Acts 25:12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
In the last several years we have heard a number of high profile issues being sent to the courts in this country. Individual judges have been able to stop a whole range of legislation through the use of injunctions. These injunctions have prevented laws from being put into effect and have subjugated the will of the people to the political leanings of individual judges.
Or at least that is how I see it. But judges are people also. They can be swayed by pressure from outside groups and political pressure. Their own judicial philosophy, originalist or progressivist, certainly affect their rulings.
Festus was the new Governor in Caesarea. Almost immediately he interrupts Paul’s long wait for justice. Paul has been held for two years by his predecessor in hopes of a bribe. No bribe came. Now Festus is going to make his mark on the position he has just assumed.
But he faces political pressure from the Jews in Jerusalem, pressure no new Governor wants. They want to move Paul in the hopes of killing him along the way to trial. They are willing to “help” Festus by removing this thorn in the Jewish side.
But Paul wants justice. He isn’t willing to yield to the whim of judicial pressure. He wants justice, which would mean an immediate trial and dismissal, since there is not evidence against him. So he pushing for the trial to start immediately.
Paul is, after all, standing right in front of the Judge in the Roman judicial system. The Jews are present. Perfect time for a trial.
But Festus just wants the problem to go away. He wants to listen to the pressure from the Jews and grant their desire. Make the headache go away. I just started my duties here, and already I am having to clean up after my predecessor’s incompetence.
But Paul knows a fair trial will not happen, if he goes to Jerusalem. And as a Roman citizen, he has certain rights, so he uses that right to “appeal to Caesar.”
Today we would say, “I will take this all the way to the Supreme Court,” if we knew justice was not being served. Caesar was the highest authority in the Roman Empire. Appealing to him was every citizen’s right.
How far are we willing to go to get justice? For ourselves? For others? And what does justice look like? $27,000,000 dollars? Would that be justice? Everyone getting exactly the same results in every circumstance? Justice?
Paul never got justice for himself. His journey through the Roman system, the best in the world at that time, was filled with delays and unexplained sidesteps. But Paul made the best use of these delays.
So next time you see injustice, are you going to “appeal to Caesar”? Are you going to call a “Hail Mary pass”? Will you stomp your feet and complain about the situation? What are you going to do?
Injustice will come. That is what this world is about. That is the norm. Justice is the exception, if justice is even possible here in this life.
But one day, we will stand before the Judge of the Universe and there we will get justice. For Believers, Jesus already satisfied the justice we deserve. He took the penalty for our sin. So justice has been served and we will receive mercy.
The Arnold Journey 