I had a few moments to myself today at a cafe. bliss. I picked up a Marie Claire magazine and came across a "grrrrrrrr" (said with a growl and a scowl) article about a grandmother in Iraq who befriended prostitutes and rape victims, only to indoctrinate them with violence. One by one, she would convince them that the only way to escape their sexual shame was to become a martyr by suicide bombing. Nothing like a little light reading with a coffee to brighten my day! (sarcasm) Is it not enough that these women are suffering under abuse and the loss of every sort of freedom? Now they are being used as pawns in a terror game. Gross.
I have been asking myself the question lately, "How was Jesus just?". I know that He was because God is and Jesus says "if you've seen me, you've seen the Father." But I want to know how Jesus specifically outworked justice in His life. I have next to no time to do any major Bible study, so I'm relying on what I can remember reading in the gospels pre-mommyhood.
As I've been thinking about his life I've been struck by how Jesus isn't just in the way I would expect him to be. Take the case of the tax collectors. Those guys were little creeps, siding with the oppressors and taking money from their own. You would think that Jesus would have a nice little sermon prepared for these guys... with a 5 points on why tax collecting was bad. Instead he makes a lunch date with them. But even though he didn't preach at them (at least nothing that is recorded) you get the idea that they knew where he stood on the issue. I've never been under the impression that Jesus approved of what they were doing and yet I can't think of anything he actually directly said about the matter.
If I was Jesus (and it's a good thing I'm not) I would have started some sort of "Just Tax" campaign and got all my disciples to wear rubber wristbands.
Some other observations...
Jesus seems to have a special disdain for religious injustice... any system that keeps people from God has got to go.
Jesus is generous with his mercy and creative with justice.
Jesus identifies fully as a victim of injustice (to the point of death) and overcomes injustice not through the usual world systems, but through mercy, relationship and LIFE.
Jesus deals with oppression by living as one of the oppressed and restoring the dignity of the victim. Rod Wilson pointed out to me that Jesus made a point of specifying, "the RIGHT cheek" when He says, "if someone hits you on the RIGHT cheek, offer him the other." It would seem that the only way you could have your right cheek hit is if someone backhands you. Now, I'm no expert on these things, but being backhanded seems to be universally demeaning. If this really is the point Jesus is trying to make than he seems to be offering an empowering way of dealing with oppression. In turning your cheek you are saying "I'm not beneath you; If you want to hit me... you'll have to hit me as an equal, in a fair fight." Jesus seems more interested in empowering the oppressed and showing them their true worth than he is in creating political policies that legislate "just" behavior.
So, now I'm left with a lot more questions on how to outwork this in my own life... and what in the world does it mean for the women of Iraq? What alternative solution would Jesus offer to them?
Maybe the next issue of Marie Claire offers an answer... or not.
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ReplyDeletenext time you get some alone time at a cafe, you might want to consider reading some 'lighter' reading. :)
keep blogging sister. i'm interested in you.
i like what you said, "Jesus isn't just in the way I would expect him to be".
ReplyDeleteSomeone once pointed out to me, maybe in a book i read (what's so amazing about grace??), that Matthew 5,6,7 (sermon on the mount - beattitudes) contained what they thought were the "impossible" commands of Jesus. i remember there being a positive spin on whatever the point was, but the use of the word impossible was a challenging thought. So, i re-read this sermon using justice/injustice as a grid especially as it applies to the section you refer to (turning the other cheek).
first question - do i believe jesus definition of justice? this entire sermon is a list of challenges to popular thinking of the day (and our day) about justice. jesus says, ... "consider this subject of justice (you have heard...), and then he challenges it - (but i say....). he gives me a completely different view of justice from the popular one, and leaves me with only two choices - my system of justice or his. it's not an impossible choice to make, but omg, the implications of his system of justice, the cost, the radical changes, the resistance....
second - do i believe it's possible for me to apply jesus definition of justice? which brings up another question - would a just god command me to do something impossible for me to do? well, since i already believe he is just the answer is easy. of course it's possible - it's just not possible to apply jesus justice without accepting the personal cost - just like you said, "Jesus identifies fully as a victim of injustice (to the point of death) and overcomes injustice not through the usual world systems....".
"god blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evel things against you because you are my followers. be happy about it! be very glad! for a great reward awaits you in heaven."
so it seems god's system of justice is very different from the one i learned and see in practice around me - he wants to 'bless' his followers who are victims of injustice, with no reference here to rescuing them from injustice. hmmm very contrary to my view of justice - i wonder what needs to change in my thinking?
if i read the bible correctly it seems that the responsibility for rescuing people from injustice falls on us not him. our part is to rescue, care, advocate, uphold the cause, guarantee the rights of the weakest, poorest and most needy. his responsibility is to "bless those who work for peace...those who hunger and thirst for justice...those who are persecuted for doing right".
let's keep chatting about this.
-dad-
well, i have been lazy and haven't checked my blog in a month!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your comment dad... it's very much the sort of thing I've been thinking about. "Justice" is a very hip word these days. That's a good thing - although I'm not sure if we know what we mean by the word. The deeper I go trying to "do justice, love mercy" the more i realise that my whole frame of reference is mostly based on how the world does justice, not how Jesus does it (is it). Unfortunately, i'm not hearing a lot of discussion in the church (yet) about what Jesus Justice actually is. The good news is that 7 years ago I don't remember justice being discussed much at all in Christian circles... now it's the major draw card. I guess the next step is to really look more closely at what we mean with this word.
I really love what you said about justice being God's responsibility. Our job really is sit with the victims and love them and be a voice for them and at the same time extend love and grace to their enemies. How tricky is that!!!!!