I Want Justice

The Demands of Justice

In the over eleven years that I lived in California, I was called to jury duty multiple times and sat not on one, but two separate juries! Justice, law, and the rule of order are absolute necessities for a healthy, stable society. However, the demands of justice are sometimes more than man is really ready to face.

In temporal terms, when wronged by our fellow man our common cry is for “justice” to be done. There is an indignation that seeks out retribution and punishment. Such a cry can be, however, greatly subjective. In the anger of the moment, some factors can be forgotten:

Perspective

It is very possible for one to harm you without the actual intent to do so. We perceive many slights against us which were mere accidents or sometimes not even actual slights at all. When we cry for “justice” it is through our own perspective as the victim.

Balance

The Bible is sometimes criticized by the ignorant for the Old Testament principle of “eye for an eye” (Exo. 21:23, 24). Instead of being an example of “barbarism” as some claim, this was actually an example of restraint. The common human reaction to being slighted is to return with even greater retribution. To call for an “eye for an eye” was to ensure the punishment “fit” (was limited to) the crime.

Hypocrisy

This is a truly uncomfortable area for man to acknowledge. While it may be true that someone harmed you and should be punished for it, have you done anything similar, or had a similar intent in your heart yourself? It is curious how quick we are to condemn another, but also quick to beg for mercy for ourselves.

Equity

Coupled with the last factor is the most frightening aspect of true, real justice. All justice is derived from law and all law is derived from God. The very authority that government has to enforce law comes from God. In essence, all justice comes from God. Perfect equity of justice means that all law breaking, including all sin should be punished!

Temporal vs. Eternal

Above I prefaced man’s reaction with the phrase “in temporal terms” and that is key. In this life there is a responsibility for those who break the law to face the temporal consequences. However, it should cause us pause to ever make the demand “I want justice!” when speaking in eternal terms. Those in Christ are not going to receive what they deserve, and we should only wish the same for everyone else.