Turning to God for justice
November 22, 2023 - Wednesday, Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr
Psalm 17:1bcd, 5-6, 8b and 15
Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher, noticed that there is in us a sense of justice but we do not see justice being administered in this world. And, so a logical conclusion is that there has to be God who administers justice, rewarding the good and punishing those who commit evil.
The biblical authors were aware that in our world innocent people are often being falsely accused and sentenced on fabricated charges. There is the well-known story of Naboth falsely accused of blaspheming against God and insulting the king of Israel (see 1 Kings 21:1-23). There is a virtuous Suzanna falsely accused of having a relationship outside of her marriage (see Daniel 13). And of course, the paramount story of false accusations and fabricated charges is the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. The question is what can we do in those situations? The psalmist comes to the Lord stating his innocence and asking to be saved from his enemies: “Hear, O Lord, a just suit” (Ps 17:1). How about us?
There is a saying in the English language “Revenge is sweet”. It suggests that there can be a sense of satisfaction or pleasure derived from seeking vengeance against someone who has wronged us. Tragically, people and nations throughout history put this proverb into action with tragic consequences. Family feuds led to crimes, tribal disputes to genocide, and national conflicts to war.
A Polish philosopher and a Catholic priest, Joseph Tischner said: “There is no greater disease of the soul than the disease of retaliation. It poisons life and can lead into madness”. And then, he advises that all those who are tempted by revenge to leave it into God’s hands (see Rom 12:19-20) and say instead: “Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive those who sinned against us” (Matt 6:12). Drawing on spiritual tradition of Christianity, Tischner says that “the transformation of evil into good is a greater miracle than the creation of the world from nothing”. We are unable to create anything from nothing but we can overcome evil with good. And so, Tischner says: “Through forgiveness, man is most similar to God”.
Revenge is not sweet. It is often bitter and leads to tragic consequences. The psalmist shows us a different approach. By turning to God for justice, the psalmist gave up the temptation to take justice into his hands. By turning to God for protection, the psalmist indicates his trust in God’s justice. That is something we should learn from him and apply in our lives.