Justice

Matthew 23:13 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, for you neither enter the kin-dom of heaven nor do you permit others who would enter it to do so.”

Jesus is still speaking to the assembled disciples, scribes, and Pharisees in the temple. He is explaining to his disciples in particular that they should not do as the Pharisees do. We should not shut heaven to others. How is it possible for us to shut heaven to others? Doesn’t God have that power? Well, there are quite a few preachers here in the US that preach strict rules for getting to heaven: no drinking, no dancing, no gambling, no card games, no swearing, no gay sex, women must dress modestly (and they have detailed rules on this) and no abortion. Those are in addition to the ten commandments. Such rules lead to the shutting down of life, joy, and peace.

Jesus is telling his disciples that that is not God’s way. Instead of focusing on what we are not supposed to do, Jesus focuses on positive behaviors. Caring FOR God, caring FOR others, caring FOR ourselves, caring FOR the environment, caring FOR our fellow Americans, caring those oppressed by the laws, and caring FOR immigrants, the strangers in our midst. Such behavior leads to the flourishing of life, joy and peace.

Today’s world, as in Jesus’ time, is too complex to only be guided by rules without context. People do surprising things. Situations change. Context, then, becomes important. Although lying is generally inappropriate, it’s moral to lie to Nazis about the Jewish person in your attic. It’s moral to lie to ICE about the whereabouts of an undocumented immigrant. In both cases, justice demands it.

One big difference between law-based Christians and love-based Christians is how they view that word, ‘justice.’ Law-based Christians view it as punishment, whether it fits the crime or not. Their focus is on policing others’ behavior. They view the law as the supreme good. Justice is a way of life for love-based Christians. It’s the justice of the term Social Justice Warrior. Love-based Christians prioritize justice for people who are oppressed, framed, discriminated against, or otherwise abused. Justice desires the flourishing of all people rather than the mindless adherence to the law demanded by law-based Christians.

Sessions, in particular, focuses on how “those people” are getting away with breaking the law (a misdemeanor). He torments himself about it. Such misery grows into hate by feeding on itself. Sessions wants to punish Latin Americans for breaking a law and making him miserable. He imagines doing so will make him feel better. It won't, because he’s doing it to himself. 

That is what not entering heaven looks like. Teaching others to do the same is shutting the door of heaven. The only antidote for such misery and hate is Love. Wonder Woman would say he needs to lovingly submit to a woman. Paul wrote the same: be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:21). Love keeps the door of heaven open.