ti-dingz Blog
Upholding Justice! What the Bible Teaches Us
In society today we can become disturbed and frustrated when we read about the guilty receiving light sentences, or even getting off free of charge, and the innocent being deprived of justice. In many ways, injustice remains unchanged since the time of Christ. Although Christ was innocent, He was condemned, and a guilty man was set free.
My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defence; I shall not be moved.
Ps. 62:5–6 NKJV
The Bible tells us of a great injustice
Judas
Judas lamented, “I have sinned,” … “for I have betrayed innocent blood” (Matt. 27:4 NIV). The religious leaders’ response to Judas was, “What is that to us?” … “That’s your responsibility” (Matt. 27:4 NIV). In other words, “That’s your problem; we care little about your conscience; you deal with it.”
Those who incite injustice rarely care for the pawns they use; once they have their way, they are discarded.
Pilate
Pilate was procurator of the Roman province of Judea and had full authority to grant life or death. A capital sentences would need to be submitted to Pilate by the Sanhedrin for ratification; therefore, Pilate had the power to reverse capital sentences and set prisoners free.
The Scripture says Pilate believed the chief priests had handed Jesus over because they envied Him (Matt. 27:18). If that had not been enough reason to release Christ, Pilate was further warned by his wife, who had received a supernatural revelation in a dream and sent word to her husband, saying, “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man” (Matt. 27:19 NIV).
Pilate, nevertheless, was prepared to sacrifice Christ rather than cause trouble for himself. He stood before the people and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood” (Matt. 27:24 NIV). He was in effect saying, “This is not my doing; this has nothing to do with me.” When we wipe our hands of an issue knowing it is within our power to bring about justice, we can never claim exoneration.
We must uphold justice
There are many reasons people do not have justice as their priority. Like Judas, they can be motivated by money, or like Pilate, they can seek to appease political parties because it is in their best interest to do so.
Neither man lived a full life. The Bible tells us Judas committed suicide (Matt. 27:5), and it was reported by the historian Eusebius that Pilate also came to the same end sometime between AD 37 and 41.
How do we prioritise justice?
In all our dealings with others, whether they are a nameless face, a work colleague, or a family member, we must uphold justice. To aid justice, we open our mouth and speak, and then in compassion we take action to assist. We are not at liberty to turn a blind eye. To do so may signal our own downfall – we will ultimately be held accountable.
What if someone wrongs us?
If, on the other hand, we find ourselves in the position of being falsely accused or treated unjustly by others, we shouldn’t spend needless time worrying about how we will prove our innocence.
Remember, Jesus was innocent, “yet he did not open his mouth,” he was silent (Isa. 53:7 NIV). The Easy-to-Read Version of the Bible puts it this plainly: “He was treated badly, but he never protested. He said nothing”. We can draw comfort from the fact that God knows our innocence and stands by us as our greatest advocate.
Good news—God is on your side
In difficult times you may experience great inner turmoil. Take courage! Peter said, “If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God” (1 Pet. 2:20 NIV).
Whilst enduring difficult times, be consoled because it is God who will stand between you and your accusers.
God does not need to search for the truth; He already knows it. That’s why it is easy for Him to expose it.
The advice of the psalmist is to be silent and expectant; God will rise to your defence (Ps. 31:2; 59:9, 16–17; 62:2, 6; 94:22). The temptation is to bring counterattacks upon your assailant, but this will not demonstrate good character on your part. Wait, therefore, because God Himself will act on your behalf.