Sermon: Justice Looks Like Something Mark 5: 21-43

Send us Fan MailSermon by Rev'd Jon Swales at St George's Church Leeds, 27th March 2022This morning  as we come to church,To sing our songs,  and pray our prayers we do so in the context of a war in Europe. For many of us are hearts are heavy, and our souls are sad as butchery and barbarity have been unleashed at the command of Putin and the warmongers. Ukrainians suffer and die, 10 million are displaced from their homes.The forces of  Injustice and oppression appear overwhelming and we as a continent,as communities as individualscan find ourselves in place of disorientation and powerlessness. For some us here this morning, and here I want to recognise our Iranian brothers and sisters,this feeling of disorientation in the face of injustice is nothing new .Within our own community many carry  wounds as both the victims of the unjust actions of others and  as victims of systems of domination. In a world of injustice what can we as followers of Jesus do? I want to suggest that looking to scriptures and looking to Jesus can provide a much needed reframing of the issues of our day, My hope is that we can be reoriented , so that we can  face injustice with hope. That here this morning we would would be called afresh to be the justice shaped people of God who look to Jesus, and are empowered by the Spirit of Jesus, so that we can look and love like Jesus. So here goes, In the bible, justice has to do with setting the world to right. It is the opposite of injustice.  Justice stands against oppression, domination.and economic exploitationJustice stands with the poor and powerless and  speaks out for those without a voice Justice is the dream of the prophets, as the prophet Amos imagines the day ‘when justice will roll on like a mighty river’. Justice is also at the heart of God as Isaiah says ‘For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.’ and to know God is to do justice.  Justice  finds its place within love.