And Justice for All

Several weeks ago, I served on a jury for the first time. It was a personal damages case involving a man that had suffered severe permanent injuries in a traffic accident. The experience enlightened me on how our judicial system metes out justice.

As we listened to arguments from attorneys for both plaintiff and defendant, as well as witness testimony, the judge frequently reminded us that our judgment had to be based solely on the facts, evidence and testimonies presented, not hearsay, speculation or “gut feelings.”

There were times during the two-day proceeding when I wondered why certain information was not submitted, but could not factor that into my or the jury’s collective verdict. We could evaluate testimony according to the credibility of a particular witness, but couldn’t make decisions based on anything other than what was presented in court.

There were times during witness questioning or cross-examination when statements were overruled and we as the jury were instructed to disregard that information – just like on TV. The bottom line was, we could not deliberate based on “I think” or “I feel” or other possible factors that weren’t part of the official record. It was interesting to be not just an observer but an active participant in this process.

It got me thinking about the day the Bible says we each will face judgment. Hebrews 9:27 states, “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”  We are also told, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Sounds ominous.

The difference is we will not be judged by a jury of our peers. God alone will serve as Judge, because only He is qualified to do so. How could any of us serve on a heavenly jury when we each would be as guilty as the defendant facing judgment? As Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” In other words, there are no exceptions.

But the news isn’t all bad. The Bible says everyone that chooses to follow Christ need not fear God’s wrath and punishment. That’s already been taken care of. As the apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” To state it another way, as a friend of mine expressed it, Jesus took the rap for us. He’s already served our sentence, paid our penalty.

And to put a stamp of emphasis on this reality, Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I don’t know about you, but for me that’s really good news.

A Judge That Set an Example

The Chattanooga area lost a significant figure in the legal community last week with the unexpected passing of General Sessions Judge Bob Moon, who died at age 60 of a heart attack.

I never met him, was never summoned to his court, so I did not know him personally. But based on what I heard from other people and the media, Judge Moon was the type of rare individual we need more of in our local, state and Federal judiciaries.

Individuals that appeared in his court – and received his sentences – attested to his fairness and his compassion. One woman who stood before him on several occasions said he later reached out to offer assistance in getting her life turned around.

Other times Moon reportedly used his bench to speak words of caring admonition and wisdom. With prisons bursting at the seams with overcrowding, and recidivism rates distressingly high, it was encouraging to hear of a judge with a eye toward rehabilitating lawbreakers.

Sometimes his judgments were viewed as unorthodox, but it appears the judge sought a reasonable balance between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law, seeking when possible to restore individuals rather than simply meting out prescribed punishment. He also actively participated in Boys and Girls Club activities, recognizing their potential value for young people desperately in need of positive direction.

In the Bible, Micah 6:8 asserts: “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.” Proverbs 21:3 adds, “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

Certainly, those guilty of crimes should face appropriate penalties. But whenever possible, if the legal system can succeed in restoring individuals rather than throwing them into environments where they exit worse than when they entered, we all benefit. And this, from what I understand, is what Judge Moon attempted to do. May others like him fill the void.

And Justice . . . for All?

When the verdict was announced at the end of the Casey Anthony trial last week, the response was visceral.

Hearing the jury acquit the 25-year-old mother in the death of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee, hit some observers like a punch to the stomach. Many in the courtroom and thousands watching the trial on TV reacted with anger. Some members of the jury later admitted anguish at not being able to find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

I didn’t watch the daily proceedings. It had the makings of a Hollywood script, reality TV at its best – and worst: Attractive young woman accused of killing her own daughter. Beauty and the beast, all in one?

Some of the public’s emotion concerned a young life senselessly snuffed out. But a greater, underlying issue also was at work: Our belief in justice, that the person responsible should be punished. In fact, our Pledge of Allegiance closes by affirming our nation’s commitment to “justice for all.”

Why is that? Most of us don’t know the Anthony family, and never met poor Caylee. So it’s not “personal.” And if evolutionists are correct, asserting we’re nothing more than byproducts of cosmic chaos and random chance, why be upset if we believe justice hasn’t been served?

Does it really matter whether a person becomes a biochemist searching to cure a disease, or a drug dealer destroying lives? Or whether someone mends wounded hearts as a cardiothoracic surgeon, or becomes an ax murderer? Stupid questions, right?

It does matter – because we’re not the end result of meaningless chaos, but created in the image of the God who not only is love, but also is just, demanding justice. Throughout the Scriptures, we read of God’s justice and hatred of sin, balanced by His mercy and grace.

In the first book of the Bible, God says of Abraham, “I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just” (Genesis 18:19).

In Job 37:23, Job’s friend Elihu declares of God, “…in his justice and righteousness he does not oppress.” Later in the Old Testament we are told, “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” (Proverbs 21:3).        

And we read the ultimate statement of God’s unwavering determination to execute justice in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” and in 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust….”

We all have shattered God’s laws in thought, word or deed, and deserve justice: His eternal wrath. Yet, because of His love, Jesus Christ has already satisfied this mandate for justice by dying on the cross for us. Because of that, we are offered forgiveness and God’s unconditional love. And we can to protest when we believe justice is not served.