pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: justice


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We’ve Been Given Much

Reading: Luke 11:37-12

Luke 12:33 – “Make for yourselves wallets that don’t wear out — a treasure in heaven that never runs out.”

Photo credit: Tyler Milligan

Today’s reading deals with authentic versus surface commitment to God. And it speaks into the worry and doubt and anxiety that is so common in our world today. These two topics relate to one another.

Our words from chapter 11 address the outward and superficial faith lived out by the Pharisees and legal experts. They tithe their herbs but neglect justice and love. They crave recognition and status. They place huge expectations on others but don’t help them and often get in the way of their faith development. These condemnations create deep resentment towards Jesus. But we must ask: Which would be addressed to the faith lived out by you and me?

Chapter 12 mostly focuses on trusting in God’s love and care instead of getting caught up in worry and fear or in the cares and concerns of the world. Jesus reminds us that God cares for and loves us much more than sparrows, ravens, and lilies. Each of these is provided for. How much more will God provide for us, God’s dearly loved children.

Jesus warns against greed, specifically against hoarding or storing up. These inwardly focused acts draw us away from compassion, empathy, and generosity. We are encouraged to release our “things,” to give to those in need. Doing so, we “make for yourselves wallets that don’t wear out — a treasure in heaven that never runs out.” Nothing can take these eternal things away. Jesus sums up why it is so important to be selfless: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be too.”

Jesus also addresses our spiritual readiness. As servants of God we all have roles to play. We are to be diligent and faithful in how we use all of our resources – time, talents, gifts, wealth… “Much will be demanded from everyone who has been given much.” Friends, we have been abundantly and generously blessed by our God.

Prayer: Lord God, yes, you love us far beyond our understanding. And, yes, you care for us unlike any other. Yet worry and fear and earthly concerns can creep in. We can question you. In these moments, remind us of your truths and promises. Speak these into our hearts, Holy Spirit of God. Amen.


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The Banquet

Reading: Matthew 22-23

Matthew 22:21 – “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

Chapter 22 begins with a parable about God’s kingdom. The scene is a wedding party for the king’s son. Proper guests are first invited. But they refuse to come. Then all people are invited – the good and the bad. The banquet hall is filled. But one enters who isn’t prepared to be there. He is removed and thrown into the deepest darkness. Those who were invited first represent the religious leaders and all Jews who refused to accept God’s son as Lord and Savior. The man represents those who say they follow Jesus but really live for self.

Jesus is asked about paying taxes. After examining the coin he declares, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” We are to be good and responsible citizens and faithful followers of God. Jesus clarifies the order when asked about the greatest commandment. First, we are to love God with all that we are. The second is to love neighbor as self. We are to first be faithful followers of God and then to be good and responsible neighbors.

In chapter 23 Jesus condemns the hypocritical ways of the legal experts and the Pharisees. They pile Law upon Law, rule upon rule, on the people but don’t lift a finger to help them in their walk of faith. By contrast, we recall Jesus’ yoke is easy and the burden light. The legal experts and Pharisees love to be seen and noticed. But the “greatest among you” will become the servant. They give a tenth of their spices but ignore justice, peace, and faith. They look great and righteous on the outside but are “full of pretense and rebellion” in their hearts. They refuse to come to the wedding banquet.

There is lament to close out today’s reading. Just as their ancestors abused and killed the prophets, so too will they abuse and kill Jesus, the disciples, the apostles… Jesus longs to gather Jerusalem as a “hen gathers her chicks.” They refuse. They too will not enter the wedding banquet.

Prayer: Lord God, as we read these words today we reflect now on the condition of our hearts. Do we love you with all our being? Is this reflected in how we love neighbor, in how we practice justice, peace, and mercy? Have we truly become part of your kingdom? Or do we just have one foot inside the banquet hall? Lord, help us all. Amen.


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What a Day!

