Justice?

When does justice come? Some of us put it off expecting justice to come only when all things are made new. (Isa 66:22) Others of us demand justice and get mad at anyone who stands in the way of justice because "not to speak is to speak and not to act is to act." 

Popular opinion puts forth a false choice between two sides of Christian thinking: speak out against injustice versus let God handle it. Isaiah 58 helps us to understand what God expects from us.

The people in Isaiah 58 have declared ritual days of fasting. They say that they are motivated by closeness with God. Yet while they are fasting, they are still having fun while their workers work hard. They look like they care about what God cares about, but they continue to keep others down and diminish their freedom. They fight amongst themselves. God is not pleased, because they are more concerned with pleasing themselves through fasting than with pleasing Him. 

A group not mentioned in Isaiah are people who are angry and sad. Injustice cannot stand. This group demands that all must stand and fight. If you don't speak up, then you are part of the problem. Afterall, Jesus stood up to the moneychangers in the temple, which means you should be like Jesus and stand up to inequality by flipping tables. 

Can we remember that we are not Jesus for a minute? Jesus is unique. Jesus is God. Jesus sacrificed for you. We are to imitate Christ, yes, but Jesus never sinned. If you start tossing tables, do you think you could do that without sinning? We who have sin always need to remember that we carry part the blame for everything wrong with the world. For our indignation to be righteous, we will need be mad at ourselves too. (Luke 12:57-59)

Now, if we go back to Isaiah 58:6 God tells us exactly what he wants us to do. God tells us to clothe people, provide shelter, give them bread, take the yoke off, undo wickedness, quit blaming, stop harming people with our words, and satisfy the soul of the afflicted.

God is pleased when we take care of all people. Doing the work of God means caring about people and being involved in His plan of redemption here and now. We are not to do nothing while we wait for justice to come one day once for all. Likewise, God tells us not to shake wicked fists and point fingers. 

We know that God is the one who gets things done. Still, we can participate in God's work with a heart aware of pain and suffering and looking toward the day it will all be put right once and for all.

So, God, I ask You to touch the hearts of those who read this. What can we do to satisfy the soul of the afflicted? Make it clear to us, Lord.