Injustice

Today's word is "injustice".  I chose Job 5:16, which says, "So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth."  It is preceded first by verses about committing one's cause to God who provides for those in need and then by verses about frustrating the plans of the wicked.  He gives hope to the poor and quiets injustice by putting an end to it.


I have a love/hate relationship with the idea that God loves all of us as if we were the only person.  It makes me feel good about God's love for me.  But I think it's false.  God does not love me any less because there are other people to love.  His love is unaffected by that fact.  Furthermore, I've come to view justice as God loving all of us equally.  There is punishment for sin because sin can't be committed without harm being done to someone else.  God is hurt everytime we sin- He died for each of our sins, even the "small" ones.  We hurt ourselves each time we sin because the wages of sin is death, even though we sometimes forget this because of the grace we have received.  There are usually other consequences as well.  Many times we also hurt other people, with or without knowing it.  Something seems odd about God's love for a victim if the sin is not addressed; it seems lacking.  Justice holds us accountable to loving God, ourselves, and our neighbors.  As Jesus said, that sums up all the commandments.


I've noticed that many times when injustices are committed, especially some of the most heinous injustices, it is done with the arrogant belief that the perpetrator will not be held accountable for his/her actions.  God doesn't exist or will give him/her a free pass.  If this were the case, there would be no hope for the poor and injustice will prevail.  Fortunately, we do have a just God.  The poor have hope precisely because God will shut the mouth of all injustice at some time or another, even if we don't get to see it.


We can look to the cross and resurrection as an example of injustice being quieted.  Although Jesus willingly went to the cross in submission to the Father's will, the cross was also still the world's greatest injustice.  Injustice roared that day as crowds shouted, demanding that the only innocent man to ever walk the Earth, it's creator and provider be crucified.  The resurrection silenced that injustice as God gave Jesus righteous judgment and raised Him from the dead.  God always judges righteously.  There is no injustice from Him and He does not allow mockery to be made of justice.