Justice in the Bible

Three points I would like to emphasize on the Justice in the New Testament are:

1) Magnificat: Revolutionary Protest

The Magnificat is a powerful hymn of praise by Mary in the book of Luke. It is

inspired by Mary’s trust in a promise brought upon by God of a time when the rich will be
overthrown and the poor will have risen. It is revolutionary because it is a hymn that
speaks of protest against the high and mighty. But this is not the hymn of just Mary, it is
ours as well.

In the first verse “My soul magnifies the Lord”, we are instruments of God. We must
find God in ourselves so that we might act like Him and look favorably upon the poor.
We are all called to magnify God’s power and share the gospel not just through words,
but also through action.

The idea behind Liberation theology is the same – that we are called to bring the
kingdom of God in the here and now, to bring about a fair and just world with a
preferential option for the poor and marginalized.

At present, we have experienced numerous calamities and natural disasters. But

after each storm, we see a manifestation of how people praise God – not only by singing
His praises but by actively helping our neighbor, aiding the poor, raising the lowly.

2) The Good Samaritan

Most of us, if not all, know what happened in the parable of the Good Samaritan. In
the parable, a clear message was conveyed to every Christian: love your neighbor. But
the message goes beyond that short phrase. Loving our neighbor also means
acknowledging that we are all made in the likeness of God, therefore having inherent
dignity – that labels do not pose as borders to help anyone in need. The Samaritan did
not let his being a Samaritan hinder him from recognizing the dignity of the person in
need of help.

To relate this in a more current setting, let us look into racial discrimination. For
decades, race has always been an issue. But independent of race, color, age, sexuality,
or gender, we must see in each other the dignity of a human person. There is no priest,
 Levite, nor Samaritan, no black nor white. We must see what God sees – that no person
is superior nor inferior.

3) Levi and Zacchaeus

In the gospel of Luke, there was always a tone of animosity towards the rich, with the
exception of Levi and Zacchaeus. Both were wealthy tax collectors who chose Jesus
and salvation over their worldly possessions. These stories both embody how justice in
the bible is not one-sided. It is not exclusive to the poor. It can extend even to the
sinners and the unjust. God’s version of justice is not the same justice as that of
retribution and punishment we have. It is one of restoration and healing – of fixing what
was once whole. It is an act of saving the world, as a whole, from sin.

This is in line with the principle of Promotion of Peace. As peace represents the
fullness of life and the goal of life in society, there can only be peace when there are no
more sides to society. Peace is the fruit of justice, and genuine justice comes from
forgiveness and healing, not from alienation and vengeance.

In the current setting, this principle can be illustrated by war. When two sides are at
war, there can only be devastation. But when hate and grudges are put aside and when
people choose to forgive and move past anger and resentment, war may never exist and
peace on earth will be restored.

Other points:

 The Beatitudes/ Eschatological Reversal

These are sets of sermons by Jesus about eschatological reversal – that the justice one
did in this life has implications in God’s kingdom.

 Jesus’ Mission of Justice

Jesus has stated in the book of Luke his mission – to preach good news to the poor – a
mission of both compassion and justice.

 Matthew and Luke: Two Perspectives

Matthew regards poor as “spiritually poor” whereas Luke refers to the “literal poor”.

 Justice and Mercy

 The parable of the Unmerciful servant tells the story of a servant under debt who was
pardoned, but failed to pardon a man indebted to him. Justice is forgiving others if we expect
God to forgive us all.

 Judgment and Marginalized

On the last judgment day, men will be divided between the just and the unjust. The
deciding factors would be generosity and compassion towards your neighbor.

 Luke’s Critique of Wealth/ The Rich Fool and the Young Man

Luke criticizes the rich not because they are rich but because of how riches turn people
against God, and how riches hold power over other people.

 Community Sharing

In the book of Acts, communities share with each other their possessions, food, and
lands. This manifests generosity, compassion, and justice.

 The Faith that Does Justice

There is an emphasis given on faith that does justice. For we are all God’s creations, we
are all entitled to justice, especially the oppressed, poor, and marginalized. God inspires
justice, and love not with words or speech, but with deed and truth.