A: 26th Sun of OrdTime (27 Sept 2020) - WHAT IS BIBLICAL JUSTICE? (Ezek 18:25-28)

“Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?” (Ezek 18:26).

Imagine yourself inside a jampacked sports arena watching a tightly contested game. At the dying seconds of the match, you notice several people clasping their hands, praying earnestly with their eyes closed for the victory of their team. But you see the same thing transpiring in the opposing camp as their supporters are vigorously interceding for their triumph as well. If you are in the position of God to whom they ask their petitions, how can you grant both their wishes that will not violate the essence of sports where one team wins and the other loses?

God is always in a no-win predicament as he cannot essentially give in to all supplications. As he is thanked by one group for heeding at their plea, he is detested by the other for turning down their request. Thus, in order for him to act fairly, God must make decisions according to his providential wisdom … choices that can benefit the whole world and not only a minority.

In our reading today, God is being blamed for bringing catastrophe to the Jewish people: “The way of the Lord is not just” (Ezek 18:25). For having lost their revered temple, their glorious city, and their prized independence, the Jewish people were in the blaming game. They incriminated God for bringing about their collective downfall despite their concerted efforts to worship him in Jerusalem. Worse is that their enemies prospered at their cost. How can they, the so-called Chosen People, be abandoned by God with whom they sealed a lasting covenant?

What they expected from God is to guarantee their perpetual wealth, success, and supremacy in the ancient near east. However, if they were in their enemies’ shoes, they should realize that every defeat in battle is an added ill-feeling against God. Yet, if the table is turned upside-down, the other party would bear the same grudge. Truly, God can never please everybody. The only thing he can really do is to act fairly, which means that he makes decisions that are for the greater good of all, not only of one generation but of the next as well.

The Hebrew word used in the text of Ezekiel is “takan” (vv. 25, 29) which ordinarily means “to weigh, regulate, put right” (cf. KM Hebrew Dictionary ). What is noteworthy here is that the act of performing justice is not only based on equity and fairness but on putting something right. From our human experiences, we know that correcting a stubborn person needs not always be performed in a punitive manner. Sometimes, a gentle smile or tap can be more efficient, or a fraternal correction can strike a lifelong transformation than harsh words and deeds. When God allowed Israel’s enemies to be victorious, maybe he was programmatically extending mercy to these alien people who needed, too, God’s assurance of care and attention.

The Eerdmans Dictionary gives us a fitting explanation of the notion of biblical justice as follows: “In a philosophical sense, justice is understood as fairness, correct treatment, or equitable distribution of resources, but biblical justice is more than a mathematical distribution of goods. The Bible speaks of justice as a chief attribute of God, with biblical justice inextricably tied to God’s mercy and grounded in the relationship between God and mankind.”

Biblical justice is aimed at bringing everybody to heaven … by extending God’s compassion to saints and sinners alike. We may at this moment be in the losing side of life but rest assured that all who remain faithful to him and repent their evil ways will end up victorious. Remember that God’s promised reward is not a single trophy, but a state of universal happiness for all.

- Rex Fortes, CM