that exist have been established by God. . . and he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
This passage from Romans goes on to explain that God ordained governing authorities to punish those who do evil. They are “God’s servants” to bring justice to those who break the law. The problem is, sometimes the governing authorities fail. Justice does not happen. What then?
God has other solutions. He created conscience; even successful criminals can be tormented when they are alone with their memories. He also is sovereign. Life’s events can turn sour at His command. What looks like a victory over a victim can swiftly change.
Most important of all, God says, “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither. . . The wicked plot. . . but the Lord laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming. . .”
I’m consoled that God is beyond the “evidence is insufficient” reasoning. No matter the crime, He knows what happened and who is guilty. He does not need police files or conclusive evidence. He does not even care that a human prosecutor will not take a “loser case” to court.
The Bible assures me that one day, those who choose lawlessness will face a Judge. In His time, justice will be done.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Justice? .......... Parables 546
February 18, 1997
Earlier this month, twelve people decided that a man once declared innocent of two murders was actually “liable for the wrongful deaths” of those same two people. They ordered him to pay several million dollars to compensate the families of the deceased.
How can two courts in the same country come to such diametrically opposite views and their findings still be legal? Justice seems straightforward; when people do something wrong, they should be lawfully held accountable. If they are innocent, they should not be accused but if they are, when they appear in court the facts of the case ought to acquit them. Is this unrealistic idealism? Or has our justice system lost its perspective?
In the O. J. Simpson trials, the facts were apparently debatable as they were presented in criminal court so, for that reason, the jury declared him innocent. Stronger evidence supported the same facts in civil court and a different jury decided he was guilty. However, under those charges, the only penalty involves taking his money rather than his freedom or his life.
O. J. seems to have no intention of letting anyone know how he feels about the conviction. He nonchalantly drove away from the courthouse, stopping for an ice cream on his way home as if he had only been shopping or out for a drive. Oddly enough, his behavior reveals more than he intended. Innocent people, especially those who are living in a country where there is freedom of speech, usually declare their innocence or at least display emotional outrage at having been convicted. This man showed little or no reaction.
However, even if he had, protests do not make a person innocent. A long time ago, two women came before a judge claiming the same baby as their own. One insisted that the other woman had suffocated her own child during the night when she accidently laid on it. Then she got up and switched it for the first woman’s living child. The second woman said no, and protested that the first woman was lying and the living child was her baby.
The judge, who happened to be King Solomon, made an unusual judgment to determine who was telling the truth. He ordered the child cut in half, with one portion given to each woman. Immediately the first woman pleaded, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”
The other woman replied, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!” At that, Solomon knew that the child belonged to the first woman.
The Bible story ends with this verse: “When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.”
Certainly justice requires wisdom. The Bible says true wisdom comes from God and with it, other characteristics will also be present. We see them in another passage where a ruler from another land speaks of King Solomon like this: “Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on His throne as king to rule for the LORD your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and His desire to uphold them forever, He has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.”
Solomon was a just king because God loved the people of Israel, wanted to preserve them and chose him as a key player in that preservation. He made Solomon understand true justice. As this king wrote in one of his proverbs: “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.”
O. J.’s lack of “terror” indicates something is missing from the justice system in North America. Some say we need smarter prosecutors, more insightful jurors, or even clearer evidence, but Scripture points to what we really need: the wisdom and blessing of God.
Earlier this month, twelve people decided that a man once declared innocent of two murders was actually “liable for the wrongful deaths” of those same two people. They ordered him to pay several million dollars to compensate the families of the deceased.
How can two courts in the same country come to such diametrically opposite views and their findings still be legal? Justice seems straightforward; when people do something wrong, they should be lawfully held accountable. If they are innocent, they should not be accused but if they are, when they appear in court the facts of the case ought to acquit them. Is this unrealistic idealism? Or has our justice system lost its perspective?
In the O. J. Simpson trials, the facts were apparently debatable as they were presented in criminal court so, for that reason, the jury declared him innocent. Stronger evidence supported the same facts in civil court and a different jury decided he was guilty. However, under those charges, the only penalty involves taking his money rather than his freedom or his life.
O. J. seems to have no intention of letting anyone know how he feels about the conviction. He nonchalantly drove away from the courthouse, stopping for an ice cream on his way home as if he had only been shopping or out for a drive. Oddly enough, his behavior reveals more than he intended. Innocent people, especially those who are living in a country where there is freedom of speech, usually declare their innocence or at least display emotional outrage at having been convicted. This man showed little or no reaction.
