IMPARTIALLY PARTIAL - C: 30th Sun in OrdTime

First Reading: Sir 35:15-17, 20-22 (23 October 2022)

“The Lord is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed” (Sir 35:15-16).

Ben Sira, the author of Sirach/Ecclesiasticus, expresses in our first reading that God is an impartial deity as evinced in his fair dealings on cases calling for justice. Particularly, God supports the victory of the one who is correct in a dispute but brings defeat to his/her adversary who is at fault or mistaken. It only testifies that God is a righteous judge (v. 14).

However, the second half of verse 12 negates this claim. It states instead that God especially “hears the cry of the oppressed.” In the succeeding verses, God’s partiality in favor of the marginalized can be openly detected, viz., “The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint” (v. 17) and “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal” (v. 21). These statements only state that the supplications of the orphan, widow, and the lowly are inevitably answered by God, regardless of whether what they ask is good, beneficial, and just. In this sense, God can be considered a God of partiality, who favors the poor by default whenever they pray and ask something from him.

This elaboration informs us of the paradox in God’s identity, where he is depicted as just and merciful at the same time! It denotes that his essence is built around his polarized attributes of being both impartial and partial, just and merciful, a judge and a father, or a ruler and a shepherd. Regardless of this complication, God’s hybrid image ought to serve as our paradigm in day-to-day living. It teaches us by analogy that we cannot be too concerned of the strict observance of traditions, nor be overconsumed with the pursuit of a utopic world to the point that the so-called little ones are left behind.

While it is important to implement rules and strive for perfection, it should be borne in mind that human laws are created at the service of the divine order that is centered around the chief values of love, good-heartedness, and compassion.

This perceived tension between legalism and empathy calls for a balanced approach in social relations. However, the problem in our society nowadays is that the marginalization of the weak has been endemic and systemic at all facets of Filipino living. As the oppression of the weak has been deeply embedded in the Philippine system, the poor become perennial victims of the rich, powerful, and influential sectors. Given that the latter have the critical advantages at all fonts—social, economic, cultural, religious, and political aspects of life—it is almost impossible for those in the fringes of the society to negotiate their fair share of things. More importantly, the underprivileged do not have access to a just platform to express their concerns. Who would listen to a non-celebrity? Who would take seriously the words of one who is improperly educated nor eloquent in the use of the English language? Who would invest in the difficulty of the penniless? Most think that advocating their plight only incurs more troubles, expenses, embarrassment, and public pressures. If so, why should we bother in helping them?

Indeed, God remains impartial, but when the societal system is the one that is impartial, God has no choice but to challenge this rotten system and act deliberately in favor of the oppressed (cf. v. 22).

Let us, then, promote the same disposition in our social dealings in our communities.

- Rex Fortes, CM