in the old testament, the prophet micah writes, "he has told you, o man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
do justice. love kindness/mercy/steadfast love.
in the new testament, jesus told the pharisees they had "neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness" (matthew 23.23). of the entire law, he gave the most weight to justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
perhaps the most vivid illustration of this is the cross. The justice of God demanded a sacrifice. The grace and mercy of God offered Jesus.
so what does this mean in real life situations that reek of injustice? looking at friends' pictures from rwanda and ethiopia is beautiful, but overwhelming. praise God for the opportunity to love on a handful of orphans, but what about the other 143 million?
thinking about injustice doesn't just bother me, it makes me angry. i have to do something about it, but what does that even mean and how can i make a difference? but i feel like the only other option is to give up and do nothing...and that can't be the answer.
but then it becomes more personal. one man dies of cancer while another is miraculously cured. a terrible father and husband dies a peaceful death in his late 80s while a man who loves the Lord and loves his family suddenly dies in his early 50s. where does a God of grace and justice fit into these situations? and if we claim God did the healing, did he not also allow the dying? is that gracious or just?
yet again, i can either be angry at God and give up or be angry at the injustice and press on. i don't like that answer, but i don't feel like i have any other option. i have to believe that Jesus knows what injustice feels like and that God ultimately is merciful and just...but i don't think i'll ever understand it.
any thoughts?
4 comments:
This is really amazing, because I've been thinking a lot about this lately too, and it's really mind-boggling to try to grasp the meaning behind the tragic and seemingly senseless.
My thought is that no one can really answer these questions, and that the only thing to do is lean on God and trust that He feels our pain, knows our sorrow, has compassion on us in our confusion, doubt, and panic.
When I think about things like this I remember how much Jesus and His disciples suffered in this life, looking forward to something better, something greater. They were greatly blessed, but also had to contend mightily with the struggles of sin, heartache, injustice, and pain.
But in the end they were content with what they were given, and they praised God even through the turmoil of sickness, affliction, and torment.
God is great, and I know He has a purpose for everyone, even if we don't know what that is. I know He extends His grace and mercy to all, even if we don't always realize it, and I know He has a blessing for all of His children, even in the midst of life's temporary horrors.
Joy comes in the morning.
About a year ago Belinda and I went to celebrate her parent's 50th wedding anniversary. Her dad suffered a massage stroke and passed away about the same time the celebration was to have taken place. We were planning an anniversary celebration for months but had to shift into planning a homegoing, a funeral, etc. My father-in-law was 76, in great health, probably better health than my parents. He was a godly man who loved his family. The loss of his smile and touch still leaves a huge hole in our lives. I don't understand it. All we have is grief. We understand that and we learn how to grieve like those who have hope that one day, we will see him again. I am not sure grace and justice factor into this equation for us. We are simply grateful for the days we had with him. But I have to admit that each day of grief is a tough journey.
What I know about Anger is that you have to make a decision to resolve it. If so you get better over time. If not, you get bitter over time. When you get to acceptance you will find new hope.
Hope this helps. Praying for you. Albert and Belinda Reyes
Hold on to the thought that in our minds, in our physical world the man who lived was blessed and the man who died was not treated justly. But is that truth? In God's heart, the man who died was blessed beyond our understanding and the man who lived was left in a hurtful world...perhaps he was left to give him more time to come to Christ and ultimately to die with Christ. This concept is almost too hard for us to truly grasp but we have to hold on to our belief in His omniscience and His love. It is His love that brings a faithful follower HOME and it is His love that allows the nonbeliever more time.
girl this is a lot of what i've been struggling with lately too. injustice sucks. i want to DO SOMETHING! I am reminded that just ONE child is worth crossing an ocean for. God HATES injustice even more than we do. He weeps at the thought of it. It makes us mad...think about what it makes Him. These are HIS children. HIS chosen ones. I don't know what we should do but I'm trying to be competely open and surrendered to His will. He can and will use us, even if it is only through the power of prayer.
love you. you're awesome.
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