The Supremes

Learning the inherent weaknesses in human justice

04/08/2019

John 8:12-20 Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." So the Pharisees said to him, "You testify on your own behalf, so your testimony cannot be verified." Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by appearances, but I do not judge anyone. And even if I should judge, my judgment is valid, because I am not alone, but it is I and the Father who sent me. Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two men can be verified. I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me." So they said to him, "Where is your father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also." He spoke these words while teaching in the treasury in the temple area. But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

There is an inherent weakness in all systems of human justice, namely, that people can and do lie. I’ll never forget a priest from Brooklyn who taught us in the seminary. He said that when young couples come in for marriage preparation and you ask them if they are living together, he said: “They lie, they lie, they lie.” Apparently, they lie a lot more in Brooklyn than in Fort Smith – no one lies here. And that’s why he said you must question them separately, so they cannot just agree with what the other person says. Meghan Trainor sang about her unfaithful boyfriend the same thing: “I know you lie / ‘Cause your lips are moving / Tell me do you think I’m dumb? I might be young, but I ain’t stupid / Talking round in circles with your tongue.” It’s too easy to lie to get out of trouble.

Even when people are being genuine how can you be sure they are being just? Take the highest court of justice in the United States, the Supreme Court. Today there seem to be enough “Supremes” (the common term for the justices) on the SCOTUS to possibly overturn Roe versus Wade, the 1973 decision that allowed abortions. And that would be wonderful. But what’s to keep a future U.S. president (the POTUS) from appointing other supremes who have a different view of so-called “abortion rights” who might resurrect Roe versus Wade? In other words, there is no fool-proof way to ensure that true justice will be served when human beings must be the arbiters of that justice. At the very height of human justice, therefore, we always seem to fall short of true justice. Why? Because “they lie, they lie, they lie.”

Today we read from John chapter 8 and, in a sense, Jesus complements and completes what he said in John chapter 5. You will remember in chapter 5 Jesus talked about the value of witnesses who could give testimony to his true mission as the Messiah. In chapter 8, however, we see that not only is human testimony weak and ineffective, but it is always liable to lying. That is, you cannot trust it. John 8 begins with the woman caught in adultery and the Pharisees asking Jesus if they should stone her. But he points out the inherent weakness of human justice by saying: “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” In other words, slow down cowboy, and realize that human justice always falls short of true justice.

The first reading from Daniel 13, where Suzanna is falsely accused of adultery, also highlights the inherent weakness of human justice that relies on human testimony, namely, “they lie, they lie, they lie.” These episodes are all previews of coming attractions setting-up Jesus’ own trial before Pontius Pilate and the Sanhedrin, where false witnesses and even Jewish leaders will accuse Jesus of things he has not said or done. That’s why Jesus will conclude: “I testify on my own behalf, and so does the Father who sent me.” In other words, I know I will not be judged justly on earth, but only in heaven, where my Father will vindicate me. At the very heights of human justice we always fall short of true justice. The scales of justice will only be balanced in heaven.

Let me suggest two quick take-aways from our scriptures today. First, be careful about how you judge others. We tend to think our own assessment of others is accurate, but we miss our own biases and prejudices. I studied the Supreme Court decision on religious liberty while in canon law school, and even the justices with whom I disagreed had better reasons for their opinions than I had for mine. I have a profound respect for all the supremes. They are brilliant jurists. There is a very instructive exchange in the Lord of the Rings where Frodo regrets that his uncle Bilbo did not kill Gollum when he had the chance. But Gandalf rebukes him saying: “Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment.” That is, hobbit justice, like human justice, is never perfect. Be suspicious therefore of your own sense of justice and fairness.

Secondly, some wrongs we endure on earth will have to wait till heaven to be vindicated. We all feel that in one way or another we have been injured by others. So, what do we do? We want to lawyer up, take them to court, and sue the pants off them. But sometimes we don’t get any justice (or maybe revenge?). Some people look at the annulment process as a chance to restore justice because of injuries one or the other party suffered. But they don’t get it, because they don’t get it. That’s not what annulments are for. Only in heaven will the scales of justice finally be balanced.

Every human system of justice is inherently weak and fallible. Why? Because like the priest from Brooklyn and Meghan Trainor said, “they lie, they lie, they lie.” True justice will have to wait till heaven when we stand before the One who is Truth himself, and no one will lie then. In the meantime, we might want to work on mercy more than justice.

Praised be Jesus Christ!