Isaiah 42:1-4 MSG Take a good look at my servant. I’m backing Him to the hilt. He’s the one I chose, and I couldn’t be more pleased with Him. I’ve bathed Him with my Spirit, my life. He’ll set everything right among the nations. He won’t call attention to what He does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and He won’t disregard the small and insignificant, but He’ll steadily and firmly set things right. He won’t tire out and quit. He won’t be stopped until He’s finished his work—to set things right on earth. Far-flung ocean islands wait expectantly for His teaching.
Luke 6:31-36 NIV 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Observation
[From the World Vision website re: Social Justice]. “Biblical references to the word “justice” mean “to make right.” Justice is, first and foremost, a relational term — people living in right relationship with God, one another, and the natural creation. From a scriptural point of view, justice means loving our neighbor as we love ourselves and is rooted in the character and nature of God. As God is just and loving, so we are called to do justice and live in love.”
Isaiah spoke his words during a very corrupt period before the Assyrian Captivity of Israel. He cried out against how despicably pagan his society had become – idolatrous, immoral, unjust, selfish, heartless. The passage above is the first of his Servant songs, predicting the hope of Messiah Who would set things right again (establish justice), teaching us how to live peacefully and righteously.
So, we fast forward to Jesus, the Christ, the promised Messiah, Who will “steadily and firmly set things right” by His teaching. These words of Jesus were easier to hear than to trust in and choose to live; they are ones that either arrest us or we choose to ignore as we pass by to more palatable, less life-changing teaching. Jesus said we are either for Him or against Him. Setting things right requires identifying the true evil enemy, Satan, and joining Jesus in rescuing souls from his grasp by reconciling the deceived, wounded, disenfranchised, hateful and angry into the love and fellowship of Christ. This is impossible in our own strength and ability, so it requires that we surrender our pride, comfort, security and prejudices to allow the Holy Spirit to change us into the people God planned for us to be. With God all things are possible. Jesus is asking us here to make a choice to allow the Holy Spirit to use us as instruments of this reconciliation; it is up to us to choose whether we are instruments of justice and reconciliation in Jesus’ hand or injustice and chaos in the hands of Satan. There is no other choice. By praying for our enemies, we open a door for the Holy Spirit to begin the rescue and reconciliation. In choosing to do this, Jesus says, “you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Impact on Me
Injustice is universal, endemic, a global pandemic of its own. Our true enemy works to spread his chaos through hate, disease, greed and all the other tools sin provides to separate us from each other and God. I grieve over everyone who is murdered – whether by one’s own hand or another’s. I grieve over everyone who loses life to illness – physical or mental. I grieve over those who suffer poverty – whether of body, soul or spirit. Each of us does what we humanly can to relieve the suffering, to comfort those who mourn, to provide for the needs, but what is humanly possible is not sufficient because it impacts only the symptoms and not the cause. My anger at the injustice of lives lost too soon or lives held captive by sin needs to be directed at the true enemy if I want to kill the root of the injustice. Whether I join a peaceful protest or act individually, to be a child of the Most High, I must have a heart of mercy and grace toward the ungrateful and wicked who are used by Satan because they are captive to sin.
Prayer
Father God, You are Almighty God, Merciful and Just, Everlasting. I stand before You in Christ. Isaiah cried out to warn Your people, then and now, of the consequences of ignoring Your Word. I want to be one who not only listens but also obeys. Give me the courage to allow Your Holy Spirit to encourage, equip and strengthen me to embrace Your hard, humanly impossible challenges by faith because I know that will allow Jesus to set things right, in me and those who will be impacted by the evidences of my obedience. Lord, fill me with hope that what seems like an overwhelming sea of injustice is being replaced by the living water that brings true justice. I place myself in Your hands. Make me an instrument of justice, mercy and peace. In Jesus’ name, I pray.
Pressing On In His Footsteps 