You have probably faced injustice in your life. Maybe you experienced it yourself, or maybe your parents or friends have been hurt ? You learn about the harm from radio and television, what happens to people in war-torn countries. You're especially outraged by being hurt, that meets innocent and good people, just like those people, and you probably want, that everyone will get it, what is rightfully his. You want with certainty, that all deal fairly with you. To defend justice, people even established state and international courts. Yet there is still a lack of justice in the world. Believers are seeking justice from God. But they also ask sometimes, why a righteous God permits, that good people often suffer in the world, and the bad are doing well. Why is this happening ? Is there justice, if she is not there ? St.. tells, that the chosen people of the Old Covenant also suffered injustice. For example. the nation of Israel suffered injustice during the captivity in Egypt, what was done to him. God, however, remembered his people and set him free from slavery. But when the Israelites, who, after all, were the chosen people, time and time again they rebelled against their God and against His commandments, they were punished by God. God announced it through the prophets. Isaiah said so :
Happy the righteous, because he will get good ;
he will eat the fruit of his deeds. Biada złemu, because he will take away evil ; because according to the deeds of his hands they will pay him back "
(From 3, 10-11).
God foretold through the prophets, that the kingdom of Israel will fall. This announcement has come true, for the nation of Israel has been taken captive to Babylon.
St.. by telling about these events, he shows us God, who rewards you for good, and punishes bad.
"Great Day of Yahweh"
The Israelites thought, that sickness and misfortune are the punishment of sin, and health, wealth and prosperity - a reward for an honest life. However, good and just people also suffered during the exile, and sometimes the wicked and the perverse fared better. So the prophets explained, that God is patient, that the punishment does not immediately fall on the sinner, and a good man does not receive a reward immediately. God was calling on a people chosen by the prophets, to be converted. He also announced, that in the future he will overcome evil and human injustice. It will reward the righteous, and he will punish the wicked. Day, in which it will happen, the prophets called "the great day of yahweh", that is, the day of judgment on the whole world, or too ,,Lord's Day ". In the book of Isaiah we read :
“Behold, the day of Yahweh is coming… and the moon will not shine with its brilliance. I will punish the earth's world for its wickedness and the wicked for their sins.
I will put an end to the pride of the bold and I will humiliate the pride of the cruel "
(From 13, 9. 11).
God instructed us through the prophets, that only in ,,On the Lord's Day ”will give the ultimate reward for a good and just life, and the wicked will then be punished justly. Hence, success or failure here on earth cannot be regarded as a reward or punishment from God.
Jesus Christ "judges the living and the dead"
St.. John the Baptist announced, that the "Day of the Lord" is near : ,,The ax is already at the root of the trees. So every tree, that doesn't bear good fruit, it will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for conversion, but this one, who follows me, he is stronger than me ; I am not worthy to wear sandals to Him. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He has a blowtorch in his hand and he will clean his threshing ; he will gather the wheat in the storehouse, and he will burn the chaff in unquenchable fire " (Mt 3, 10-12).
Jesus Christ taught people about a just God. He also announced, that the day of judgment on the world will come. He called it ,,The Last Day ". He instructed, that ,,For the father does not judge anyone, but handed all judgment to the Son " (J 5, 22). Christ came to earth, to save those, who deserved God's punishment. He took upon himself the sins of all people and, through his death on the Cross, became the wages of their injustice. By his death, he overcame evil and judged the world. Christ did, however, that the final day of payment will be the day of judgment. Only then will there be a separation of these, who collaborated with Christ, from these, who did not heed his call. To the good ones he will say : “Come, blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world ", and to the evil ones he will say : “Get away from me, cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels " (Mt 25, 34 b ; 41 b).
Christ called us all to do justice.
How will I answer God ?
Like all people, you want justice. Christ called you too, that you will contribute to it in the world. He instructed you with his example, that sometimes you will have to take on the cross and suffering, to contribute to the liberation of the world from injustice.
Consider your actions. Have you not done wrong ? Have you always been so fair to others, as you wish, that you may be dealt with ? Are you trying, that justice is always done around you : at home, at school, in the group of colleagues ? If you do, thank God with the words of the psalm :
,,God rewards my justice, according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. For I kept God's ways and through sin I did not depart from my God,
for I have all His commandments before me, and I do not reject His commands, but I am blameless before him, and am not guilty.
God is rewarding me for my justice, for the cleanness of his hands before his eyes "
(Ps 17, 21-25).
And if you noticed, that you have to change something in your behavior, apologize to God, that you did not heed His call, to spread justice among people.
■ Think :
1. Jak sprawiedliwy Bóg objawił się w dziejach narodu wybranego ?
2. Jak Izraelici wyobrażali sobie działanie sprawiedliwego Boga ?
3. Jak prorocy wyjaśniali działanie sprawiedliwego Boga ?
4. Co głosił Jan Chrzciciel o „Dniu Pańskim” ?
5. Czego o „Dniu Pańskim” uczył nas Jezus Chrystus ?
6. Do czego wzywa nas Jezus Chrystus ?
■ Remember:
53. Dlaczego grzech nie może pozostać bez kary ?
Sin cannot go unpunished, because God is holy and just.
54. Kiedy okaże się w pełni sprawiedliwość Boża ?
God's justice will be fully revealed on the "last day".