Let Justice Roll Like a River

In the book of Amos, God calls His people to do right because they have strayed far from His ways. They have oppressed the poor, taken advantage of the weak, and trampled on the underprivileged. As a consequence, God rejected the people’s worship: “I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies… Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.” (Amos 5:21-23). These are strong words, “I hate, I despise ... I cannot stand ... I will not listen,” that express God’s displeasure with his people.

Where there was injustice, God wanted justice. The prophet said, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24). Think of a beautiful mountain stream flowing with rushing cool water. God wants justice and righteousness to be a never-failing stream! Not a creek that rises and falls but an overflowing river.

Jesus is the ultimate demonstration of God’s righteousness. Think of the trap that the Pharisees set for Jesus using a woman caught in adultery. It was the perfect setup. These men seemed never to learn, as they had tried over and over to trap Jesus but without success. They said to Jesus:  “Teacher, this Woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now, what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap to have a basis for accusing him (John 8:4-6).

If he said, “Let her go.” Then, he would be showing disrespect against the law of Moses. If he said, “Go ahead and stone her.” Then, he would be guilty of advocating civil disobedience against the Roman Government that prohibited the Jews from carrying out capital punishment. He would also be inconsistent with his present stance of defending the weak. They were dealing with God and didn’t know it. They knew him only as the carpenter from Nazareth who had become a preacher.

I grew up in the wide-open country of the San Joaquin Valley. While hunting, I noticed one of my dogs had just cornered a badger. The badger seemed to be saying, “Go on, doggy and leave me alone. But this dog thought he was the top dog, and there wasn’t an animal alive he couldn’t whip. I called him, but he didn’t listen. I knew the badger could whip the dog with two paws tied behind his back, but he didn’t know that. The dog kept pestering the badger until that badger knocked that dog end over end with one stroke of his mighty paw. The dog spent the rest of the afternoon licking his wounds. Oh, he learned what badgers were that day. And this day, Pharisees are about to know what it’s like to fight with God.

First, Jesus fights with silence. It was maddening for them. This was a clever trap. He is supposed to fall into it. It’s kind of like telling a joke that depends on your hearer falling for the gag but doesn’t. Jesus is not intimidated by these bullies. He is God, and he knows what he is doing. He bends down and begins to write in the dirt. They keep asking, “Come on, Jesus, tell us what you want us to do.” All they get is silence.

Finally, Jesus answered them; when they continued to question him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground John 8:7-8).

How unprepared they were for Jesus’ challenge. He never fell into their trap. He never suggested they follow the law of Moses; neither did he ask for her freedom. Instead, He turned the tables on them and said, “If You want her stoned, then the one that is without sin should cast the first stone.” They couldn’t do that! To do so would invite scrutiny from their comrades. They would love to have cast that stone, but Jesus stopped them in their tracks. And what’s more, he humiliated them! They dropped their stones and left.

Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:10-11). With wisdom, audacity and tenderness Jesus had demonstrated the righteousness and justice of God. Jesus asked the woman a penetrating question. “Has no one condemned you?” She answers, “No one.” Then Jesus challenges her to leave her life of sin and find a new life following him.