Chapter 2: Biblical Basis of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation

The Society of the Divine Word (SVD) curia came up with a manual for promoters of
Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation. The manual in its introduction has these words “the
Biblical message is basically a message of LIFE, of HOPE, of JUSTICE, of PEACE. A re-reading
or a re-interpretation of the Bible is necessary in order to discover the biblical theme of Justice as
Right Relationships which runs like a thread all through the Bible.

In the Bible, God repeatedly takes the initiative to reveal himself as Love and Compassion
because of his desire to establish profound relationships:

 between himself and his creatures;

 among peoples; and
 between people and the rest of Creation.”

This clearly manifest that justice, peace, and integrity of creation are based on God’s
attributes; love and compassion. It where God’s relationship with His creatures, the relationship
among peoples, and the relationship between people with the rest of God’s creation is interwoven.

Biblical Citations of God’s relationship with His Creatures

“And Yahweh came down in a cloud and stood there with him, and Moses called on the name
of Yahweh.

Then Yahweh passed in front of him and cried out, “Yahweh, Yahweh is a God full of pity and
mercy, slow to anger and abounding in truth and loving-kindness. He shows loving-kindness to
the thousandth generation and forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin; yet He does not leave the
guilty without punishment, even punishing the children and their children for the sin of the fathers
to the third and fourth generation (Ex. 34:5-7).

“Yahweh appeared from afar saying, I have loved you with a love everlasting, so I have kept
for you my mercy. I will restore you again, and you shall be rebuild, O virgin Israel! (Jer. 31:3-4).

“But Zion said: ‘Yahweh has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a woman forget
the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child of her womb? Yet though she forget,
I will never forget you. See, I have written your name upon the palm of my hands, your walls are
ever before me” (Isa. 49:14-16).

In the New Testament, we have the following citations which are expressed in parables:

We have three parables in the New Testament that clearly point to a new understanding of
relationship between God and people, a relationship based on a new world order of Justice as
conceived by Jesus.

1) Mt 18:21-35: The Parable of the Merciful Master: the mercy of the Master is extraordinary, for
He does not act according to human standards. He shows compassion to His servant who pleads
for mercy and cancels all his debt.

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2) Mt 20:1-16: The parable of the Compassionate Employer: The owner of the vineyard is
concerned about the unemployed. We are told that several times during the day he goes in search
of them, inviting them to work in his vineyard. His preoccupation was not to get the work done,
but to ensure that the workers received sufficient pay to ensure a decent life for their respective
families. God’s justice is according to people’s needs.

3) Lk 15:11-32: The parable of the Understanding Father: He was unusually understanding of his
young son who wanted to go away on an adventure. In agreeing to this he knew the risk he was
taking as a father. When his son eventually returned to the house, the father asks for no
explanations; he only showers love and mercy on him. When the elder son reacts angrily to the
father’s attitude towards his younger brother, the father gently explains to him that all that matters
is that the younger brother has been “found” again with new life.

The above three parables reflect the biblical concept of justice understood as “right relationships”,
of mercy, compassion, understanding, forgiveness.

God is on the side of the poor because they are poor and discriminated against. That is who
God is, and what God’s Covenant is all about: a pact with the poor that they be able to live as
brothers and sisters in an egalitarian community of faith. God does not idealise the poor. God is
not against the rich or powerful: God is against the structures of society that place the rich and
powerful against the poor and dispossessed of the earth. God saves all.

Biblical Citations of Relationship among Peoples

The subsequent Biblical citations reveal God’s favor to the orphans, widows, strangers, poor,
and the needy:

“You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You
shall not harm the widow or the orphan. If you do harm them and they cry out to me, I will hear
them and my anger will blaze and I will kill you with the sword, and your own wives will be widows
and your own children orphans” (Ex. 22: 20-23).

“If you have taken as pledge the cloak of a poor man, you shall not keep it overnight, you shall
return it to him when the sun goes down that he may sleep in his cloak. Then the poor shall bless
you and you shall be righteous in the eyes of Yahweh, your God.

Do not exploit the lowly and the poor daily-wage earner, whether he be one of your brothers
or a foreigner whom you find in your land in any of your cities. Pay him daily before the sun goes
down, because he is poor and he depends on his earnings. Then he will not cry to Yahweh
against you, and you will have no sin” (Deut. 24:12-15).

“Do not deny justice to any of your poor in a lawsuit. Keep away from lies. Do not slay the
innocent or the just, for I will not forgive the wicked” (Ex. 23:6-7).

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 Jesus’ Relationships with People

In many different instances Jesus’ is caught having encounter with people with different walks
of life:

“A leper came to Jesus and begged him, ‘If you so will, you can make me clean.” Moved with
pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” The leprosy left the
man at once and he was made clean” (Mk. 1: 40-42).

“One Sabbath He was walking through grain fields. As His disciples walked along with Him,
they began to pick the heads of grain and crush them in their hands. Then the Pharisees said to
Jesus, “Look! They are doing what is forbidden on the Sabbath!”

And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did in his time of need, when he and
his men were very hungry? He went into the house of God when Abiathar was High Priest and
ate the bread of offering, which only the priests are allowed to eat, and he also gave some to the
men who were with him.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man
for the Sabbath” (Mk. 2: 23-27).

