Joseph of ArimatheaSample

Justice 

He was a good and honorable man . . . - Luke 23:50 

The day after Jesus was arrested, “The council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them” (Luke 22:66, NIV). Joseph was there in that council defending Jesus, not denying him. Joseph “had not consented to their decision and action” (Luke 23:51). In this short verse, we see the commitment of Joseph—a commitment to justice, to fairness, and to speaking up even when the crowd was asking for blood. A man standing out against the prevailing consensus. A person of conscience standing alone. Someone who was prepared to put his core values first and not to be drawn along with the irrational intensity of the Sanhedrin and the speeches at their meeting. 

Like Joseph, there will always be a need for someone to speak up for the voiceless. To take the side of the exploited. To try to argue for the rights of those who don’t have any. That is why the Bible so frequently talks about the importance of justice: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). Sometimes it feels like we are the only ones in a sea of people who are standing up for what we believe is right. Being a principled person means having values and convictions and also speaking truth even when no one else around us is. Standing up for what is right requires sacrifice, but it ushers in the hope that is everlasting. When we fight for justice, we are living out the truths of the Bible. We are following the example of Joseph who boldly and bravely spoke truth.