Social Injustice

 

    Today is Easter.  Today is the day we need to talk about redemption, hope, and salvation.  All those things are real and available because of  the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made.  

    However, we also live in the fallen world.  We have not made it to heaven yet and there are some hard truths that we are required to acknowledge.  As a Christian, we are supposed to fight the injustices of the world with love and the word of God.  If we ignore it, then we are condoning it.

    Nehemiah teaches us how to prayerfully and faithfully face injustice to make the world a better place for everyone.  This Easter, I want to challenge all of us to prayerfully seek to fight injustice around us and help make the world more in Jesus' image.  How better to celebrate Easter.

    There has always been poverty in the world.  It has nothing to do with race or injustice.  It is just a fact.  Some people have money and some do not.   It becomes an injustice when the people with money make it where the people without money can't feed their family, but are actually working to provide.  

    Famine comes and that can be with food, economically, or some other area.  When famine appears, that is when a community should come together and take care of each other as their own family.  It is not a time for self pity or complaining.  Complaining only annoys other people and turns a deaf ear to God.  

    The complaining of the Jews made Nehemiah angry even if it may had been justified.  Nehemiah became angry with the injustice that the people were facing.  Instead of acting out in anger, Nehemiah called a town meeting to face the issue head on before it festered and became unmanageable.  He called out the rich to their face for using the poor to become richer.  His proclamation humbled the nobles.

    The governors had put a heavy burden on the Jews, but Nehemiah when became the governor of the Jew everything changed.  It is hard to gain trust once it is lost.  He had an uphill battle, but he chose to follow God and devote his life to making things better for the Jews.  He chose to fight against the injustice of their time.  He had 150 officials to help him carry out a more just society.  All Nehemiah asked was that God would remember him favorably.

Nehemiah 5