However, even if he had, protests do not make a person innocent. A long time ago, two women came before a judge claiming the same baby as their own. One insisted that the other woman had suffocated her own child during the night when she accidently laid on it. Then she got up and switched it for the first woman’s living child. The second woman said no, and protested that the first woman was lying and the living child was her baby.
The judge, who happened to be King Solomon, made an unusual judgment to determine who was telling the truth. He ordered the child cut in half, with one portion given to each woman. Immediately the first woman pleaded, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”
The other woman replied, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!” At that, Solomon knew that the child belonged to the first woman.
The Bible story ends with this verse: “When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.”
Certainly justice requires wisdom. The Bible says true wisdom comes from God and with it, other characteristics will also be present. We see them in another passage where a ruler from another land speaks of King Solomon like this: “Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on His throne as king to rule for the LORD your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and His desire to uphold them forever, He has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.”
Solomon was a just king because God loved the people of Israel, wanted to preserve them and chose him as a key player in that preservation. He made Solomon understand true justice. As this king wrote in one of his proverbs: “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.”
O. J.’s lack of “terror” indicates something is missing from the justice system in North America. Some say we need smarter prosecutors, more insightful jurors, or even clearer evidence, but Scripture points to what we really need: the wisdom and blessing of God.
Monday, August 22, 2016
A Cry for Justice .......... Parables 474
July 11, 1995
As the horror of the Oklahoma city bombing unfolded on television, many people began expressing their hopes that justice would soon prevail. A few angry citizens even sounded like Old West style lynch mobs crying vengeance and saying, “Those who did it should be hung on the spot.”
Some simply think any who would do such a thing do not deserve a fair trial; those are only for cases where there is reasonable doubt of guilt or that innocence needs to be proven. Others seem to fear that judicial “fairness” will result in less punishment than warranted by the magnitude of the crime.
While no one wants to see criminals go unpunished, insuring a fair trial for even the obviously guilty is a freedom we need to protect. The concept of justice and a fair trial goes back a long way with foundations in the legal system of the Roman Empire and even beyond to ancient Biblical history in the Middle East. In fact, right after Noah and his family stepped off the ark, God told them “From each man, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”
Many nations developed civil laws but those of the Jews were unique. Around 1450 B.C., after Moses led the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, God gave them specific commandments. We are familiar with the Ten, including “Thou shalt not murder,” but many other laws defined justice and ethics further. God told them, “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd. Do not deny justice to your poor people. Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death . . . .”
God’s laws also included protection for the accused by decreeing trials that are as fair as possible; the prosecution must produce “two or three witnesses” whose statements agreed. God repeatedly warned that it was the responsibility of governing officials to punish lawbreakers, not angry, vengeful citizens. Even murderers in those days had “cities of refuge” where they were protected from private revenge.
Human justice systems are not always as fair as that which God designed. Innocent people are sometimes condemned and the guilty set free. When justice is perverted, fear and anger are normal responses. On the other hand, those who know God take reassurance from His promise of a final justice: “Do not fret because of evil men . . . The wicked plot against the righteous . . . but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming.”
Even if someone escapes human courts, God Himself eventually deals with those who deserve punishment. His judgment is far more serious than the light tap implied by Maude (from the television show by the same name) when she warned, “God will get you for that.”
Should American courts be too lenient toward the people who used the bomb, we know that God is fully able to render justice to whom justice is due. However, that should never be an excuse for civil leadership to slap wrists only. God established authorities here on earth as agents of wrath to punish wrongdoers (Romans 13). His justice demands that the full horror of what they have done be brought home to the hearts of the guilty.
On a personal level, an eternal perspective tells us not to be too quick to condemn even the most brutal acts of terrorism with a smug, self-righteousness. Pride and even small sins produce guilt before God too. We need to pay attention also to our own lives.
As the horror of the Oklahoma city bombing unfolded on television, many people began expressing their hopes that justice would soon prevail. A few angry citizens even sounded like Old West style lynch mobs crying vengeance and saying, “Those who did it should be hung on the spot.”
Some simply think any who would do such a thing do not deserve a fair trial; those are only for cases where there is reasonable doubt of guilt or that innocence needs to be proven. Others seem to fear that judicial “fairness” will result in less punishment than warranted by the magnitude of the crime.
While no one wants to see criminals go unpunished, insuring a fair trial for even the obviously guilty is a freedom we need to protect. The concept of justice and a fair trial goes back a long way with foundations in the legal system of the Roman Empire and even beyond to ancient Biblical history in the Middle East. In fact, right after Noah and his family stepped off the ark, God told them “From each man, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”
Many nations developed civil laws but those of the Jews were unique. Around 1450 B.C., after Moses led the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, God gave them specific commandments. We are familiar with the Ten, including “Thou shalt not murder,” but many other laws defined justice and ethics further. God told them, “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd. Do not deny justice to your poor people. Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death . . . .”
