justice

Just Us

Posted on by Betsy

Today’s lectionary passage is known as the Servant’s song. Isaiah paints a beautiful portrait of the soon-to-come messiah and gives us insight about what the messiah will do and how the messiah will act. I imagine it came as a surprise to hear Israel’s savior described as a servant. The people were expecting a conquering warrior, one who would defeat their enemies and restore their nation. Indeed, when Jesus did come, his gentleness and meek nature confused the Jews and they chose to wait for a better messiah to come along, In fairness, if we were asked to describe Jesus’ messiahship in one word, few would choose ‘servant.’ Redeemer, Savior, Master, Healer, Teacher, Son of God, Lord, yes, but servant?

And yet, that is exactly what Jesus did. He came to serve.

Isaiah 42 (Common English Bible)

 But here is my servant, the one I uphold;
    my chosen, who brings me delight.
I’ve put my spirit upon him;
    he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He won’t cry out or shout aloud
    or make his voice heard in public.
3 He won’t break a bruised reed;
    he won’t extinguish a faint wick,
    but he will surely bring justice.
4 He won’t be extinguished or broken
    until he has established justice in the land.
The coastlands await his teaching.

Isaiah made it clear that justice was the focus of Jesus’ ministry. God made it clear that justice is part of his very character and nature. Justice requires right relationships with others where everyone is treated with dignity and fairness. Impartial judgment, accountability for the unjust, restoring wrongs, and upholding God’s moral law of loving God and loving neighbors are the foundation of justice. Listen to the words in Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 32 (New Revised Standard Version UE)

For I will proclaim the name of the Lord,
    ascribe greatness to our God!

4 The Rock, his work is perfect,
    and all his ways are just.
A faithful God, without deceit,
    just and upright is he.

God is faithful and without deceit. His servant Jesus came to bring justice to the nations in his name. And Jesus calls us to serve one another in his name. In fact, being a servant to others is how Jesus defines greatness.

Matthew 20 (The Message)

24-28 When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.”

Godless rulers throw their weight around, allowing power to go to their heads. They are the servants of “just us.” Look around you and you will find them everywhere. But we are called to a higher response: We are called to be the servants of justice.

How will you live that out today? What can you do to bring fairness, equity, and impartiality to someone who needs justice?

This is a call to action. May we be people of Micah 6:8 who “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.”

Walk Humbly by Kathy Schumacher

Advocacy

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had to speak out as an advocate for justice? I recently talked with a mother who attended several meetings at her son’s school in an attempt to be his advocate. Taking a stand against preexisting rules and calling for fairness was a challenge for her. But there are times when we cannot be silent and must take action.

The United Methodist Church has a long history of justice advocacy. John and Charles Wesley visited prisoners and tutored local neighborhood children. As the early church grew, our work shifted to opposing things like slavery, smuggling, inhuman prison conditions, alcohol abuse, and child labor. Today you can find United Methodists working, marching, and speaking out on current justice issues such as environmental care, racial justice, and full-inclusion matters.

We take our example from the work of our Lord. Today’s passage reveals Jesus going up against the establishment in order to advocate for a man’s health and well-being. Notice that the Pharisees were watching him closely as he did this.

Luke 14 (Common English Bible)

14 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to share a meal in the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, they were watching him closely. 2 A man suffering from an abnormal swelling of the body was there. 3 Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Does the Law allow healing on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they said nothing. Jesus took hold of the sick man, cured him, and then let him go.5 He said to them, “Suppose your child or ox fell into a ditch on the Sabbath day. Wouldn’t you immediately pull it out?” 6 But they had no response.

The fact that Jesus was in the home of the Pharisee leader and the man with dropsy was also there suggests that he was a guest as well. Do you think it might have been a set up to see if Jesus would break the sabbath law? I do. What they failed to realize was that Jesus was much more conversant in the commandments than they were. There was no prohibition against healing on the Sabbath or pulling your ox out of a ditch for that matter. The “law” was something the establishment had conjured up. Jesus was right and righteous in this matter. He questioned their understanding of the law, but they refused to respond. He answered them by responding to the question and taking action in one single moment. That’s what advocates do: They answer and act.

Where are you being called to answer to justice and act in advocacy? How can you respond to this text today the way Jesus would respond? Whatever God tells you to do, go and do it. That’s exactly what Jesus did.

New Day Rising by Michelle Robertson