Jesus’ relationships with people

The subsequent statements are Jesus’ reactions with His direct encounter with people of
different walks of life

A leper came to him... Jesus is moved with pity... Mk 1,41:

On a Sabbath day, his disciples were hungry... he let them “break the Sabbath” so that they
can eat... He relativises the Law: compassion is more important than the law. Mk 2,23:
To save life, to promote life is more important than the law... Mk 3, 1 ff:
“I have compassion on the crowd...” (Feeding of the four thousand) Mk 8,2:
You shall love the Lord... you shall love your neighbor as yourself... to love one’s neighbor is
much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mk 12, 28-34:
Jesus does not exclude anyone Mk 2 : 15:
Compassion on the blind Mt 9: 27-28:
Love of neighbor. Mt 22: 37-39:
Forgiveness of others Mt 18:21; Lk 17:4:
Cure of the Sick. Lk 6: 6-11:
Attitude towards marginalized women Lk 7: 36-50; Jn 4: 7-39:.
Appreciation of faith of non-Jews Lk 7: 9:
Compassion towards “sinners” Jn 8: 1-11:

Jesus’ relationship with people crossed all barriers:

 Barriers of race - Samaritans

 Barriers of gender - time and time again he acknowledges women as persons and as
partners in mission
 Barriers of culture - accepting the mixed, hybrid culture of Galilee and Decapolis
 Barriers of religion - against the formal religious structure of the Jerusalem Temple
 Barriers of age - accepting children

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  Barriers of so-called outcasts - accepting political outcasts such as licensed tax gatherers,
social outcasts such as lepers, religious outcasts such as prostitutes.

Jesus’ life and mission was a constant threat to the status quo:

In a society that was politically colonized, socially patriarchal, religiously conservative, Jesus
introduced an alternative kind of relationship with God and others:

 Jesus breaks the Sabbath whenever human need demands it: Sabbath controversies: Mk
2:23-28; 3:1-6; Lk 13:10-17; Jn 5:1-18; 9:1-34
 Jesus gives women their rightful place: Lk 8:2; Jn 4:4-42; Lk 7:36-50; Mk 3:11; Mk 15:4-
41, 47; 16:1-8
 Jesus gave importance to universal table fellowship, breaking through social, cultural,
religious, gender and political taboos.
 Jesus’ community was built upon: (i) the “two words”, Mt. 22:36-40; (ii) the eight
beatitudes, Mt.5:1-12.
 The “spiritual gospel” and the “material gospel” were in Jesus one gospel.

Relationship between human beings and environment

I. Relationship with the land:

Here are some Old Testament Biblical citations of humans’ relations with the environment:

For six years you will sow your fields and reap their produce, but in the seventh you will
let the land rest and lie fallow. The poor may eat what it produces and what they leave the wild
animals will eat. It will be the same for your vineyard and your olive grove (Ex. 23:10-11).

Yahweh spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai: “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you
enter the land I am giving you, let the land rest for Yahweh every seventh year. For six years you
shall sow your field, prune your vineyard and harvest produce, but in the seventh year the land
shall have a rest, or Sabbath, a Sabbath for Yahweh. You shall not sow your field nor prune your
vineyard; you shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest nor gather the grapes of your
uncultivated vines.

This shall be a year of rest for the land, but whatever it produces of itself will provide food
for you, for your males and female slaves, for your hired servant and for the stranger who lives
with you.

Its produce will likewise provide food for your livestock and for the wild animals (Lev. 25:1-
7). These two biblical passages emphasizes on resting the land every seventh year.

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 II. Relationship with animals:

“If you see your enemy’s ox or donkey going astray, take it back to him. When you see
the donkey of a man who hates you falling under its load, do not pass by but help him (Ex. 23:4-
5).

“Whales and fishes, praise and exalt Him for ever. All birds of heaven, praise and exalt
Him for ever. Animals wild and tame praise and exalt Him for ever (Dn. 3: 79-81).

“You make springs gush forth in valleys winding among mountains and hills, giving drink
to the beasts of the field, quenching the thirst of wild donkeys. Birds build their nests close by
and sing among the branches of trees. You water the mountains from your abode and fill the
earth with the fruit of your work. You make grass grow for cattle and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth (Ps. 104: 10-14).

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Activity 2

Reflection:

Once upon a time, there was a very poor girl, but nobody loved her. The girl lived alone,
but she needed to have a friend. After some time, she met a very rich girl who was a very humble
person. They began to talk and soon became very good friends. They were very close friends
and had much affection for each other. The poor girl didn't have parents nor a house to sleep in,
so the rich girl decided to invite her friend to live in her house as they had a good friendship.

From that moment on, everybody understood that the rich girl had valued her friendship
and had shown great affection for her new friend and she was worried about her safety. The two
girls were always together and never argued and lived happily ever after.

Once the rich girl got ill, she suffered from a high fever for long days and thus was admitted
to the hospital. She had been suffering from a high fever for a long time. She had got more critical,
and doctors said that she is having low hemoglobin in her body and immediately blood needed to
be transferred to her body. At that time nobody's blood group matched hers but only the poor girl's
blood group matched.

If you are the poor girl, what action you would take? And why? Write your answer within
5-10 sentences

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