Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. (Psalm 89:14)
The judicial system in the home I grew up in was very straightforward.
My Mum was the initial High Court of judgment and appeal. Whenever there was an issue between us as siblings, or whenever a proceeding had to take place because someone had taken and eaten the chocolate biscuits, Mum would be in charge of investigating and adjudicating the incident. If the charge were deemed serious enough, it would then go to the Supreme Court and the final place for arbitration, which was my Dad.
If at all possible, I didn’t want a ruling to go against me at that level, because if it did, then the result would be painful. My Dad didn’t come from the school of “this is going to hurt me more than it is you”. No. It was going to hurt me a lot more than it would hurt him, and he was fine with that. I’m certainly not suggesting my Dad administered physical abuse to my brother or me. The measure of discipline was meant to cause discomfort, but he never brutalised us. Indeed, he did the punishment the way he did in his best effort to ensure we learnt from the experience, because he knew there would be worse ahead, especially when he reached the stage where he ominously left us alone … to let life deal with us.
The idea wasn’t always to reach a judgment of punishment, though. There were rare occasions when he endeavoured to reason with us. He endeavoured to reach us to see whether we understood why what we did required some recompense. I knew on one level for sure, but sadly, most of the time, that level was far outweighed by the other levels that wanted to get away with it or felt the punishment was too harsh. Later in life, when I became a Dad, I saw great wisdom in the way Dad sought to discipline us and help us understand the importance of doing what was right or suffering the consequences.
Is the judicial system of the Kingdom straightforward? Do we understand how the Father operates to deal with matters of justice? Do we see the place He has for punishment, retribution, rehabilitation, redemptive and restorative expressions of justice? Do we understand how mercy and forgiveness do not always mean that the culprit “gets away with it”? Do we consider what justice looks like among us as we prepare for a time when He will judge and call us to be responsible likewise?
When we look for the rule of heaven on earth, do we know what that looks like in matters of justice? Before we cry out that something isn’t fair, are we conversant with God’s perspective on the matter? Do we know what God looks for as the end goal of justice?
It’s definitely something a bit different to what passes for justice in today’s society. It’s something worth reflecting on to see the position He places us in for the sake of the Kingdom.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
Next Steps
Reflect: What idea of justice did you have as you grew up? Has that changed today from then? What influences your current view of justice?
Pray: Our righteous God of justice and mercy, thank you that your ways are higher than our ways. Thank you for your idea of justice, which is based on your character, who does all things well. Help us gain a better insight into what your kind of justice looks like in our day-to-day dealings, as we long to reflect your character in our interactions.
Act: Listen to a dispute or consider a matter that requires a ruling, and consider different ways to engage with it before settling on what you believe God would do in that situation. Make a note of the exploration to return to it later. If you’re up for it, share this exercise with a trusted friend to see how their approach differs from your own.
