Today we walk toward the mess of injustice. The injustice we want to talk about today is defined by the Bible and not by all of the cultural nuances that are thrown around today. And the Bible is rather clear; where we see injustice we cannot just look away or walk away, we must do something about it. Justice might be one of the unfamiliar passions of God. Psalm 68:4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name…5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Jeremiah 22:3-5 Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation. The Old Testament identifies the quartet of vulnerable people; the alien otherwise known as the immigrant - those who moved to Israel for a better life. Also, the fatherless sometimes identified as the orphan. And then there is the widow. Add to that the poor. In fact, Jesus identifies with these groups: Matthew 25:40 …‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Justice is on the heart of God. Amos 5:18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light,19 as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. 20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? 21 “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. 23 Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. 24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. This group had been afflicted with the age-old sin from that day until this day – the idea that the system is working for me and that’s all that matters. So what does God say when he looks down and he sees this group of highly connected, highly privileged, highly wealthy people? Amos 5:24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. This is not the only time words like this are used in Scripture. Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Zechariah 7:9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another… Psalm 82:3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. Amos 5:24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. What is this justice that God talks about? Justice is about fair treatment for everyone. It means the same punishment for wrong in the same reward for right. Justice means that the system works equally for all of us no matter who we are. It is the impartial application of God’s law. Justice means enforcing the rights of every individual, equally. Amos talks about an “endless river of righteous living.” This is where we walk to the mess because righteous living is living a life of making things right. Jesus came to make things right. In this passage we are being told to get personally involved in fighting for people when the system isn’t working for and for those people who have been taken advantage of. Isaiah 58:6 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Understand the picture of the Scripture. People who are tied to a life that they can’t get free of. People who are oppressed and can’t get ahead. People who are hungry and can’t find food. People who are so poor that they can’t find a place to live. And our heavenly father says that our religion compels us to walk to the mess not just to save their souls, but to lift their burdens. Many people are yoked up with things that are killing them. They have so many financial difficulties that they will never be free of them. Or they have such little common sense and moral guidance that they are incapable of making good decisions. Or their education level is so low that they will never hold a decent job. Or maybe they grew up in places of poverty and there just continuing the trend. They grew up in homes of divorce and abuse and they continue that trend. When they grew up in violence, drinking and drug use and know no other life. Amos 7:12 And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, 13 but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”