Proverbs 17:15
One of the most elusive things on the planet
is justice. Some societies strive very hard for it. Some make no attempts at
all ruling by brute force. But built into the heart of every human being by the
LORD is the desire for justice. It rises from deep inside us. Even in the most
oppressive situations, there is a cry for justice.
Justice
is based on rights and wrongs. Justice balances the needs of the offended with
the needs of the offender and even of society. Justice is a tricky business.
I
have had to serve at several judicial boards determining the fate of several
military personnel. Many things get weighed in the process. It is not simply
the offense committed, but also the career, family, and nation that get
considered in these boards. It is very difficult to be sure we make just
decisions. They are extremely difficult proceedings. We struggle and do our
very best to provide justice, but we know that justice can’t really be done.
Some of the offenses can’t be balanced. We can’t wipe out the innocence lost
with a punishment. We can’t bring someone back to life with a discharge.
But
justice demands many factors that can’t be measured. How do you measure the
damage to a family name, their reputation, their standing in the community? How
do you place a value on the negative impact on the community as one of their
own becomes the bad example that some will follow? What is the price to be paid
for missed birthdays and anniversaries?
Our
proverb says that rendering improper verdicts, whether against the guilty or
innocent, is something the LORD detests. It turns His stomach, if He had one.
And yet even in societies that desire justice and have mechanisms to bring it
about, justice so often eludes. For example, the person on death row for 20
years for murdering someone in cold blood, awaiting their next appeal attempt.
Where is justice for the one murdered and their family? Where is justice for
the taxpayer? In an attempt to not punish an innocent person, justice is
suspended, sometimes for a lifetime. Victim’s families wither and die in the
process.
Acquitting
the innocent and condemning the guilty are both wrong.