Judges of the earth - listen and tremble

November 15, 2023 - Wednesday, 32nd Week in Ordinary Time

 Psalm 82:3-4, 6-7

Psalm 82 is one of the most important psalms in the entire Psalter. We are in a courtroom to which God calls all other gods or angels to accountability. The court case that the Lord brings against them is injustice: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?” (Ps 82:2). Then, the Lord instructs them of their responsibility: “Defend the lowly and the fatherless; render justice to the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the lowly and the poor; from the hand of the wicked deliver them”. However, they failed in this responsibility and were removed from their high position.

We can easily apply this psalm to our reality where injustice is often embedded in political ideologies and governments’ policies. We see criminals walking freely of the courts and laughing at our judicial system and innocent people being put in prisons or even sentenced to death. The criteria that the Lord applies to divine beings should be applied to the judicial system in all the countries of the world. It is worth repeating verses 3 and 4:

“Defend the lowly and the fatherless;

render justice to the afflicted and the destitute.

Rescue the lowly and the poor;

from the hand of the wicked deliver them”.

Unfortunately, there are ample examples that our judges instead of being at the service of God are often at the service of their masters - their governments and leaders. Take, for example, the kidnapping and murder of a Palestinian Bible Society worker named Rami Ayyad by Islamist radicals 16 years ago. No one was held accountable for his death. Or how about all those journalists and human rights activities held in prison throughout the world without any charges or on false charges?

Witold Pilecki (1901-48) is considered one of the bravest men in the history of humanity. He allowed himself to be captured by the Germans to be sent to Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp. He provided the world with first-hand information about the atrocities committed there. Then, after the war, he provided information about what was going on behind the Iron Curtain in Poland. He was captured and falsely accused. He was tortured in prison, given a show trial during which he was sentenced to death, and then executed. Until 1989, he was considered an enemy of the state and rehabilitated only after the fall of Iron Curtin.

All the unjust judges of the world and their masters should shiver at the final verdict of the Lord, the only just Judge: “You are gods, all of you sons of the Most High; yet like men you shall die, and fall like any prince." The Bible makes it clear that there is no partiality with God, he does not show favouritism to anyone (see Rom 2:11). And Jesus made it clear that “from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48).