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mocked: for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap"
(Galatians 6:7).
Does this ,sound harsh? Does
the justice of the Bible seem too
rigid? Too unbending? Remem–
ber that God is also a God of
merey. But merey and justice are
not
the same. Befare you can
understand merey, you must un–
derstand justice.
Equal Justlce Under Law
The modern trend is to think that
justice is just another word for
equality.
Thus inequality in the
"distribution" of any of the good
things of life is supposedly un–
just.
The Bible reveals however that
justice and equality are not the
same. But justice does have
some–
thing
to do with equality. The
very discussion of justice which
God dictated to Ezekiel was
prompted by the ancient Israel–
ites' argument that "the way of
the Lord is not equal" (Ezekiel
18:25). God spent the better part
of a chapter demonstrating that
His ways really
were
"equal"
(verses 25 and 29).
But notice! Even though God's
ways are "equal," the various
people described in the chapter
do not get "identical" rewards.
They do not get the
same
reward.
They receive different rewards
according to what they deserve.
How then, are God's ways
"equal"?
·Because each is judged by
equal standards!
The equality of
God's ways is proportional equali–
ty. Each receives in equal propor–
tion to what he deserves.
That
is justice!
Now we can understand why
"God is no respecter of persons"
(Acts 10:34), and why it is a sin
for us to be (James 2:1-7). God
does not, unlike fallible human
judges, take into account
factors
which have nothing to do with
what you deserve.
The fact that you 're rich does
not mean that you should get
favors or special treatment. And,
the fact that you are poor does
not entitle you to any special
favors either. Thus God declared,
"Neither shalt thou countenance
8
a poor man in his cause" (Exodus
23:3). If you, as a poor person,
rob someone, you deserve to suf–
fer punishment just the same as if
you were rich.
If
you break a
promise, you should suffer the
same penalties as a rich man who
breaks a promise. The fact that
you are poor or rich, or in–
between has nothing to do with
what you deserve.
Likewise, it is also an abomina–
tion to disfavor the poor because
he is poor:
"Thou shalt not wrest the
judgment of thy poor in his
cause" (Exodus 23:6).
Nor should an arbitrary factor,
like who gets to the judge first,
determine rewards.
"He that is first in his own
cause seemeth just, but his neigh–
bor cometh and searcheth him"
(Proverbs 18: 17).
Because your adversary got a
chance to plead his case first does
not mean that you are any less
deserving!
Nor should social status, such
as whether one is an alien or an
orphan affect a reward or a pun–
ishment.
"Thou shalt not pervert the
judgment of the stranger, nor of
the fatherless ... " (Deuterono–
my 24:17).
If
a man deserves to
be protected from assault, or have
promises made to him kept, then
it should make
no di.fference
that
he was born in another country or
that his parents are dead.
But What ls Deserved?
Clearly, there is nothing unjust
with "inequality of result." Dif–
ferent people deserve different
things. In Ezekiel 18, one man
lives, because he deserves to,
another dies, likewise deserving.
The results are "unequal," but
just, because equal in merit.
But what do you
deserve?
In human affairs, people de–
serve what they voluntarily agree
to. When human affairs are regu–
lated by voluntary agreements–
such as contracts- then there is
justice.
The parable of the laborers in
the vineyard found in Matthew
iO
proves this.
In the early morning the em-
ployer made a contract with sorne
laborers to work in bis vineyard.
Both sides agreed on a certain
wage, and the laborers proceeded
to the vineyard to work (verse
2).
Later in the day, the employer
made another set of contracts
with another group of laborers.
The rate at which he agreed to
pay these laborers was many
times higher than the rate he
agreed to pay the workers hired
earlier that morning (verse 12),
though the ultimate sum was the
same.
Of course, this arrangement
provoked grumbling among those
hired at the lower rate. Did not
they deserve more, having "borne
the burden and heat of the day"
(verse 12)?
No, they did not. They got
what they bargained for.
"Friend," Christ has the em–
ployer replying to the disgruntled
laborer,
"1
did tbee no wrong:
didst not thou agree with me for a
penny?" (verse 13).
It was the agreement that
determined the justice of the
matter. The agreement was vol–
untary. No one forced anyone to
do anything.
And just as you deserve what
you gain through voluntary
agreement, so do you deserve to
keep what is yours against force
or fraud.
Once again the Bible gives us
the key examples:
For force, there is the parable
of the ewe lamb by which the
prophet Nathan caused King Da–
vid to realize bis own unjust con–
duct. In the parable, a rich man
just goes abead and takes by force
the only possession of a poor man,
a little ewe lamb which meant a
great deal to the poor man and his
family (11 Samuel 12:3-4). The
story so outraged David-as it
would any normal human being–
that he said the rich man was
wortby of death! (verse 5).
For fraud, there is the apostle
James' scathing rebuke against
rich landowners who do not honor
their promises, even when poor
laborers have relied on those
promises and worked for them.
"Go to now, ye rich men, weep
The
PLAIN TRUTH