Reading: Zephaniah 1-3

Zephaniah 3:15 – “The LORD has removed your judgment; he has turned away your enemy. The LORD… is in your midst.”

Zephaniah proclaims the coming “day of the Lord.” Those who are humble and seek the Lord will find refuge in God. Those who relied upon themselves, their idols, their wealth and power – they will have nowhere to turn. Judgment will fall on the surrounding nations and then upon Judah. Zephaniah concludes with hope. He speaks of a time after judgment, when all people will “serve God as one.”

Zephaniah begins with judgment for the “world.” God will “eliminate humanity.” The prophet is likely referring to the small world surrounding Judah. He is speaking of and to God’s people. God’s hand will stretch out against those turning away instead of seeking God. Those in power will be punished for their violence, greed, and pride. It will be a horrible day, a day of “fury… distress… desolation… destruction… darkness.”

God encourages the humble to gather and to seek righteousness. They may be “hidden” on the day of the Lord. Zephaniah then turns to Judah’s neighbors next. Gaza, Ashod, Ekron, Philistia – doom is coming. Moab and Ammon will be made like Sodom and Gomorrah because of their taunting and boasting over Judah. Cush and Assyria will perish. And then in chapter 3 the focus shifts to Jerusalem – the city that wouldn’t listen and wouldn’t accept discipline. God will “rise up as a witness” against Jerusalem, pouring out “the heat of my anger.”

In verses 9-20 we read of the restoration that will follow. All people’s speech will change. They will call on God’s name and will “serve him as one.” Their shame will be removed along with their pride. A humble and powerless people will seek and find refuge in God. The lame and the outcast will be exalted. Judgment removed, enemies no more, Israel will know, “The LORD… is in your midst.” All will be restored. What a day that will be!

Prayer: Lord God, one day judgment will fall. As a God of justice and righteousness there will be an accounting. But as a God of love and mercy, a day of healing and restoration will follow. In the end, the world will be as you created it to be. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


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Required… Good…

Reading: Micah 5-7

Micah 6:14 – “You devour, but you aren’t satisfied; a gnawing emptiness is within you.”

Today’s reading begins with a messianic prophecy: “As for you, Bethlehem… one who is to be a ruler in Israel on my behalf will come out of you.” This ruler will “stand and shepherd his flock” – all in the strength of the Lord. Micah declares, “He will become great throughout the earth.” But first, Assyria will invade and then they too will be defeated. The few survivors, the remnant, will be “amid many peoples.”

Micah then expresses God’s judgment against Israel’s neighbors. God will “exact vengeance” on those who don’t obey. In chapter 6 God brings a “lawsuit” against Israel. God first invites them to remember all that God has done for Israel. Then a question is asked: What does God require? Is it the sacrifice of 1,000 rams or the giving of torrents of oil? Is it sacrificing a first child for one’s sins? No, Micah says, God has told you what is required and good: “to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.” Here he summarizes the whole Torah in these three simple yet difficult actions.

Israel is far from this standard. Wicked scales and bags of false weights betray their greed. Violence and dishonesty shows their true hearts. Verse 14 describes the state of their souls: “You devour, but you aren’t satisfied; a gnawing emptiness is within you.” This all sounds much like our day, where many chase after idols and pursue more and more and more.

Micah feels doomed and alone. Yet he declares that he will keep watch, that he will wait for God’s salvation. For Israel there is a price to be paid, but there is also hope. God will show Israel “wonderful things.” God will pardon their iniquity and show “faithful love.” God will have compassion on them. We, like Micah did, await the fulfilment of these words with hope and with faith. And as we wait, may we do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with the Lord our God.

Prayer: Lord God, we know well the truth of exile – the result of our attempts to satisfy our own hungers leave us far from you. We also know well the price of these decisions – a growing emptiness in our souls. You long to redeem us, to forgive our sins, to restore our relationship with you and with one another. So guide us into a humble walk, to a place of surrender – both of our sins and of our hearts. Shepherd us, your people. Amen.


