God's Justice

For the last several years I have been thinking about justice. It is a word that we hear often these days. Part of my thoughts have revolved around what justice is. If you look the word up in the dictionary you will note that it means, “The quality of being just: fairness,” and comes from the Latin word iustus, “To announce the law.” (Other words that come from it are: jury, perjure, conjure, prejudice and injury.) But in the ancient world justice was not for everyone. Only certain people deserved justice. Roman citizens were treated differently by the law than others. We see this in that Paul, a Roman citizen, was beheaded when killed and not crucified as were others. In the Greek understanding not even the Greek citizens deserved justice. Only those who were wealthy, who could sit around and discuss the laws and philosophy deserved justice. I bring this up because the understanding that justice applies to all people is a Hebrew idea. The prophet Amos emphasizes that in our Old Testament text for today. 

Amos was a subsistence farmer (we do not know exactly what kind; his description of what he did is obscure) from the south region of Judah who was called by God to travel to the northern kingdom of Israel and proclaim God’s word to them. As our short text for today indicates, times were good and many of the people were wealthy. But they obtained that wealth and increased it by exploiting the poor. Actually by cheating the poor – when selling wheat, make the ephah small (a dry measurement that is about a bushel in size) and the shekel great thus selling less wheat for more money. Kind of like reducing the packaging from 16 ounces to twelve ounces and increasing the price. He also accused them of being unconcerned about God. Their only concern about the Sabbath and the worship of God was when it was over so that they could continue to exploit the poor and make more money.

God calls us to a different life. We are called, just as Amos was, to work for justice where all people -- not just the ones who are wealthy, who look like us, or just citizens – share in the gifts of God. Gifts that you have received in abundance. Yes, a difficult task in a world that identifies you by what you possess. You know the routine. We are constantly bombarded by advertisements that tell us what we should wear, drive, and own in order to be a person. If you do not have those things then you are nothing. We all buy into that. Jesus came to break that bondage and bring out your true identity – a child of God. You do not need those things and live that life the world is pushing upon you because you have been given life abundantly by God. Now, like Amos, you are called to proclaim God’s justice to all people by what you do with the gifts that God has given you – your time, your possessions, and yourselves. You do so not because you have to in order to receive some reward. You get to because you have been freed by Christ from the bondage to sin and death. Pray that you may be able to share your gifts to a world hungering for justice.