Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent, the Lord detests them both. ~Proverbs 17:15
A false witness will not go unpunished, and the one who pours out lies will not go free. ~Proverbs 19:5
To show partiality in judging is not good: Whoever says to the guilty, “you are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations denounce him. But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them. ~Proverbs 24:24-25
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. ~Exodus 20:16
Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a por man in his lawsuit. ~Exodus 23:1-3
Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuit. Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, and I will not acquit the guilty. ~Exodus 23:6-7
“Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other and render true and sound judgment in your courts. Do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I Hate all this!” declares the Lord. ~Zechariah 8:16-17
I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you. ~Psalm 140:12-13
When a quarrel does not end well, it often ends in court. When the dam breaks, and the professionals are brought in, the truth is needed more than ever. It is not time for taking justice into your own hands, by taking sides with one party or another. Only the truth will bring the integrity needed for real justice to prevail. When the integrity of the justice system is compromised, the people lose hope. The foundation on which justice is built, is Truth and truthful testimony. When confidence in truth is shaken, when people no longer trust in our ability to know and speak the truth, it damages society as a whole. This is because lack of trust in the truth means that justice can no longer function fairly.
Sadly, I believe that this is a pretty honest description of our secular court system today. It is very hard to believe confidently that most courts render true and just decisions today. One court makes a decision that we like because it agrees with our position, then it is overturned by another court and we’re all left wondering what the truth is. Courts seem to side more and more with their eye on politics than truth. God does not hold back in his opinion of what is happening. “I Hate all this!” declares the Lord.
Yet, consider Jesus Himself. He was hauled in on false charges and sat through false testimony. His whole trial was a travesty of justice from start to finish. “Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent, the Lord detests them both.” He understands fully, what we are experiencing today. He died as a result of a corrupt court. He sees the corruption that we see, and we know that He does not like it.
There is so much to consider today in these verses. There are words for impartial judging from the bench, all the way to being able to trust the witnesses that are called to testify in a case. From the judge to the witness, each person involved is a link in a chain that makes justice possible. Any link from one end to the other can be responsible for a miscarriage of justice that the Lord will not let go unpunished. Our system is only as pure as the integrity of the weakest link. A judge can be bribed. A witness can be swayed. A lawyer can be corrupt. Citizens do not like jury duty! The result is that a guilty person can go free or an innocent one condemned.
We too get caught up in the politics of the day. I remember the O. J. Simpson trial from 25 years ago. I remember the split screen on the news that showed the shock in the white community and the jubilation in the African American community at the result. I remember hearing reasoning such as, “Even if he was guilty, the decision is fair because of all the miscarriages of justice that the black community has endured through the years.” Where is concern for truth there? And, if you believe that there was a miscarriage of justice in the OJ trial, are you equally incensed by the other real miscarriages of justice that the Simpson supporter referred too?
What about the issue of abortion? There have been so many cases that have gone through the gauntlet of our national court system for almost fifty years now. Yet, what seems to drive the decisions, one way or another, is more politics than truth. When we are looking to politics, in many cases, what is being sought is man’s approval, but when we seek truth, we aren’t looking to man any more, but to God, for His approval. So, He calls all of us, from the judges on down to speak truth, no matter what it is, and take the true results that are deserved.
Don’t be swayed to let a poor person off the hook because they are poor. But don’t tolerate the injustice of a poor person being condemned just because they couldn’t afford a top notch lawyer, either. A rich person should not be able to secure a lighter sentence just because he has a good lawyer. We’ve watched our son, Chris, go through the court system from time to time. While it is true that in this country, every person has the right to representation, that does not mean that every person actually gets just and good representation.
We have seen many different lawyers handle Chris’s situation. A few situations were handled well, but often, the lawyer is not interested in justice, but in furthering his or her career. It’s amazing how many victims of the system are convinced by their lawyer to plea bargain, even when innocent, to make it easier on the whole system. If one chooses to fight for truth and justice, they often have a hard, thankless road ahead of them, with little reward at the end.
The Roman courts of Jesus’ and Paul’s day were as corrupt, if not more so, then our current reality today. Paul’s solution, as on so many issues, was to call for the Church to set the example. “If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?” (1 Cor. 6:1-5)
The church, made up of Christ bearers, and so, full of His truth, was being called to be the place where true justice and fairness could be found among its members. How sad that the Church is not seen as an arbiter of justice today but is better known for its bickering than problem solving. We are supposed to be the solution, a source of true justice!
