[stephenkhoo]

TRUE JUSTICE IS IN GOD WHO IS OUR SECURITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: ROM 4:20-25; LK 12:13-21
http://www.universalis.com/20131021/mass.htm

Man often believes that he can be truly happy only when he gets justice. In today’s gospel, the man implored Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied ‘Who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’”. This is true for us as well. We all seek justice. We demand for our rights. Some of us are very calculative with regard to our rights, fair distribution of work, our allocation of time-off, the criteria for promotion, annual leave, allowance etc. Quite often too, we feel that our business partners have not been fair in distributing the profits to us or in the assignment of work and portfolios. When we feel that our rights are not respected, we will find ways to redress them, probably seeking the help of an arbitrator. For those who have the financial means and the energy, they even get into acrimonious court battles which are long drawn. Others who cannot afford the legal fees live in deep anger, resentment and bitterness with those who have cheated or shortchanged them. Many beautiful family relationships between spouses, parents, children and siblings have become estranged, all because of money and rights.

Why do we seek justice? Isn’t it because we believe that with justice, we find security? Hence the question implied in seeking justice is, where can we find real security? Can legal justice alone give us security? Does it mean that we will be satisfied and have peace and happiness when we get our rights? The truth is, can legal and strict justice alone bring us happiness and contentment? This is the question that Jesus is posing to us. So what happens when we obtain our rights and privileges? Will that make us truly happy? Can that make us satisfied? Perhaps so, but this is only temporal.

The truth is that we are not merely seeking for the restoration of our rights and dignity, but there is also a desire to punish those who have offended us. The justice of the world is less a matter of restoration of rights, but in essence a revenge on our enemies. However, an eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind. That is why although Jesus proclaims the gospel of justice, He did not exact strict justice from us. Otherwise, Jesus would have organized a revolutionary force to overthrow the Roman occupiers and the arrogant religious leaders. So we should not be surprised that He did not undertake to be the arbitrator for the man over his right of the property. Jesus knows that the real cause of this man’s unhappiness is deeper. He told him and the listeners bluntly and pointedly, “Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.”

What is everyone looking for in life? Consciously or unconsciously, we look for power, wealth, glory and status, perceived as symbols of security. In reality, what we are seeking for are love and life. The problem is, many people perceive power, wealth, glory and status as the means to attain love and life. Indeed, if we are greedy and envious of others who are better off than us, it is because greed and envy thrive on fear. We fear pain and suffering that comes above all from rejection. Most of all, we fear death, not simply biological death and the death of our heart, without love and a sense of belonging. Fear is the consequence of insecurity.

Many of us find our security in our talents, knowledge and the office or position given to us. Others find their security in being popular, wanted, loved and appreciated. Yet, the truth remains that if our security and self-acceptance are founded on such superficial and transient elements, we always live in fear of losing them. Hence, Jesus warns us, “Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.”

So how can we find true happiness in life? It cannot be found in human justice where the preoccupation is on human rights and human needs. Our security is not found in satisfying our physical and material needs or with the things of this world. In the parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus taught us that having an easy and luxurious life with plenty of savings will not bring us true security, because there is no security in this life. For we do not know what will happen tomorrow, as one day God will say to us, “This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” If the rich man were a fool, it was because he deceived himself into thinking that happiness and security could be found in earthly possessions.

True happiness is found within us. It is to be rich in the sight of God. Hence Jesus said, “So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.” In other words, it is to live a life free of guilt, hatred and selfishness. Making ourselves personally rich in terms of spiritual and moral richness is what true justice is all about. Money cannot buy life. Rather, it is life itself. The only security is to live our lives in such a way that it is a life of God. Indeed, the measure of a man and therefore the measure of a happy life is not how much we own or have, but how much we can give away.

The only way to overcome our insecurity is faith. What kind of faith? It is the faith of Abraham who trusted in God and His fidelity to the promises He made to him. We read that “Abraham refused either to deny it or even to doubt it, but drew strength from faith and gave glory to God, convinced that God had power to do what He had promised. This is the faith that was “considered as justifying him”. So long as one relies only on himself, he remains insecure of his future because he does not know his future. But if we are like Abraham, we have confidence that God loves us and will be faithful to us, and hence we can surrender our future to the Lord. Abraham walked one day at a time solely by faith and not by sight, not knowing how God’s promises could be fulfilled, especially when he was already advanced in years. We too must walk in faith in the Lord, not being overly anxious about our future, but cooperating with His grace at each moment of our lives, knowing that God will see to our needs.

But St Paul is urging us to go further. Our faith in God who is our security and true life-giver is rooted in Jesus Christ. St Paul says, that “our faith too will be considered if we believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, Jesus who was put to death for our sins and raised to life to justify us.” Our confidence that we will never die is rooted in our faith in the death and resurrection of Christ.

Yes, this faith implies firstly that God loves us unconditionally in Jesus regardless of our sinfulness. God did not seek for legal justice. In fact, He surrendered His rights and took the consequences of sin upon Himself. By so doing, God shows that He has gone beyond justice. It is such love and mercy that conquers sin. Anyone who loves in this manner will not be affected by sin. He finds true peace and joy.

Secondly, it is a faith that is founded on the resurrection that assures us that not only are we loved eternally and unconditionally, but that love will never die and we will live forever in Christ. In the death of Jesus, His love conquers our insecurity that we need to earn God’s love. In the resurrection of Jesus, God shows His power over death. It is on this basis that we can make ourselves rich in the sight of God.

Let us look to St Ignatius of Antioch who said, “The goals of the earth and the kingdoms of this world shall profit me nothing. It is better for me to die for the sake of Jesus Christ than to reign over the ends of the earth. I seek Him who died for us. I desire Him who rose.”