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Triumph in the End

Reading: Micah 1-4

Micah 4:5 – “Each of the peoples walks in the name of their own god; but as for us, we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and always.”

Micah was called by God to invite Judah back to God’s mercy and justice. He prophesied at the same time as Isaiah and Amos. Central to the book of Micah is the theme of social justice and the promise of restoration. These themes weave in and out of Micah’s condemnation of Israel’s sin.

Micah begins by proclaiming the coming disaster. God will “go down and tread on the shrines of the earth.” Samaria will be laid waste, its people taken into exile. The Assyrians weakened but did not defeat Judah. The doom will come, though, falling most directly on Judah’s leaders and the priests. It will ripple down to the people. The leaders covet and seize what they want. The priests teach “for wine and liquor.” God’s patience has run out.

Micah declares that those whose job is “to know justice” will cry out but God will not answer. This is because the priests who have “led my people astray” will be silenced. But as for Micah, he is “filled with power… with the spirit of God… with justice and righteousness” to declare Israel’s sins. Micah declares, “Zion will be plowed like a field.” This is quite the image.

Hope comes in chapter 4. The Lord’s house will be lifted up and the nations “will stream to it.” Some people will seek to “walk in God’s paths” because war will be no more in Zion. Some will still pursue their own gods, “But as for us, we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and always.” Yes, God will one day regather Israel. Yet the time is coming when “you will go to Babylon.” Pain will be felt. Even so, hope remains. Micah proclaims, “There you will be rescued… the Lord will redeem you.” Thanks be to God that love and grace always triumph in the end – for Israel and for you and me.

Prayer: Lord God, your justice and righteousness are our guides. When we live as people of justice and righteousness our world becomes what you intend it to be. Yet we can be less than ideal, elevating self and other idols over your will and way. In your power and might, bring us back to walking your paths, back to walking in your name. Amen.


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All Things New

Reading: Amos 5-9

Amos 5:24 – “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Concluding the book of Amos we read words of lament and doom mixed in with words of hope and restoration. Ultimately, Amos closes with words of promise and blessing for God’s people. We too walk through this mix in our lives, holding onto God’s promises that will one day eternally be ours. Thanks be to God.

Amos 5 begins with a song of lament for the great losses soon to come and then encourages people to seek the Lord. The prophet then condemns those who are crushing the weak, taking bribes, and refusing to help the poor. Amos presents the correct choice: seek good and not evil. But the leaders choose evil. Therefore God rejects their worship and sacrifices. They are meaningless. God then presents the correct choice, saying, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Chapters 6 and 7 contain warnings and visions from Amos. Those “resting comfortably” while drinking “bowls of wine” – they will be the first to go into exile. God promises to “shatter the great house [Israel] into bits… and pieces.” God’s people do not measure up to God’s plumb line. All will be laid to waste. These words lead to a confrontation with Amaziah the priest. He tells Amos to go home to Judah, to prophesy there. In response, Amos declares that it is Amaziah who will be going away, into exile, losing family and land as well.

Judgment continues in chapter 8 and the first half of chapter 9. God judges Israel’s immoral business practices, their greed, and their dishonesty. Feasts will become sad affairs. But the days are coming when there will be a thirst for hearing God’s word. There will be a day when broken places are rebuilt, when blessings flow, when God’s people will be planted upon their land. God will make all things new. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, your justice and righteousness will prevail. They will indeed flow like water in a never-ending stream. You will remove all evil and establish your new kingdom here on earth. Worship will be pure and true. All will focus on your love, flowing from your heart into our hearts. What a day that will be! In between them and now, Lord, guide us to be justice, righteousness, and love here and now, as we seek to bring your kingdom to this earth. Amen.


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Prepare to Meet Your God!

Reading: Amos 1-4

Amos 4:4-5 – “Come to Bethel — and commit a crime!… Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice… publicize your gifts… for so you love to do, people of Israel!”

