Daily Devotions

The topic of justice frequently appears in Scripture. It’s a major theme of the Old Testament, and it’s central to the heart of the gospel. In the Bible, justice is about relationship. It’s about establishing a right relationship with others, but it’s also about having an unbiased relationship with the truth.

Martin Luther King Jnr once said, “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”

So often we want an easy route to a justice that meets our own ideals, our own interpretation that is sometimes based on a warped view of what Justice looks like.

A young lady who occasionally walked through the park after work, stopped to have her picture taken by a photographer on this particular day. She was very excited about her picture being taken. As she walked out of the park, she looked at the Polaroid picture in total amazement. She turned and headed back to the cameraman. When she got there she stated, "This is not right! This is not right! You have done me no justice!”

The photographer looked at the picture and looked at her and stated, "Miss, you don’t need justice, what you need is mercy." 

Jesus spoke of justice from another perspective as well: that of people who sought justice through faith and kept asking until they received it. He told his disciples a parable of a widowed woman who pleaded with an unjust judge to grant her justice in her case. Again and again he refused her, and again and again she brought her claim back to him. Finally, he relented just to get her off his caseload (and prevent her from attacking him). Jesus said, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly” (Luke 18:7-8). 

Lord God of justice,

you know no favourites and show no partiality;

but you have given us assurance

that the prayers of the lowly pierce the clouds,

their petitions reach the heavens.

Look upon us who come before you

as did the penitent tax collector,

and grant that we may open ourselves with confidence in your mercy,

and be justified by your grace.

We ask this through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.