As I write this, our country has been hammered with college and professional athletes leading boycotts and promoting conversations about social injustice. Not all the specific incidents are the same. While some might protest displaying the Confederate battle emblem on a flag, others might be protesting police brutality incidents.

There is undoubtedly room for fair-minded discussion on these incidents. Still, our culture has become so divided politically and morally that we are left with confusion about what justice means. Even within the church, we might be using the same vocabulary but very different dictionaries. We must define words with the proper biblical worldview, or we have no chance of understanding what is meant by justice and injustice. An excellent place to begin is Leviticus 19:15, “You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you should judge your neighbor fairly.”

John 18 – Restoring Justice

Nothing compares to the injustice Jesus faced in John 18. Shortly after His prayer, Jesus endured the worst injustice anyone can experience. No one was ever more innocent than Him. Can you imagine how He must have felt enduring injustice alone and unnoticed? Our society is polluted with sin that leads to a selfish pursuit of justice. Outrage requires satisfaction, and bitterness demands revenge. Does that sound like what you see in the media today?

Jesus didn’t promise to take us out of the world, but that we would be preserved through the persecutions (17:15). The agony we suffer now will not be in vain. He has promised glory on the other side. Doing justice God’s way involves loving mercy and walking humbly with God. These are the duties of every Christian. The fruit of the Spirit, the qualities named in the Beatitudes, and the characteristics of love in 1 Corinthians 13 should be true of every believer.

 The Kingdom Coach and Athlete are strengthened when they reflect on how Jesus conducted Himself during the final days on earth. They trust Him to one day restore justice!

Journaling helps you understand and respond to the Bible. As you journal, use the acronym HEAR to Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond to what you have read in the reading plan.

Bible Memory Verse – But He [Jesus] said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set by His own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and even the end of the Earth.” Acts 1:7-8 LSB

Click HERE for the Kingdom Sports Minute on Justice