Amos is called from a small town in Judah in about 762 BCE. His task is to bring words of warning to Israel. Amos’ central message was that God is just and righteous and will uphold these practices. Chapters 1 and 2 contain judgments against Israel’s neighbors. Each begins with “for three crimes… and for four.” This is not strict math. It means that these sins were perpetrated again and again.

These sins or crimes include selling refugees as slaves, seizing land using violence, exacting revenge, and desecrating other leader’s bodies. Judah is ignoring the Instructions and disobeying the Law. Turn Israel’s sins are detailed. The rich and powerful mistreat and steal from the poor, often enslaving them. They disregard their rights – that’s using their blankets given as collateral for picnics instead of returning them each night, as required by the Law. Fathers and sons have illicit sex with the same woman. God then reminds them of all that God did for them. And of how prophets and Nazarites were sent. The deeds were forgotten, the words hushed. God declares that the fast, strong, and mighty will all fall.

Chapter 3 contains three beautiful verses: 2, 7, and 12. In verse 2 God declares, “You only have I loved so deeply.” This is God’s covenant love. God continues, “Therefore I will punish you.” This is God’s justice and righteousness at work. In verse 7 God says, “Surely the Lord does nothing without revealing his secret” through the prophets. This is God’s grace, again and again calling the people to justice and righteousness. Verse 12 speaks of God’s redemption and salvation. A remnant will be spared. God will rescue Israel in the end. This is a return to God’s covenant love through grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

I smiled when I read God’s taunt in chapter 4. God will try anything to bring the children back into right relationship. In verses 4 and 5 God says, “Come to Bethel — and commit a crime!… Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice… publicize your gifts… for so you love to do, people of Israel!” God wants them to clearly see their hypocrisy. They indulge and brag about it, but exclude the needy – again breaking the Law. God lays out the warnings, the revelations – famine, drought, disease, plague, war… “yet you didn’t return to me.” Again and again. So God proclaims, “Prepare to meet your God, Israel!” The day of justice and righteousness is coming.

Prayer: Lord God, oh how many voices we ignore. Oh how many signs we miss. We’re much like Israel. We hush the Holy Spirit. We read your word and take away what “tickles our ears.” This we too fall short of the justice and righteousness that is found at your core. You call us to hold to and to stand for these, especially in behalf of the poor and needy. Lord, break our hearts for what breaks yours. Renew and reshape us with generous hearts and courageous souls, O God, so that we might be your healing balm to a broken and hurting world. Amen.


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God’s Longing

Reading: Hosea 6-10

Hosea 6:6 – “I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God instead of entirely burned offerings.”

Chapter 6 begins with an invitation to return to the Lord. In justice God had injured and struck down Israel. In righteousness God will heal and bind them up. The rest of chapters 6-10 detail the sins of Israel: nationalism, idolatry, false worship, and trusting in self. All are guilty. Again and again Israel has not chosen to walk in the ways of the Lord.

God begins our reading with two rhetorical questions. Hod wonders what to do with Ephraim (Israel) and Judah. God’s hope is stated in verse 6, “I desire faithful love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God instead of entirely burned offerings.” Israel is going through the motions, doing the things. But there is no sincerity or meaning in their worship. Because of their unfaithfulness, God will “bring them down.” In chapter 8 God declares that Israel has broken the covenant, making idols of gold and silver. They will be swallowed up and will go into Assyria, “a wild ass wandering alone.”

Israel’s sacrifices do not please God. Therefore, their bread will be for “their hunger alone.” It will not come into God’s house. In 9:8-9 the priests are addressed. Even though they are supposed to be “God’s watchmen” rejection is in God’s house. They are corrupt and wicked. The priests attend to the regular sacrifice, yes, but they do not check Israel’s sins. They do not speak out and call our Israel’s sins. They too are a part of the evil. God declares, “I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more.”