The church at Corinth was made up of mostly people who had grown up in a very pagan, ungodly society. They weren’t brought up in Christian homes. They hadn’t come from a background where knowledge of the one true God and His ways was even heard of before. So, when they rubbed up against each other, they fell back on the way of problem solving that they were used too, “Take it to court!”
Paul is calling them out to say, “No! You’re different now. There is a better way. Don’t go to a secular court and drag the internal working of your new family, the church, through a system that will just mock and ridicule you and really doesn’t care. Let the church be your new place to help you resolve conflict. If you’re going to judge angels some day, why not start by seeking God’s truth here on earth now! This is your new hope for justice and resolution.”
The church should be free of politics and ungodly, secular influences because we are supposed to be most concerned about justice and pleasing God. This concern for justice and the Church’s responsibility for it, is one of the defining characteristics of the Presbyterian Church, This is why we have a book of order, with pages and pages about church discipline and procedures for how to convey justice fairly and impartially. As I read through that I remember feeling relief that maybe, what happened to me in my previous denomination could not happen here! And I am reasonably confident that the system would work if applied. But I have already seen that having it all written down does not necessarily mean that the agents actually apply it rigorously. It’s hard work!
However, in the Spirit of Christ, when his children really do want to embody the way of doing justice God has envisioned, maybe we will pray together. Maybe we will have the time to hear each other fully. “He has showed you, O Man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
“Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely.” Before Christ, these were God’s instructions to Israel. But now, surely, they are His Words to His Church. We should be helping each other, building each other up and helping each other to get along. That will outshine any system of man.
Prayer: Father, in my heart, I love justice and want to treat others fairly. But issues can get complicated, and emotional too. We shy away from conflict. Sometimes that’s the grace of overlooking an offense. Sometimes it is a failure to speak the Truth in love. Strengthen your Church to be a fortress of safety, with halls of True Justice. May I not be the weak link in the justice system, either in the Church, or the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: He Has Shown Thee
A false witness will not go unpunished, and the one who pours out lies will not go free. ~Proverbs 19:5
To show partiality in judging is not good: Whoever says to the guilty, “you are innocent”—peoples will curse him, and nations denounce him. But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them. ~Proverbs 24:24-25
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. ~Exodus 20:16
Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a por man in his lawsuit. ~Exodus 23:1-3
Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuit. Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, and I will not acquit the guilty. ~Exodus 23:6-7
“Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other and render true and sound judgment in your courts. Do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I Hate all this!” declares the Lord. ~Zechariah 8:16-17
I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you. ~Psalm 140:12-13
When a quarrel does not end well, it often ends in court. When the dam breaks, and the professionals are brought in, the truth is needed more than ever. It is not time for taking justice into your own hands, by taking sides with one party or another. Only the truth will bring the integrity needed for real justice to prevail. When the integrity of the justice system is compromised, the people lose hope. The foundation on which justice is built, is Truth and truthful testimony. When confidence in truth is shaken, when people no longer trust in our ability to know and speak the truth, it damages society as a whole. This is because lack of trust in the truth means that justice can no longer function fairly.
Sadly, I believe that this is a pretty honest description of our secular court system today. It is very hard to believe confidently that most courts render true and just decisions today. One court makes a decision that we like because it agrees with our position, then it is overturned by another court and we’re all left wondering what the truth is. Courts seem to side more and more with their eye on politics than truth. God does not hold back in his opinion of what is happening. “I Hate all this!” declares the Lord.
Yet, consider Jesus Himself. He was hauled in on false charges and sat through false testimony. His whole trial was a travesty of justice from start to finish. “Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent, the Lord detests them both.” He understands fully, what we are experiencing today. He died as a result of a corrupt court. He sees the corruption that we see, and we know that He does not like it.
There is so much to consider today in these verses. There are words for impartial judging from the bench, all the way to being able to trust the witnesses that are called to testify in a case. From the judge to the witness, each person involved is a link in a chain that makes justice possible. Any link from one end to the other can be responsible for a miscarriage of justice that the Lord will not let go unpunished. Our system is only as pure as the integrity of the weakest link. A judge can be bribed. A witness can be swayed. A lawyer can be corrupt. Citizens do not like jury duty! The result is that a guilty person can go free or an innocent one condemned.
