Neighbor Groups: Seek JusticeSample

What Is Justice? 

What is justice? For now, let’s imagine justice is a random package that’s shown up on your doorstep. You know it’s a package, but you have some questions: What is it? Who is it from? How do I use it? 

Let’s start with who it’s from, because that might help us figure out what it is. Justice is not from culture. It wasn’t a human idea. It’s not a fad. It’s not from one political party or another. It’s not some add-on to Christianity. It’s not a development of history. Actually, it wasn’t developed at all. 

Justice just is. It’s built into everything that exists. That’s why we can usually sense it when justice is missing. Why? Because justice has been with us from the beginning. Justice is from God. 

And justice pursues God’s best for everyone. We can see evidence of God’s justice on display in the creation story. After each moment of creation, God stops and calls what He has made good. Every ocean and tree and animal are right and pure. They do Him justice. And everything is exactly as He intended—there’s nothing wrong, broken, or unjust—it’s just good. 

… And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:25 NIV

Then, something strange and wonderful happens. God creates man and woman in His image. They are a reflection of Him—here on earth. And He gives them responsibility over all of creation. 

God invites man and woman to exercise the same justice He used in creating the universe to care for what He made. That means we have the opportunity to work for the goodness and righteousness of the world around us.

So back to the package containing justice on your porch. The package was sent to you by God, and it’s an invitation to be, carry, and reflect God’s justice to all of creation. 

Today, spend some time reflecting on how God made creation to be right and pure and how He created us to share in the awesome responsibility of reflecting His justice to the world around us. 

Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for making us Your partners in bringing justice to all of Your creation. We ask for Your forgiveness for the times when we get justice wrong, and we ask for Your wisdom to get it right. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: As you read the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what it means for God’s will to be done through you—on earth as it is in heaven.