Social Justice

Isaiah 42:1-4

The LORD’s Chosen Servant

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth JUSTICE to the nations.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth JUSTICE.
He will not grow faint or be discouraged
till he has established JUSTICE in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.


Okay, so Isaiah has been rocking my world lately. I love it for lots of reasons but one is because the whole book is a prophecy SO that means everything has to come true! When reading Isaiah, you are either reading something that already came true, presently happening, or promised for fulfillment! I get fired up about that! The whole bible is the book of truth, but Isaiah is special to me in this season of life.

Isaiah 42 has been romancing my heart. I think because I am in a counseling program and one of our values is social justice. I have been studying racial, socioeconomic, family systematic, legal, and multi-cultural justice all semester hence these verses are making me want to pump my arm and chant "Go GOD! Go GOD!".... hahah not really.... okay maybe I did that.... but that's besides the point.

In Isaiah 42:3, "...a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench..." I love this because God is telling us to be gentle with 'bruised' people and to a weak fire for him don't smoother it. In this passage of justice, God is telling us that in order to bring justice we must be appropriate to the people he brings us. He is saying that just because something is true and biblical does not mean we need to hit someone in the face with it. That person could be bruised or weak... that would not be just... So in a nutshell the expectations we have for ourselves in Christ, should not be expected of others. How Dr. Craig Strickland puts it, "We don't expect people to be Christians, until they are Christians."

I am so honored to follow a God that is just. A God that does not discriminate on race, intelligence, physical appearance, past mistakes, income, relationship status, education, if you like animal's or not...

"For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."- 1 Samuel 16:7

I often wonder what the world would look like if we did not see people's outward appearances anymore... and saw their heart...

I wonder what would we see when we looked at a homeless man... or a person with a mental disability... What would a CEO dressed in a suit look like or Miss America... This we can never know, I feel like it would be best to assume everyone's heart is beautiful and treat them accordingly...

"Be kind, for everyone is fighting a harder battle."

I love this because it gives us a glimpse into another persons world. When I read this I think of someone doing a wrong action, but instead of retaliating... to stop and think--- why is this person acting this this? Maybe they are having a bad day? Maybe they are in real emotional pain? Maybe they do not know the love of Christ yet?

The bible tells us to repay evil with blessings to the person that hurt you...

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."- Romans 12:13

"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."-- 1 Peter 3:9

Reading these verses always convicts me because this is probably the hardest thing to do as a Christian. But, if we go back to being able to see others hearts, I bet if we saw the hearts of the people that were persecuting others that those hearts would be deeply hurt and 'bruised'. I bet if we knew why they were so hurt, we would not be so concerned with ourselves and seeking our own justice. We cannot know everyone's story but we can chose to respond with love.

To live this way is completely unnatural... it is divine. There is absolutely no way to live this way without Christ. When one gives this area to Christ and allows him to love through these difficult circumstances, lives are changed. Why does it change lives? because it is so backwards from the world. Someone loving you because you cursed them or persecuted them??? Unreal...

And, yet this is exactly what Christ did for us. This is Grace. This is what we are called to show others. Because actually if the world was just we would go to hell that's what we deserve, but Christ paid it for us. So we are given this gift and told to pay it forward.

So the question is how will we pay it forward? Give money to the homeless? Maybe go out of your way for a person in need? Pray for the person that cuts you off on the highway? Invite a lonely person over on Christmas? Go sit by someone different than you at church? Pick out the person in the group that looks 'out of place' and strive for their comfort? Honor the person who slanders your name? Pray for the person who broke your heart? Befriend those who judge you? The next time some one curses or persecutes you love them...

1 Peter 2:21-24
"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”