Let Justice Overflow

Justice is what God requires and it something that is absent in the world today.

It was on April 3, 1968 that Dr. Martin Luther King jr. would give one of his most powerful and prolific speeches. He said at a point in the speech Somehow the preacher must be an Amos, and say, “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Somehow, the preacher must say with Jesus, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to deal with the problems of the poor.” Many people did not know that Dr. King lifted the words of the Prophet Amos who shares theses words in chapter 5:24.

Amos was responding to the injustices that he saw during his time. He was warning the Children of Israel that God was not pleased with what he saw.

During time when injustice as prevalent and justice was being ignored. Whether it was the people of Damascus, Tyre, Edom or any of the neighbors who did wrong in the eyes of the Lord.

But injustice did not stop there it had visited Gods people by God’s people. The people of Judah and Israel have sinned again and I will not let them go unpunished.In Chapter 2 Amos details the multiple sins of God people. God had to remind them of his unfailing love. Whether its been being delivered out of the hands of Pharoah, kept 40 years in the wilderness or sustaining them up to the point.

Amos was a prophet up to the King Uzziah time. Yes the famous King that is referred to by Isaiah It was in the year that King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord high and lifted up.

Corruption has a way causing disease of sin to spread and be ignored.

God had warned them that he has shown his displeasure with pestilence and famine. Yet all that he had done had not changed their ways of the gloating and greed.

So this chapter opens the Virgin Israel has fallen. Even now the Lord cries come back to me.

I believe the Lord is saying the same thing to us. Come back to me. He shows us the series of unjust activities.

Its quite interesting that tomorrow this nation will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. holiday while at the same time inaugurating the 47 president of happens to be a 34 time convicted felon who has lied and cheated his way to hold the highest seat in the nation.

Before we fall apart by whats to come we should know the indictment that was on the people of Amos times. He says there will be wailing everywhere.

The wailing will because the people ignored God’s request of justice. Oppressing the poor, greed and evil was the norm.

Its like today we have become so comfortable with evil that we are like those Amos describes that those who are smart keep their mouths closed because they treat the righteous as dirt.

When you read chapter 5 you would think you are in 2025.

Cheating people with high rents, unfair wages, the righteous afraid even to speak up!

The Lord said he hates their offerings. Similar of what Isaiah said, 11  “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?

says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts;

I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. (Is 1:11).

Jeremiah said it this way: 20  What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba,

or sweet cane from a distant land?

Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,

nor your sacrifices pleasing to me. (Je 6:20).

We must know what the 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?

(Is 58:6–7).

Dr. King stood before that congregation speaking of justice. How the negro sanitation worker was being treated with disrespect and disdain. Many don’t know this but A couple of weeks before the strike, workers’ dissatisfaction reached new heights when two men, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were gruesomely killed while on the job. Cole and Walker had taken shelter from rain in the back of their truck because as negroes they were not allowed to sit his the truck with the white drivers, when it malfunctioned and both men were crushed to death.

The fatalities sparked outrage—workers had been lobbying the city in vain for properly functioning equipment. When the city then refused to provide compensation to the deceased workers’ families, workers walked off the job in disgust.

Yes injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!

Yes we may say I don’t care about the migrant but the migrants are not just Venezuelans or Mexicans but there are Haitians and African who are also seeking a better life in America. We just have to demand that resources are given fairly and justly. We can’t ignore the plight of the existing poor or the housing insecure. If there is money to send test flights to the moon that explode after lift off I sure we can find money to assist the poor.

As people of God we must demand justice. It that same speech Dr King said, It’s alright to talk about “long white robes over yonder,” in all of its symbolism. But ultimately people want some suits and dresses and shoes to wear down here. It’s alright to talk about “streets flowing with milk and honey,” but God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can’t eat three square meals a day. It’s alright to talk about the new Jerusalem, but one day, God’s preacher must talk about the New York, the new Atlanta, the new Philadelphia, the new Los Angeles, the new Memphis, Tennessee. Let me add Chicago south side and west side This is what we have to do.

Yes Dr. King had to remind the audience: Now the other thing we’ll have to do is this: Always anchor our external direct action with the power of economic withdrawal. Now, we are poor people, individually, we are poor when you compare us with white society in America. We are poor.

We are faced today with whether we will do as Micah 6:8 has called us to do Do Justly, Love Mercy and walk humbly with our God.

How does that look. Dr. King used the parable of who is your nrighbor and the man beaten and left on the road to Jericoh. The Priest and the Levit ignored his plight likely thinking if I stop what will happen to me? The Samaritan who assisted sacrificed time and money. He was identified as the neighbor. Today will we pursue justice?

That’s the question before you . Not, “If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?” The question is not, “If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?” “If I do no stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?”

That’s the question. Let us rise up with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation.

Dr King closes his last speech with recalling how he almost died when he was stabbed. The doctors said if he had sneezed he would have died. THe letter from the little girl who simply said she was glad he did not sneeze.

The eeriness of this speech is that it seems Dr. King knew this would be his last speech.

He closes the sermon like this:

And they were telling me, now it doesn’t matter now. It really doesn’t matter what happens now. I left Atlanta this morning, and as we got started on the plane, there were six of us, the pilot said over the public address system, “We are sorry for the delay, but we have Dr. Martin Luther King on the plane. And to be sure that all of the bags were checked, and to be sure that nothing would be wrong with the plane, we had to check out everything carefully. And we’ve had the plane protected and guarded all night.”

And then I got into Memphis. And some began to say that threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?

Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.