Readings: Mal 3:19-20; Ps 98:5-9; 2 These 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19

A number of today’s readings speak of justice. We all want to be treated justly. But what does that look like? Surely we need to move past subjective notions – justice is more than ‘I got what I wanted’. When we speak of justice, fairness is never far away. Yet, let us not be stuck in ideas of fairness where everyone ‘gets the same’. We need only look around at any group of people, acknowledge their array of differences, then note that for everyone to ‘get the same’ treatment, punishment or reward would, in fact, be manifestly unfair. That there are political forces wishing to treat a given legal situation ‘the same’ without giving due weight to an individual’s circumstances should make us wonder what else is going on.

Since ‘the Lord comes to rule the earth with justice’ what might that look like? Justice in the bible is frequently fighting for those who are downtrodden: ‘there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays’. 

Justice also looks like doing the right thing, being a good example and working for the good of the community as we see in Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians.

The Gospel gives us another window on to justice. There are times when we have no power over a situation but can still choose what we do, so we maintain our faith in God, in Jesus – and the immediate result is pain. Like those before us over the centuries, we need to stay the course and know that God will take care of the rest – in this life or the next.