Okay, I admit it. I have an aggravated sense of justice. I am prepared to call down the wrath of God on the sins of other people far quicker than I am my own. "Grace for me and justice for them!" is the motto of my flesh. What about yours? Everyone responds to personal offenses differently, but our sense of justice never goes away. For some justice looks like apathy. "I will punish him or her by not caring anymore." Other approaches are more abrasive. "I'll tell him exactly what I think!" Other times, rather than tell the individual to their face, we rally supporters who feel the same way about so and so as we do. "Don't you think that she comes off a little caddy at times." One way or another our flesh demands that justice be served now. And, of course, we feel completely "justified" to seek it. Why in the world shouldn't we? "My anger is righteous!", we proclaim.
At this point (and so many others) Jesus' example is awe-inspiring. No one in the universe was more entitled to make every wrong right, immediately, than him. And yet he waited...He waited through the criticism of his own kinsman. "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon" (Jn. 8:48)? He waited through the short-sighted commitment of his own disciple, "Peter said to him, 'I will lay down my life for you'" (Jn. 13:37). Moments later he would deny him. He waited through the ruthless beatings and tauntings of the Roman soldiers. "And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head...and kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, '"Hail, King of the Jews'" (Mt.27:28-29)!
Would you create a world that would punish your one and only Son? God did. Justice was served that day. Moreover, greater love than we will ever know was put on display. "Who are you going to punish today?" is not the right question. "Who are you going to forgive?" is far better. Suffer long, show compassion, be gentle, and sacrifice with joy. These are the ethics of the kingdom. This is the call of justice that comes down from heaven's throne above. "You know the depths of my heart and you love me the same; You are amazing God!"
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