Amos: Seek The Lord and LiveSample

Here are further details on the lack of justice. First, there was double taxation on those who could least afford it to pay for the luxuries of the elite (v. 11). Second, it seems that there was no guarantee of impartial justice in the courts (vv. 10, 12). Those of us who live in countries that operate under the rule of law and whose legal system is overwhelmingly free from corruption should give thanks to God. It’s a blessing that not all nations have! 

I want to pause and briefly ask how does a pursuit of justice in this world relate to the task of evangelism? It’s an important question and there’s probably a drift in every generation towards social justice projects. The watching world will be positive about Christians when they’re involved in anti-trafficking campaigns and often negative when they share the gospel. It’s always nice to be liked! So how do we hold biblically to both with an appropriate emphasis on eternity? 

These words of John Piper’s from the Lausanne conference in 2010 are a helpful starting point: 

Could the evangelical church say – we Christians care about all suffering, especially eternal suffering? I hope we can say that. But if we feel resistant to saying ‘especially eternal suffering,’ or if we feel resistant to saying ‘we care about all suffering in this age,’ then either we have a defective view of hell or a defective heart. 

Believers who are like Christ care for justice in this world, but they care for people’s eternal souls even more. As Christians we should care first for justice within the church and then secondly for justice in the wider world, remembering that the Lord is sovereign over the pagan nations too (chapter 1) and cares about their societies.

Reflection

Are you in danger of being too obsessed with pursuing social justice in this life or do you lean towards indifference to the plight of the widow, orphan and alien?