"Justice for All," Isaiah 42: 1-9; Pastor Richard Strode
The prophet Isaiah shares a divine revelation to captive, exiled Israelites that God has heard their prayers and will provide them justice. African-Americans may share a similar response to Israelites when we seek reparations for lasting effects of slavery and racism that continues to this day. We want equal justice and fairness that everyone else seems to enjoy in the legal system, workplace, access to economic opportunity and political representation. God's justice is unlike our expectation of justice that usually includes punishment for those wrongdoers. For some Believers, there is a spiritual quarrel within ourselves because God's ways are not our ways. God's justice emphasizes making things right and restoration rather than punishment. The just punishment that we would impose on others could also include us because we are all sinners and fall short of God's expectations (Romans 3: 23-24). We are grateful that God's ways are not our ways. God's justice includes compassion, love and grace which gives us motive, opportunity and time to repent, accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Wouldn't you rather have God's justice?