A few years ago Bobbie (my wife) and I were in Africa with Compassion visiting some of the thousands of children our church sponsors in Uganda. On that particular visit we were in Kasese in the south west of the country.
Visually and geographically it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It took nine hours by car on narrow dirt roads to get to the region. On our way back to the capital Kampala, we all prayed for our lives as our driver swerved to miss crater like pot-holes, I noticed something in the distance. I could see something rolling down the road. There were things flying out of whatever it was and I hoped with my whole heart it was not a car. As we came closer, our worst fears were realized. We were the first to arrive on what was the most horrific of scenes. It was absolute carnage as the dead and dying lay strewn across the road.
In that situation you feel extremely helpless. We began to pray and bring comfort to the injured waiting for help to arrive. We laid hands on people and ended up covered in blood, but at that moment helping the victims, not our well being, was our greatest priority.
It was a desperate scene, but the truth is that the world is a desperate place.
Jesus stepped into humanity's desperation and stood up for the injustice in the world, yet when it came to the injustice that came against Him as he was humiliated, tortured and put to death without justification, He was silent.
"He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth." [Acts 8:32-33]
Why did Jesus remain silent even when the false accusations were brought against Him? I believe Jesus took injustice upon Himself, just as He did our sin, sickness, pain and stresses, so that we may know justice and inturn speak up against injustice whenever are wherever we confront it.
We are called to be a justice generation. 'Justice' is a word that comes from a combination of two old French words, 'justia', which means equity and righteousness and the other, 'justus' which refers to uprightness and justness. Justice is much more than a legal system or political ideology - it's a Biblical principle.
Many times the scripture tells us that God is just, He is a God of justice and that the cross of Jesus Christ was all about righting what was wrong. No clearer was this than when Jesus went into the temple, and seeing that it had been turned into a market place, He made a whip out of cords and turned the place upside down! [Luke 19:45-48] Jesus came to set things right.
I believe we need to follow Christ's example when we see unjust situations. Now I'm not talking literally turning the temple upside down, but we do need to be willing to stand for what is right in the Father's eyes.
Jesus reached out to people who were at the wrong end of injustice. He was inclusive, not exclusive. Where the lepers were turned out of the city and ostracised from life, Jesus went to them, touched them and healed them. Jesus worked supernaturally and gave those facing injustice an opportunity to live in the fullness of God's purpose for their life. Jesus also reached out to the disenfranchised and often went against the culture and norms of the day. He kept some interesting company, mixing with publicans, prostitutes, adulterers, tax collectors and other sinners.
When injustice confronts us, how will we respond? Will we extend a hand?
Jesus loves humanity. He had the heart of the Father, a heart that loves people and hates injustice. I pray we would always be people who would say, "God, give me that heart that cares about injustice wherever I see it." I also pray that we will take practical steps to correcting the wrongs people face, and like Jesus, become advocates and a voice for what is right and good.
The Father has anointed you to: "…Preach good news to the poor…bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favorand the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn…" [Isaiah 61:1-2 NIV]
If we don't stand up for justice, who will?
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