We have one of the most amazing judicial systems in the world. I recently completed jury duty and came away with a new appreciation of how difficult it is to actually achieve justice.
One full day was given to sorting through dozens of potential jurors to find qualified candidates. Questioning and drilling for bias, it felt as if it were the jurors on trial. But the goal was to find a group of people who could produce a fair verdict. Because we all bring only our own experiences with us, we will all view a set of circumstances differently. Our partial knowledge of any given situation will, unintentionally or not, result in partiality.
The judge in this courtroom was impressive. She was able to set aside her own inevitable partiality, at least outwardly, and give a perception of fairness.
Some day I will sit, not in a jury seat, but in a defendant’s seat. My life will be laid bare and measured. Because our God, the righteous Judge, has perfect and complete knowledge there will be no partiality. He doesn’t need to set aside bias for there is none God has all authority and truth. He sees me as I am more completely than I know myself.
In some ways that’s comforting – I don’t really want to be judged by a jury of my imperfect peers. But it is also terrifying. He knows everything and I stand before Him utterly guilty. God will enact true justice; it is His character. He cannot look the other way from sin and therefore a penalty is required.
The penalty is mine. Death. Rightly deserved. It is easy to cry out for justice, but what I really want is mercy. We all do - when it comes to our own faults.
Abraham Heschel, the Jewish philosopher, said, “God’s compassion is concealed by His justice and His justice is concealed by His compassion.”
Once the sentence is declared, He takes the required penalty on Himself. My terror turns to joy, my mourning into dancing. Only He knows the full depth of my guilt. Only He can remove that guilt from me. Having approached the Judge with fear and trembling, I fall at His feet in the knowledge of His mercy. And His compassionate love that paid to satisfy my penalty.
Let the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge. Psalm 50:6
