Hutton 1 Ashley Hutton Dr.

Bret Kincaid INST270 Justice in a Pluralistic Society 13 September 2010 Analytical Reflections on Biblical Justice Typically, most people, even Christians, do not think of justice from a biblical standpoint. However, many passages throughout the Bible demonstrate how to live justly and how to promote economic wellbeing among all people. Those who live by biblical text should heed the words they read in order to know how to approach the important social issues and to understand how to deal with them. Leviticus 25 describes the year of the Sabbath and how the year of Jubilee works. Many verses in this passage illustrate ways of promoting justice among the Israelites. Moses instructs the people, through Gods words, never to take advantage of each other, but instead to help the poor and needy, (New International Version, Lev. 25.17, 35). Also, the Israelites are taught that the land belongs to the Lord therefore it cannot be sold permanently, (Lev. 25.23). They are to release any hired workers or temporary residents at the start of Jubilee. This passage of Scripture shows how means of social and economic justice were laid out for Gods people as early as the days of Moses. Deuteronomy 15 deals with the process of canceling debts at the end of every seven years. This was to help prevent people having endless debts that led them to becoming poor. It defines how there should not be poor people, but of course there will always be an impoverished group of people who will need to be helped.

Hutton 2 A very well known verse in the beginning of the book of Isaiah is a list of instructions for the Sodomites to live justly and repent. Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow (Isa. 1.10-17). Also, in Isaiah 58:1-9, are instructions on how to truly fast. It is meant to be a time to be completely focused and dedicated on humbling yourself. There are also teachings on how to take care of those in need: Is it not to share food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (Isa. 58.7). The book of Micah calls us to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (Mic. 6.8). Matthew 23:23-24 speaks out against the Pharisees who have ignored justice, mercy, and faithfulness, which they should be practicing, as they are important to the law. The second chapter of Acts speaks of the new believers who followed the apostles, sold all of their belongings, and gave to anyone who was in need. The fourth chapter talks about how these new believers lived as if they were of one heart and mind, therefore they shared everything together. Landowners and homeowners would bring their profits and lay them at the feet of the apostles so the money could be distributed among the needy. The way these new believers lived is almost a perfect example of how all people, but not only Christians, should live. Paul calls for generosity and equality to be encouraged for the Corinthians in 2 Cor. 8:115. He tests them to be like Christ who was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 8.9). Ron Sider addresses how to use these biblical truths to answer questions about dealing with social and economic justice. He describes how since God is the Lord over everything what He says in the Bible regarding justice is sovereign. The biblical understanding of the world and

Hutton 3 history, the nature of persons, the creation of wealth, the glory of work, and the reality of sin all significantly deepen our understanding of how to conquer poverty, (Sider 16). Dennis Hollinger describes God through the biblical passages as the foundation for human justice, God is portrayed as just in both character and action, (Hollinger 41). According to Hollinger, since the Lord loves justice, we need to love what He loves, therefore we need to love, and care for justice.

Hutton 4 Works Cited Bauer, Sandra, ed. Justice in a Pluralistic Society: A Reader. 4th ed. Littleton, MA: Tapestry, 2009. Print. The New Student Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1992. Print.