We too get caught up in the politics of the day. I remember the O. J. Simpson trial from 25 years ago. I remember the split screen on the news that showed the shock in the white community and the jubilation in the African American community at the result. I remember hearing reasoning such as, “Even if he was guilty, the decision is fair because of all the miscarriages of justice that the black community has endured through the years.” Where is concern for truth there? And, if you believe that there was a miscarriage of justice in the OJ trial, are you equally incensed by the other real miscarriages of justice that the Simpson supporter referred too?
What about the issue of abortion? There have been so many cases that have gone through the gauntlet of our national court system for almost fifty years now. Yet, what seems to drive the decisions, one way or another, is more politics than truth. When we are looking to politics, in many cases, what is being sought is man’s approval, but when we seek truth, we aren’t looking to man any more, but to God, for His approval. So, He calls all of us, from the judges on down to speak truth, no matter what it is, and take the true results that are deserved.
Don’t be swayed to let a poor person off the hook because they are poor. But don’t tolerate the injustice of a poor person being condemned just because they couldn’t afford a top notch lawyer, either. A rich person should not be able to secure a lighter sentence just because he has a good lawyer. We’ve watched our son, Chris, go through the court system from time to time. While it is true that in this country, every person has the right to representation, that does not mean that every person actually gets just and good representation.
We have seen many different lawyers handle Chris’s situation. A few situations were handled well, but often, the lawyer is not interested in justice, but in furthering his or her career. It’s amazing how many victims of the system are convinced by their lawyer to plea bargain, even when innocent, to make it easier on the whole system. If one chooses to fight for truth and justice, they often have a hard, thankless road ahead of them, with little reward at the end.
The Roman courts of Jesus’ and Paul’s day were as corrupt, if not more so, then our current reality today. Paul’s solution, as on so many issues, was to call for the Church to set the example. “If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?” (1 Cor. 6:1-5)
The church, made up of Christ bearers, and so, full of His truth, was being called to be the place where true justice and fairness could be found among its members. How sad that the Church is not seen as an arbiter of justice today but is better known for its bickering than problem solving. We are supposed to be the solution, a source of true justice!
The church at Corinth was made up of mostly people who had grown up in a very pagan, ungodly society. They weren’t brought up in Christian homes. They hadn’t come from a background where knowledge of the one true God and His ways was even heard of before. So, when they rubbed up against each other, they fell back on the way of problem solving that they were used too, “Take it to court!”
Paul is calling them out to say, “No! You’re different now. There is a better way. Don’t go to a secular court and drag the internal working of your new family, the church, through a system that will just mock and ridicule you and really doesn’t care. Let the church be your new place to help you resolve conflict. If you’re going to judge angels some day, why not start by seeking God’s truth here on earth now! This is your new hope for justice and resolution.”
The church should be free of politics and ungodly, secular influences because we are supposed to be most concerned about justice and pleasing God. This concern for justice and the Church’s responsibility for it, is one of the defining characteristics of the Presbyterian Church, This is why we have a book of order, with pages and pages about church discipline and procedures for how to convey justice fairly and impartially. As I read through that I remember feeling relief that maybe, what happened to me in my previous denomination could not happen here! And I am reasonably confident that the system would work if applied. But I have already seen that having it all written down does not necessarily mean that the agents actually apply it rigorously. It’s hard work!
However, in the Spirit of Christ, when his children really do want to embody the way of doing justice God has envisioned, maybe we will pray together. Maybe we will have the time to hear each other fully. “He has showed you, O Man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
“Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely.” Before Christ, these were God’s instructions to Israel. But now, surely, they are His Words to His Church. We should be helping each other, building each other up and helping each other to get along. That will outshine any system of man.
Prayer: Father, in my heart, I love justice and want to treat others fairly. But issues can get complicated, and emotional too. We shy away from conflict. Sometimes that’s the grace of overlooking an offense. Sometimes it is a failure to speak the Truth in love. Strengthen your Church to be a fortress of safety, with halls of True Justice. May I not be the weak link in the justice system, either in the Church, or the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: He Has Shown Thee
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