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October 17-24, 2007

Putting the “Juice” back in justice

Warm-up Question:

When have you ever been treated unjustly?

 

Orenthal James Simpson, also known as O.J. or “the Juice,” has been at the center of talk having to do with justice, yet again. O.J. Simpson is being charged with 10 felonies including kidnapping and armed robbery in September, 2007. Allegedly, with a group of other men, O.J. stormed into a casino hotel room in Las Vegas in order to take back sports memorabilia that is supposed to have belonged to O.J.

This type of crime wouldn’t be all over the news except for the fact that O.J. Simpson has a history with the American court system and the news media that millions of people know very well.

In 1995, O.J. Simpson was accused of and tried in court for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. The case went on for months capturing the attention and the imagination of people across the world. When O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murder charges in one of the decade’s most followed court cases, the world was shocked. His acquittal divided the country into two ‘camps’. The first group saw O.J. as guilty and, with his acquittal, as a man who benefited from a grave injustice. The second group was made up of two smaller groups: 1) those who believed in his innocence and were glad to see an African-American man be dealt justice in a system that has historically not always dealt with African-Americans with the same justice that “White America” would receive, and 2) those who may have thought he was guilty but were also frustrated about legal injustices of the past and were glad to see someone beat the system.

Even though O.J. was acquitted of murder, the family of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were not satisfied with the verdict. They sought the justice they felt they deserved, and sued him in 1997 in a civil court. He was found guilty in the civil case and sentenced to a fine of $33.5 million. O.J. was recently in court concerning his fines and was forced to give up his Rolex watch as part of settling the fine.

In 2006, amidst a lot of controversy, O.J. Simpson sought to publish a book entitled If I Did It in which he talks about the murders in a hypothetical way. The publisher dropped the book, but the family of Ron Goldman released the original book with their added commentary on what happen, seeking again a chance to voice their view of justice. A court ruled that the proceeds from the book should go to pay off the outstanding fine O.J. owes from the civil suit.

Some say O.J. was set up in this recent hotel robbery incident. Others simply shake their head saying, “if he was able to kill someone, why wouldn’t he be able to commit armed robbery.” For the family and friends of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, the recent events have been seen as salt in their wound. On a recent talk show, Nicole’s sister stated that she hoped that O.J. Simpson finally ended up behind bars.

There are certainly many, many unresolved feelings about whether or not justice has been or will be done. Or even about what justice is.

 

Discussion Questions

  1. It’s now been 12 years since the original O.J. Simpson case; some of you were in preschool or kindergarten at the time! Do you have any opinions and feelings about the case and its outcome? If you do, what are they? If you don’t, why not?
  2. The Goldman family continues to wait for what they believe would be justice in the case of the murders of their son and his friend. What do you think they want or are waiting for? Why are they so persistent instead of just letting it go?
  3. O.J. Simpson has found himself in and out of courts over the last 12 years with verdicts that have decided that he was innocent, and in other cases, guilty. What do you think he wants and is waiting for?
  4. What is justice? How would you describe it? Why is it sometimes hard to accomplish or require so much time and persistence?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, October 21, 2007.
(Text links are to oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year C at Lectionary Readings.)

Genesis 32:22-31
Psalm 121 (2)
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Luke 18:1-8

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection
Jesus uses a brief and, in part, funny parable in order to point out the frustration that the disciples, the followers of Jesus in the first generations of the Church—and eventually, we—feel about waiting for God’s justice. At the end of the previous chapter (Luke 17:20-37), Jesus describes how things will be when the kingdom of God comes. But we are not there yet. We are in the in between times and the in between times are not always an easy place to be. These in between times are a time of “already” but “not yet.” “Already,” because Jesus has come and set things in motion. God has taken a step forward in his plan of redemption for the whole world in sending Jesus who announced and ushered in a renewed reign of God. This kingdom is also “not yet,” because God’s kingdom is not completely and fully there; obvious to us because we see all around us the signs of “not yet being” the kingdom of God: poverty, sickness, death, and injustice in every way, shape, and form. So, the kingdom of God is already here, but not yet.

When most people ask us if we want Jesus to come back soon, many of us answer, “not yet.” We seem to be content in living in the not yet time when it comes to having the things we enjoy and fulfilling the dreams we have. We have so much to do! But, we are keenly aware of our need and desire to have God’s kingdom fully and totally here when we sense how things aren’t what they could be.

This story shows us through the actions of the woman our own impatience in demanding justice. In the funny scene in verses 3-5, we see what the persistence of the faithful can do (even in the face of justice that does not fear God). The judge is afraid of the woman’s ultimate confrontation—her wearing him out. (This phrase in the original language of the New Testament could be literally translated as: “fly in my face” or “give me a black eye.” One might say in even more modern speech, “I will grant her justice so she won’t get all up in my grill.”)

The woman’s tenacity is a model for us as Christians today. God does promise us justice, and Jesus encourages us to pray and hold on until God’s kingdom is fully and totally everywhere.

Discussion Questions

  1. When have you ever been persistent in getting something you wanted?

  2. When has being persistent ever backfired, in your opinion?

  3. What are the qualities or characteristics necessary in order to be persistent with something? What makes something important enough to work at for a very long time, maybe even your entire life?

  4. When do you think God’s kingdom on earth will come? What will it look like?

Activity Suggestions

1) God's Justice Today. Find any current court case and invite youth to view the case through the eyes of a graceful yet fair God. How do they imagine God would rule being a merciful God?

2) Comparing Stories. After looking at the Gospel story, remain in one group or divide into groups to look at one or more of the following texts:

  • Genesis 32:22-31 (Complimentary Old Testament reading for this Sunday). Jacob wrestles with God—persistence.
  • Genesis 18:16-33. Abraham bargains with God—persistence.
  • Jonah. God decides to spare Nineveh, and Jonah is irritated by what he sees as God’s injustice.

  Closing Prayer
God of mercy, God of justice, all we are and all we have are dependent on you. You bless us more than we deserve and we love it so much we want even more. Sometimes, we await the coming of your kingdom with impatience. At other times, we are ok with it not being here yet. Grant us patience when we are impatient and wake us up and make us diligent when we forget. In all of it, give us the courage and the faith to await the coming of Jesus with hope and joy. Come Lord Jesus, come. Amen
 

Contributed by Pastor Scott A. Moore
Eisleben, Germany
 

Permission to reproduce for local use. Copyright © 2007 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. ELCA Youth Ministries. 1-800-638-3522, ext. 2447. To offer your comments or responses to Faith Lens, e-mail:  rod.boriack@elca.org.

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