"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." - Micah 6:8
The jury enters the courtroom, and the judge orders the defendant to rise. Those still in their seats are on the edge. Everyone is anxious for the verdict. "Guilty." The plaintiff breathes a sigh of relief. The guilty party continues holding his breath, awaiting a sentence.
Even if you've never been in a courtroom, you can probably picture this scene. It has been depicted in television shows and movies for years. As humans, something in us seeks justice. And maybe that's why those shows and movies have been so popular.
I'm a social worker. Justice is a huge part of my job, so much so that seeking social justice is a part of the code of ethics all social workers must abide by. As a result, I have spent a good deal of time in the last year trying to understand justice.
The world's definition of justice is cut and dry. If you did wrong, you must pay. If wrong was done to you, you should receive payment. Justice means a thief must repay what he stole. Justice means a murderer faces life imprisonment or the death penalty. But as a Christian, I want to seek justice God's way. And His justice is so different from our own.
God's perfect justice nails an innocent man to a cross.
Perfect justice doesn't seek retribution. Perfect justice seeks to make right what has been made wrong. In my job, I see children every day who were born into situations beyond their control. Justice means giving them a safe, happy home. We give the parents another opportunity to provide that home by helping them right the wrongs that brought their children into state care. Ideally, the children return to their parents but in a safer and more stable environment.
God did the same for us. We were born into a world we couldn't control, a world full of sin and suffering. But He still wanted to have a relationship with us. We couldn't have that relationship on our own, so He found a way to make it happen. Just like the children I work with can't overcome abuse and neglect alone, we couldn't overcome sin alone. So God sent His Son, the one who could overcome it, to make things right.
Because of God's perfect justice, our relationships with Him can be restored.
The lengths God went to amaze me. I'm the one who deserved to die on a cross. I'm the one who deserved to be punished. But Jesus took my punishment. He died in my place. And in doing so He allowed me to have a relationship with Him. He allowed me to opportunity to live with Him for all eternity.
And He did the same for you.
I've seen a courtroom full of lawyers, caseworkers, family members and court members celebrate when a child returns to a parent. But the celebration in that courtroom is nothing compared to the celebration in heaven when any one of us returns to God.
If you haven't already, now is your chance to accept God's justice. Now, is your chance to form a relationship with Him. All you have to do is say yes. When you do, there will be a party in heaven like you can't imagine.
