12.18

Justice (God & David)

Isaiah 9:6

For a child has been born for us,
 a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders,
 and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Anger isn’t usually an emotion we connect with Christmas. Anger is often seen as a negative emotion. True, it can be dangerous and damaging. But it is possible to have righteous anger. Anger is a natural response when faced with injustice. We can even see Jesus angry. He knew exactly what He was doing; He was in full control of His actions. The injustice He saw made Him angry. 

The world that Jesus was born into knew injustice. The people were oppressed from every angle. They were crushed by the Romans. They were mistreated by the religious establishment. They were angry. So they held onto the promises that one day they would be free, even though their reality could not be further away from that. 

We can relate to the Israelites of that time. All it takes is a drive through our city or a quick glance at the news to see that injustice reigns. And that makes us angry, as it should. Like those Israelites, we need to cling to the promise that one day justice will reign. “The government will be upon HIS shoulders … and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

—David Staples