The call to “do justice” echoes throughout the Story of Scripture. And the cry for “justice to be done” wells up from our hearts and goes out from our churches. But what do we mean by justice and how is it to be achieved?
In the modern Western world justice is often understood in terms of fairness, equitable distribution of resources, or adequate punishment for wrongdoing. But biblical justice involves much more than this.
According to the Bible, justice has its origin in Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel (Deuteronomy 32.4). Justice establishes and upholds the kingdom of David (Isaiah 9.7). Justice involves care for the poor, food for the hungry, cancellation of debts, freedom for slaves, rest from work, and rest for land (Leviticus 25). And most importantly, God’s justice is fully realized in the person and work of the Messiah Jesus. God has unveiled his justice in Jesus!
On the cross, Jesus took evil (personal, societal, political) upon him and triumphed over it. On the cross, Jesus triumphed over all rulers and authorities and reconciled all things to God (Colossians 1.19-20; 2.15).
Indeed, the redemption Jesus accomplished on the cross and in his resurrection inaugurated the new age of God’s rule and foreshadows God’s fully restored kingdom of peace and justice.
And so, if we desire to “do justice” our primary responsibility is to trust in the faithfulness of Jesus and to walk in the Holy Spirit.
What it looks like to “do justice” will, of course, differ according to our context. But our focus must always be on the faces of real people. Some of us will spend a lot of time hanging out with society’s outcasts and misfits, while others will commit to journeying with those who are suffering with chronic illnesses. Some of us will commit to advocating on behalf of those who live in material poverty, while others will support programs of restorative justice within the criminal justice system.
What’s central is that we trust God, walk in his Spirit, and use our imaginations as we journey with real people. That’s what “doing justice” is all about!
“On the cross the living God took the fury and violence of the world onto himself, suffering massive injustice…and yet refusing to lash out with treats or curses. Part of what Christians have called ‘atonement theology’ is the belief that in some sense or other Jesus exhausted the underlying power of evil when he died under its weight, refusing to pass it on or keep it in circulation. Jesus’ resurrection is the beginning of a world in which a new type of justice is possible.”
- N.T. Wright, Simply Christian
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