Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time (September 11, 2018): Finding true justice

Since the beginning of civilization, God has given earthly leaders a portion of his authority to maintain law and order and to determine how disagreements and injustices should be handled — even though he knew that many would mishandle this authority. Saint Paul informs us in today’s first reading that we should keep disputes with other Christians within the Christian community rather than take the case to those who judge by the world’s standards.

God-inspired judgments always include mercy and forgiveness, reconciliation, humility, honoring the needs of others, selflessness, and unconditional love. Civil law, in contrast, provides retaliation. If I fall down at your house and break my leg, I can make you pay my hospital bill. In fact, civil law in my country allows me to sue you for the cost of the emotional suffering that began when my happy plans got ruined because of the cast on my leg — as if we could put a price tag on that!

God’s laws are contrary to this worldly way of meting out justice. His law dictates that I forgive you and make no financial demands on you, even letting myself get cheated (as Jesus said, turning the other cheek). God’s justice means I let him take charge of my hospital bill. If you decide to help me, it’s not because I’ve forced it upon you — it’s because you’re doing God’s work.

Note that Paul is instructing the Christian community on how to solve internal injustices by converting problems into loving solutions. He is not suggesting that this is how a Christian resolves a problem with a non-Christian. It’s not a sin to deal with non-Christians using their own worldly sense of justice. But what a horror it is for Christians to treat each other in worldly ways!

The difference is that Christians have already been justified by Jesus Christ. Plus, we have received the Holy Spirit and are therefore capable of making right judgments for resolving disputes. Because of this, we can even judge the deeds of angels! And what do angels do that necessitate judgment from us? Well, we can judge the holy angels as good and give them permission to continue doing more good in our lives, and we can judge the fallen angels — demons — as wrong and sentence them to the imprisonment of silence and inactivity.

And whenever we make judgments without the Holy Spirit, fallen angels are free to make matters worse.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus cured people who were troubled by evil spirits. He pronounced judgments against their interference and sentenced them to impotence to make them stop. He has given us the authority to do the same. As long as we’re living by heavenly standards, we can, in the name of Jesus and by the power of the triumph of his cross, take a successful stand against evil. Demons must submit to our authority, for it is Jesus who enforces the sentence.

© 2018 by Terry A. Modica