God’s laws also included protection for the accused by decreeing trials that are as fair as possible; the prosecution must produce “two or three witnesses” whose statements agreed. God repeatedly warned that it was the responsibility of governing officials to punish lawbreakers, not angry, vengeful citizens. Even murderers in those days had “cities of refuge” where they were protected from private revenge.
Human justice systems are not always as fair as that which God designed. Innocent people are sometimes condemned and the guilty set free. When justice is perverted, fear and anger are normal responses. On the other hand, those who know God take reassurance from His promise of a final justice: “Do not fret because of evil men . . . The wicked plot against the righteous . . . but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming.”
Even if someone escapes human courts, God Himself eventually deals with those who deserve punishment. His judgment is far more serious than the light tap implied by Maude (from the television show by the same name) when she warned, “God will get you for that.”
Should American courts be too lenient toward the people who used the bomb, we know that God is fully able to render justice to whom justice is due. However, that should never be an excuse for civil leadership to slap wrists only. God established authorities here on earth as agents of wrath to punish wrongdoers (Romans 13). His justice demands that the full horror of what they have done be brought home to the hearts of the guilty.
On a personal level, an eternal perspective tells us not to be too quick to condemn even the most brutal acts of terrorism with a smug, self-righteousness. Pride and even small sins produce guilt before God too. We need to pay attention also to our own lives.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Justice and a pardon offered ........................... Parables 049
The school bus was “speeding” . . . through the school zone!
It was 3:45. Students were still at the crosswalks, on the sidewalks, and walking out of the school.
There wasn’t a police car in sight. All that driver received for his offense was the protest I uttered to my two passengers, a protest that he didn’t even hear. Is This justice?
Justice, according to the dictionary, is the rendering of what is due. It is getting what is deserved, or what is earned. Justice can mean a reward for what is good but we usually think of it as punishment for a crime.
Crimes against God are called sin. The Bible defines these “crimes” in various ways:
This refers not just to physical death, but to spiritual death, which is separation from God forever.
The Bible says that God is perfectly just, but because we are not struck by lightning, or some such thing, when we break His laws, we tend to think that our transgressions don’t really matter to God, that maybe He looks the other way, or doesn’t care.
The cross of Jesus Christ should remind us that our sin matters very much to Him. Sin is such an offense to God that His Son suffered and died for it . . . that sin had to be punished. God will not be unjust. Someone had to die to pay for it.
I’m sure that if the speeding bus driver had been caught and an innocent person offered to pay his fine or penalty, he would seriously consider the offer. In God’s system of justice, God does just that. The penalty was due and just, but it has been paid in full, by His Son.
Now He offers us pardon and forgiveness as a gift, but He leaves the decision to us. We can reject His offer, or accept it by faith.
It was 3:45. Students were still at the crosswalks, on the sidewalks, and walking out of the school.
There wasn’t a police car in sight. All that driver received for his offense was the protest I uttered to my two passengers, a protest that he didn’t even hear. Is This justice?
Justice, according to the dictionary, is the rendering of what is due. It is getting what is deserved, or what is earned. Justice can mean a reward for what is good but we usually think of it as punishment for a crime.
Crimes against God are called sin. The Bible defines these “crimes” in various ways:
- “Sin is the transgression of the law” 1 John 3:4
- “All unrighteousness is sin” 1 John 5:17
- “Whatever is not of faith is sin” Romans 14:23
- “The thought of foolishness is sin” Proverbs 24:9
- “He that despises his neighbor sins” Proverbs 14:21
- “In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking . . . ” Proverbs 10:19
- “He that knows to do good and doesn’t do it, for him, that is sin” James 4:17
This refers not just to physical death, but to spiritual death, which is separation from God forever.
The Bible says that God is perfectly just, but because we are not struck by lightning, or some such thing, when we break His laws, we tend to think that our transgressions don’t really matter to God, that maybe He looks the other way, or doesn’t care.
The cross of Jesus Christ should remind us that our sin matters very much to Him. Sin is such an offense to God that His Son suffered and died for it . . . that sin had to be punished. God will not be unjust. Someone had to die to pay for it.
I’m sure that if the speeding bus driver had been caught and an innocent person offered to pay his fine or penalty, he would seriously consider the offer. In God’s system of justice, God does just that. The penalty was due and just, but it has been paid in full, by His Son.
Now He offers us pardon and forgiveness as a gift, but He leaves the decision to us. We can reject His offer, or accept it by faith.
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