Scripture References: Isaiah 6:1-5; Luke 2:8-14

Peace and Justice – Continued

While our text does not mention justice explicitly, it certainly is implied. There can be no peace without justice. The Bible knows this well since justice is one of its overriding themes.

Those great eighth-century prophets spoke powerfully about justice. Hear Amos, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). God would not accept worship that did not issue in justice. God would not accept Sabbath worship from men and women who during the week had lied in the marketplace, exploited the weak, and taken advantage of the poor. He said: “Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen” (Amos 5:23).

Micah was just as emphatic about justice, hear him: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

Jesus was better known as a prophet than in any other way, and He, like all prophets, was concerned with justice. He said to the religious leaders of His day, “You . . . have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23). I have always been interested in the fact that Jesus put justice or just-ness at the top of His list.

Why is justice so important to men of goodwill? Justice gives dignity and worth to people. It will not allow people to be turned into tools and things, will not allow them to be means to an end. They are the end. It champions the equity and rights of people and will not allow them to be exploited. And we are to practice justice because God is just.

God is a moral God who has built ethical principles into the structure of His universe and these moral laws are just as strong and binding as the laws of our physical universe. They have a cutting and jagged edge. We can bruise and destroy ourselves on them.

If I live on the slope of a mountain, I have to come to terms with the physical laws that govern the mountain. If I am careless, I can freeze in the winter, and when snow melts in the spring and the floods come, I can be washed away by them. That is very obvious, but what is less obvious and yet just as real is that the ethical laws of life are equally as demanding and unrelenting. We can destroy ourselves on them. We must learn that justice and goodwill are indispensable for peace.

The Christmases of our time need peace more than other Christmases of history. The shadows of conflict and thus poverty fall across the landscape of our world. Let us work and pray for peace. Whatever our agendas are, let peacemaking head them all. If we can’t have peace in our time, we can’t have anything else.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, ESV © 2016 by Crossway Bibles.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.