Spiritual, not social justice

John 12 for the read John in July challenge

Therefore, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² So they made Him a dinner there, and Martha was serving; and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. ³ Mary then took a pound of very expensive perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴ But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, the one who intended to betray Him, said, ⁵ “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the proceeds given to poor people?” ⁶ Now he said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he kept the money box, he used to steal from what was put into it. ⁷ Therefore Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. ⁸ For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”

⁹ The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not on account of Jesus only, but so that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. ¹⁰ But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also, ¹¹ because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.

¹² On the next day, when the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, ¹³ they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, indeed, the King of Israel!” ¹⁴ Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: ¹⁵ “Do not fear, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” ¹⁶ These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things for Him. ¹⁷ So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. ¹⁸ For this reason also the people went to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not accomplishing anything; look, the world has gone after Him!”

²⁰ Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; ²¹ these people then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and were making a request of him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²² Philip came and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus. ²³ But Jesus answered them by saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵ The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

²⁷ “Now My soul has become troubled; and what am I to say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ²⁹ So the crowd who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him!” ³⁰ Jesus responded and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for yours. ³¹ Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. ³² And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” ³³ Now He was saying this to indicate what kind of death He was going to die. ³⁴ The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how is it that You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵ So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; also, the one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”

These things Jesus proclaimed, and He went away and hid Himself from them. ³⁷ But though He had performed so many signs in their sight, they still were not believing in Him. ³⁸ This happened so that the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke would be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” ³⁹ For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, ⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they will not see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and be converted, and so I will not heal them.” ⁴¹ These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke about Him. ⁴² Nevertheless many, even of the rulers, believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, so that they would not be excommunicated from the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved the approval of people rather than the approval of God.

⁴⁴ Now Jesus cried out and said, “The one who believes in Me, does not believe only in Me, but also in Him who sent Me. ⁴⁵ And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. ⁴⁶ I have come as Light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness. ⁴⁷ If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸ The one who rejects Me and does not accept My teachings has one who judges him: the word which I spoke. That will judge him on the last day. ⁴⁹ For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

Jesus did not come to create social justice or equality among people. He didn’t come 2000 years ago to establish a new government on earth. In today’s text it says:  Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, the one who intended to betray Him, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the proceeds given to poor people?” Now he said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he kept the money box, he used to steal from what was put into it. Therefore Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”   Matthew 15:21-28 says:  Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely demon-possessed.” But He did not answer her with even a word. And His disciples came up and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us!” But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” Yet He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord; but please help, for even the dogs feed on the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed at once.   The equality that Jesus brought to the earth is not social equality, but rather spiritual equality, that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. Jesus didn’t come to change the institutions of man, but rather the hearts of individuals. The answer for our nation and the world today is not to change our laws. We will never legislate equality through our human governments and institutions. The answer for today is found in what God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  It begins not with the government, but with the people called by His name, humbling ourselves, praying, seeking God’s face and turning from our wicked ways. Jesus didn’t come to establish a new government on earth. He came to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth.  We, those called by His name, need to be not only those who would pray as Jesus taught us to pray: Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, but to be the answer to that prayer.  

Jesus says:  “The one who believes in Me, does not believe only in Me, but also in Him who sent Me. And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness. If anyone hears My teachings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects Me and does not accept My teachings has one who judges him: the word which I spoke. That will judge him on the last day. For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”  Amen. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.