The Answer to Our Cries for Justice

The Answer to Our Cries for Justice

Give the king your justice, O God,

   and your righteousness to a king’s son.

May he judge your people with righteousness,

   and your poor with justice.

In his days may righteousness flourish

   and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

May he have dominion from sea to sea,

   and from the River to the ends of the earth.

For he delivers the needy when they call,

   the poor and those who have no helper.

He has pity on the weak and the needy,

   and saves the lives of the needy.

May his name endure for ever,

   his fame continue as long as the sun.

May all nations be blessed in him;

   may they pronounce him happy.

Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13 & 17

“Mum, it’s just not right!” My daughter looked up at me, tears of distress quivering in her eyes. She had witnessed a girl at school chase and strike another student. Despite a teacher being close, the girl faced no consequences. My daughter was rightly upset; where was the justice? My heart broke. This moment reflected a harsh reality: justice isn’t always delivered, even by those in authority. 

My daughter is autistic and one of her beautiful traits—common to many autistic people—is a strong sense of justice. It is a gift to her, to our family, and to anyone who has the privilege of knowing her. With her voice, I am reminded that injustice is shocking, abhorrent, and deeply broken. 

Psalm 72 turns to God for justice, for perfect justice only comes from him. The psalmist knows that a just king will deliver the needy, the poor, the ignored, and the weak (verses 12-13)—no one will be too lowly to benefit. He understands that a just king will be given dominion from sea to sea (verse 8) and be a blessing to all nations (verse 17)—no one will be too distant to benefit. The psalmist calls on God to let justice flow through this King to all the earth!

But what king has reigned in such a way? Not the great King David, not King Solomon, and the books 1 and 2 Kings chronicle failure after failure of the kings of Israel following them. 

Until God’s great King is born on the first Christmas: Jesus, King David’s greatest son.  Surprisingly, it is through his death, authorised in an unjust trial, that he ushers in the everlasting kingdom of perfect justice and righteousness that Psalm 72 seeks. Jesus rose again and will live forever (verse 17), he reigns in justice (verse 1), and will judge in justice (verse 2). 

Yet, if I’m honest, justice in judgement is terrifying: I know I have done wrong. It was unjust when that teacher ignored the behaviour of a student in the playground, but is my only hope that my behaviour will be ignored by Jesus? Thankfully, God’s King is full of surprises. Verses 12 and 13 speak of him delivering and saving the lives of the needy—the needy like me! Jesus did not set justice aside when he saved me; instead, he suffered the punishment that should have been mine. I am justly saved because the King of justice is also a king who delivers his people!

As you witness the injustices of this broken world, let your heart turn toward God, knowing he has already given us the true King of justice—who judges, delivers, and reigns forever, and all nations are blessed through him.

Kate Morris lives in Sydney with her husband and three children. She is a Fellow at Anglican Deaconess Ministries and writes online resources for Christian families with neurodivergent children (autism, ADHD, giftedness, dyslexia, etc). Subscribe for free here.

This devotional is part of a series of daily email devotionals for Advent 2024 reflecting on the life-giving, thirst quenching justice of Jesus we long to see flow across these lands. A justice overflowing with love and compassion, bringing forth hope, healing, nourishment and flourishing for all.

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