Justice and the Cross

This week, the Sydney Morning Herald highlighted an interesting story about insider trading and the injustice of it all (http://www.smh.com.au/business/rough-justice-when-asic-does-insider-trading-by-halves-20110417-1djpz.html). Insider trading is when someone who has access to privileged ‘insider information’ (which is not available to the general public) uses this advantage to buy (or sell) stocks or shares at a profit. This of course is unfair to everyone else who doesn’t have access to this ‘insider information’ which is why this practice is frowned upon. From the 23^rd of May, 2007 until June 2008, John Joseph Hartman sent ‘insider information’ to a childhood friend, Oliver Peter Curtis. Both made millions of dollars from this illegal communication. Interestingly, because of the complexity of the laws regarding this issue, Hartman will spend the next four years in jail while Curtis continues to enjoy the high life (he just bought a $6.6 million house).

When listening to a story like this, one naturally responds to the unfairness of it all by feeling anger at the injustice. How can this happen? Where is the justice? As creatures created in the image of God, there is probably a part of us which (like God) seeks justice in all things.

As Christians, we believe this is why Jesus had to die on the cross. The Bible teaches that all of humanity is flawed and we fail to meet God’s standards of goodness (Romans 3:23). Because we have all broken God’s laws at one time or another, we all deserve to be punished. On Good Friday, we remember that by dying on the cross, Jesus sacrificed Himself and paid the price for all of us who believe in Him. Just like the many ANZAC heroes of old, Jesus took a bullet which was meant for someone else.

The Bible describes living life according to our own rules as rebellion against God, basically an injustice against the Almighty who created us all and who we should worship and obey. By dying on the cross, Jesus corrected that injustice and all who come to God asking for forgiveness on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice can now be made right with God again.