We're going to be posting a few articles written by Dr. Joel Houston for International Justice Mission (IJM). We think you'll find them informative and inspiring. Below, Mark Wollenberg introduces the articles and at the bottom is a link to the first Jesus + Justice article.
Mark writes:
I have so appreciated the language that I have been hearing through out the Vineyard in Canada about being a people who seek first God's Kingdom and his justice on the earth...The Jesus Way.
One of my observations from both being a pastor of a local Vineyard churches, and more recently as National Director for Church Mobilization with IJM Canada is that it is essential to find our call for the pursuit of justice from the teachings and example of Jesus.
We are to pursue justice not simply as an end in itself, but because we love Jesus and his kingdom, which is marked by justice. If we authentically are going to give our lives to the things that Jesus said were the important matters (Matt 23:23; justice, mercy, faithfulness) then justice seeking must be present in our kingdom communities.
As I work with churches and denominations across Canada one of my main priorities is to help unearth the riches of the priority of justice we often overlook or don't see in the gospels.
To help in the teaching and articulating of the connection of Jesus + Justice I have asked a good friend to do quarterly articles for IJM Canada that bring some new insights on the Jesus way of pursuing justice.
Dr. Joel Houston will write 4 articles this year from the gospel of Luke, which IJM Canada is sharing with the Canadian church. Joel grounds these articles in the Magnificat of Mary in Luke 1:52-53, where we are given this image of the lifting of the humble and hungry, and also the removing of the mighty from their thrones.
I want to share these articles with my Canadian Vineyard family and hope that they will assist us in our articulating of the Jesus Way of justice. I hope that you will find these resources helpful to you and if you have any further thoughts or insights from the articles please feel free to share them with others.
For the Jesus Way,
Jesus + Justice article 1: "Zacchaeus' Salvation, and Ours"
