Breakfast Club Devotion # 14 - Justice

I have always been inspired during the Christmas season by the promises of Isaiah 9:6-7: “A child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness, From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.” Similarly, Psalm 89:14 indicates “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Thy throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before Thee.”

These are lofty and inspiring concepts, yet abstract and difficult to understand. What is this “righteousness and justice?” The word “justice” (Hebrew “mishpat”) is used approximately 20 times in our passage of study (Isaiah 40 through 66) including the first of the “servant songs” referenced in BC #11. The word “righteousness” (Hebrew “tsadak” or “tsadaqah”) is used almost 40 times, such as 45:19, “I, the Lord, speak righteousness, declaring things that are upright” or 51:1, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, who seek the Lord.”

According to Abraham Heschel (The Prophets, p. 200), justice has a meaning derived from the judgment or decision given by a judge, and is a mode of action, whereas righteousness is a quality, sometimes a quality of a person. The two Hebrew words are used almost interchangeably, especially in the King James version of the Bible. So, the concepts involve both quality and action, of the just and the righteous.

I have found it most helpful to keep in mind that the model “judge” is Jesus, and the model judgment is not a verdict, sentence, or punishment, but the redemptive acts that Jesus engages in and advocates. Similarly, the government spoken of in the passage above is not a human institution but an invisible kingdom which has the mission of establishing justice and righteousness after the pattern of the just and righteous king.

Simple Helpng

Saturday morning at church / breakfast, I talked with Frank – the kind of conversation that the Breakfast Club is designed for – to learn about people and their needs. Frank is homeless and an unemployed construction worker; he hangs sheetrock. Since he is not an alcohol or drug user, he is not a good candidate for a recovery based half-way house, although this is a possibility. He does have a truck, but the truck needs a fuel pump and the insurance has lapsed. A problem like this can quickly lead to the loss of the vehicle for a homeless person with a temporary loss of income. If parked in an unauthorized area, the vehicle will soon be towed, and in a short period of time the fees for towing and storage can exceed the ability of the person to pay or the value of the vehicle.

The combined cost of the renewal of registration and insurance, along with repair of the truck (broken fuel pump) will cost $200 to $500, funds not available to Frank until he can reestablish employment and make one or two good paychecks, disregarding other costs. But, this “snowball” scenario of problems can be interrupted if the truck can be relocated to an authorized parking location, which will allow Frank more time to get back on his feet.

I called my friend Steve to get a recommendation on a good tow company. The tow company was willing to meet Frank at the location of the parked truck and accept my check for $75 to tow the truck to the agreed upon location in a neighboring town. By talking with Frank and being creative, we were able to solve the immediate problem with a temporary solution that will help him avoid a very costly scenario and possibly the loss of his truck.

This type of simple, practical helping is a big part of our ministry strategy. In Proverbs 14:31 we find .. “whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” It is encouraging to realize that even when problems are complex, simple acts of helping can make a big difference in someone’s life. Frank was extremely grateful. It is our hope that we can continue to minister to him, perhaps addressing other issues and needs that may be contributing factors, and help him overcome the condition of homelessness.