Wisdom in Seeking Justice.
By Rev. Nerses Balabanian

 Pr. 16:11“A just balance and scales are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are his work.”

       Scales are great instruments to measure weight. In ancient times, there were no digital measurements. The scale was a balance where they would put an object on one side and a set of metals or stones on the other side. All measurements were supposed to be correct. One should not use two sets of balancing stones.

       Once upon a time two shops were doing business together in a little village. The Dairy shop sold butter to the Bakery and the Bakery sold flour to the Dairy shop. After a while, the Dairy shop owner realized that, the two kilos of flour he was buying were measuring less and less. He complained to the Bakery shop owner that he was being cheated. The Bakery man said, “I am so surprised. Actually, I use the two kilos of butter you send me as a measuring stone to sell you the flour.”

       He put the butter on one side of the scale and measured the flour accordingly. I wonder who was cheating whom.

      “A just balance and scales are the Lord’s.” He is just and He uses one measurement to measure things.

       I wonder if we learn from our Lord to measure things with one measurement. Don’t you hate it when people do not use the same measurement? Unless you are the one who is getting the benefit!

       One scale for all.

Pr. 23:10-11 “Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you.”

       It is about the manipulation of the “fatherless” the weak, the poor, the muted, the voiceless people.

       I have seen so much of those manipulations. I have seen how the “strong” cheated elderly, getting their inheritance, getting their home titles. I have seen teachers being unfair towards week and poor students. I have seen people misusing the funds that came for needy families and children for their own benefit.

       But the verse says: Their Redeemer is stronger. God knows and can judge. There is and end to everything.

       As a school principal once, I tried to bring changes in the school where I worked. I tried to be the voice of the boys who were beaten by the supervisors. I succeeded sometimes, and other times these students left the school. I revealed to the authorities the identity of a person who stole the house title of an elderly person by cheating. She was not jailed. She had connections. But years later I heard the Lebanese government got her; she repeated the same crime.

      “The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.” Pr. 17:23

       -Let us remember that God made us all equal.

       “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all.” Pr. 22:2

       We need to remind each about this truth. Whenever you start disliking someone, or categorizing that person, just remember that God made us all. But there is a gap between the poor and the rich. We can be a link between them. The more we close the gap, the more we learn to appreciate the other side and learn to have compassion towards the other.

       “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous (kind) to the needy honors him (God).” Pr. 14:31

      How can you be generous to someone when you don’t know someone who needs help? We should get out of our comfort zone to the outside. How do we oppress the needy? One of the ways is to ignore them, as if they do not exist. We do not hear their voice. “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.” Pr. 21:13

I would like to give two conclusions:

1. Let us use the opportunities that have been given to us in this independent country. Let us use the opportunities with which God has blessed this country. Let us use the freedom that we have that many other countries don’t. I am worried that excess freedom made us selfish and self-centered. Look beyond yourself. There are others beside you! We have a society that is not happy and content. Ask the psychologists and you will find counselors are booked with such people. Don’t you think life is boring when you only pamper yourself? Personally, I am energized when there is a challenge to care for and love the other, the needy, those whose voice is not heard.

2. Bringing justice to the needy, to the broken is biblical command. Jesus at the beginning of his ministry in the synagogue of Nazareth opened the scriptures and read the following lines from Isaiah:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

3. By seeking justice for others, one can meet God.

God is there in the poor, in the widow, in the one who is in need. Mother Teresa challenged us saying, “Come and meet Jesus in the poor of Calcutta.”

 The disciples were surprised when Jesus said:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

-For I was hungry and you gave me food,

-I was thirsty and you gave me drink,

-I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

-I was naked and you clothed me,

- I was sick and you visited me,

-I was in prison and you came to me.’

-Then the righteous will answer him, saying,

‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,

-or thirsty and give you drink?

-And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you,

-or naked and clothe you?

-And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:34-40)

Amen.