Justice and Joy

The world is constantly trying to press us into its mold through those who openly hate Christ but also through those who love Christ but are still heavily influenced by the world. One of the central goals is to stir up strife, hatred, and bitterness. 

James says that the center of our fighting is bitter envy. We lust and do not have and hate others who seem to have what we think we deserve or least what we think they don’t deserve. This happens with particular people: friends, siblings, coworkers, neighbors, and it is intentionally stirred up by emphasizing material differences in unbiblical ways: enmity between the sexes, different nationalities and political conflicts (Ukraine and Russia, Palestinians and Jews), ethnicities and skin color, envy over possessions or income levels. 

The problem is not with the differences themselves, the problem is with the malice and envy. The problem is bitterness and resentment. James says that if we want something we should just ask our Father. Some of the things we want, our Father would give us if we just ask. But there are other things, that we would not get because our intentions are evil. Our Heavenly Father gives life and health and many extravagant gifts to everyone in this world; He causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine for the good and the evil. He gives wicked men million dollar yachts. He gives evil women beauty and wealth. But He withholds no good thing from His own beloved children.

We are required to judge all things with biblical justice, and we are required to do it with peace and joy in our hearts. Not only that, we are to be filled with thanksgiving and compassion. God is slow to anger, abounding in mercy, not desiring that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 

And you know this because You are here. You are here at the table of the Father, and you know that you don’t deserve it. None of us deserve to be here. We are only here because Christ was crucified for sinners like us. That is what this bread and wine mean: Christ crucified for sinners like us.

Photo by Marcin Ciszewski on Unsplash