What is justice? How do we know what is right and what is wrong? How do we judge ourselves and others? These are questions that have occupied the minds of philosophers, theologians, and ordinary people throughout history. But the answer is not found in human reason alone, nor in human laws and conventions. The answer is found in God, who is love, and who reveals love to us in God’s word and Son.
God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 John 4:16). This is the core of the Christian faith, and the source of our understanding of divine justice. God loves us so much that God gave God’s only Son, that whoever believes should have eternal life (John 3:16). God loves us so much that God forgives our sins, heals our wounds, and restores our dignity. God loves us so much that God calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39).
But God’s love is not a sentimental or indulgent love. It is a love that is holy, righteous, and faithful. It is a love that respects our freedom, but also holds us accountable. It is a love that demands our obedience, but also offers us grace. It is a love that challenges us to grow, but also supports us in our struggles. It is a love that seeks our good, but also respects the good of others. It is a love that is just, but also merciful.
Divine justice is the expression of God’s love in God’s dealings with creation. Divine justice is not arbitrary or capricious, but consistent and reliable. Divine justice is not harsh or cruel, but gentle and compassionate. Divine justice is not blind or indifferent, but attentive and personal. Divine justice is not retributive or punitive, but restorative and transformative. Divine justice is not exclusive or partial, but inclusive and universal.
To understand divine justice, we need to look at the cross of Christ, where God’s love and justice meet. On the cross, God shows us the depth of God’s love for us, by taking the consequences of our sin and offering us forgiveness and reconciliation. On the cross, God shows us the height of justice for us, by vindicating God’s righteousness and establishing God’s kingdom of peace and joy. On the cross, God shows us the way of love and justice for us, by inviting us to follow God in self-giving and service.
To live in divine justice, we need to abide in God’s love, and to let God’s love abide in us. We need to receive and share God’s love. We need to obey and reflect God’s love. We need to trust and to rejoice in God’s love. We need to love God, and to love our neighbor. For love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). And love forms the basis for an understanding of divine justice.
Prayer
Gracious and loving God,
We thank You for Your love that is beyond our understanding, that is revealed to us in Your word and in Your Son. We thank You for Your justice that is rooted in Your love, that is expressed in Your dealings with Your creation. We thank You for Your grace that is offered to us through Your love, that is manifested in Your forgiveness and reconciliation.
We confess that we have not always loved You with all our heart, soul, and mind, nor have we loved our neighbor as ourselves. We confess that we have not always acted justly, nor have we sought justice for others. We confess that we have not always received Your grace, nor have we extended grace to others.
We ask for Your mercy and Your help, that we may abide in Your love, and let Your love abide in us. We ask for Your guidance and Your strength, that we may obey and reflect Your love, and live in Your justice. We ask for Your joy and Your peace, that we may trust and rejoice in Your love, and share it with others.
We pray in the name of Your Son, who showed us the way of love and justice, Amen.
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