Chapter 10 closes with hope once again. God calls Israel to “sow for yourselves righteousness, reap faithful love.” It is time to seek the Lord. Then, in turn, God promises to “rain righteousness upon you.” Israel has “plowed wickedness… reaped depravity.” God longs for covenant renewal. But the people must be willing. God longs for this today. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, you see all of your children’s sins. You see our sin. Yes, at times we too choose selfishness, idolatry, pride. Break us of these evils, Lord. Heal and bind up our sins. Guide and lead us to be people of righteousness and justice. Rain down your power and love. Rain down justice and righteousness. Amen.


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Hope, Yes, Even Then

Ezekiel 20:33 – “As surely as I live, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be your king!”

Good and evil 1

We begin today with a riddle. The great eagle is Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He planted Zedekiah, but he rebelled, trying to form an alliance with Egypt. But Pharaoh wouldn’t help. Zedekiah went into exile. In chapter 18 God clarifies the consequences of their sin. Contrary to popular understanding, sins and their consequences are not carried on through the generations. Through a three generation example, God reveals that the righteous will live. The sinful will die. God states in verse 30, “I will judge each of you according to your ways.” The chapter concludes with a plea from God: choose life.

Chapters 19 and 20 lament Israel’s leaders and history, respectively. In chapter 19 poor leadership has resulted in Israel and Judah being planted in the desert – in exile – in a “parched and thirsty land.” God then reviews Israel’s long, long, long history of disobedience. Again and again and again God is ready to “pour out my wrath” on Israel and again and again and again we read that “for my name’s sake” God gives Israel another chance. Whether literally or figuratively it was again and again, “one more lap around the desert” as God tried and tried to bring Israel into a lasting covenant relationship. Finally, in 20:33 we read, “As surely as I live, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, I will be your king!” There will not be another lap, another “again.” Yet even as disaster looms, God speaks hope. After the doom, God will regather the small remnant. God will “bring you into the covenant bond.”

Chapter 21 describes the disaster soon to come. The guard will strike all – left and right, twice and three times. Reminded of their guilt, they will be laid low. “A ruin, ruin, ruin, I’ll make it!” declares the Lord.

Prayer: Lord God, these words of death and loss and devastation and disobedience can be hard to read. They are hard to wrap our heads around. Yet we also must acknowledge that just as you laid out the way to live, the people chose to walk the other way. We too face the same choice: life or death. Guide us to choose life, to choose to walk in your ways of love and grace, of justice and righteousness. Amen.


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Justice and Righteousness

Reading: Jeremiah 46-49

Jeremiah 49:2 – “The city will be demolished, and its neighboring villages will be burned to the ground.”

Photo credit: Mukund Nair

Chapters 46-49 contain oracles against the nations around Israel: Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam. They roughly go from biggest or greatest enemy to least harmful. In each oracle God pronounces judgment and devastation. 49:2 sums up well what will happen to these nations: “The city will be demolished, and its neighboring villages will be burned to the ground.” This day, in each place, will belong to the Lord. The victory will be God’s on these days of reckoning.

There will be panic and no place to hide. The enemy Babylon will come in like a raging flood, sweeping over all nations. There will be screams and cries, mourning in the streets. The people’s pride and arrogance will be brought down low. The pain and devastation poured out on Israel and Judah will be poured back out on them. At the end of half of the oracles, God’s mercy declared that the scattered will be brought back.

We too can face difficulty and challenge when we choose to walk in the ways of these nations. When pride or arrogance drives our decisions and actions, when we oppress those without power or voice, when we gather at the expense of others, and when we ignore the injustices in our land, then we too will be brought down low and perhaps even be scattered by the Lord our God, the God of justice and righteousness.

Prayer: Lord God, help us to learn the lessons of the past that you place before us. Fill us with wisdom so we don’t walk these roads ourselves. And when we do make the wrong choices, lead us back home to you. Amen.