What is Justice?

on

Justice.

A concept that every aspiring lawyer should have perfectly grasped before navigating the shaky world of legal and ethical dilemmas. But what is it, really?

"What is justice?" He asked. He challenged me a lot. Whatever stand I had, he opposed. 

At that point, I hadn't really taken the time to define what justice is. Silly, I know. 

But then before we look into the online definitions, we should refer to the law that settles all; the Word of God.

Psalm 9:7–8: “The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.”

I had always believed that God was gracious and merciful; that He came down and died even for the most sinful.

When I was studying about integrity, I stumbled upon the story of Ananias and Sapphira. At that time, I understood it perfectly. No questions asked. But when my life was falling apart, I couldn't help but see the injustices and question God's idea of justice. He is a just God, but how does He decide what is just?

In law school, legal concepts are elucidated through specific cases and how the law is applied based on the facts. 

So let's take a look at two different cases of how God showed justice in the Bible:

1. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–11 (NIV)

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?

Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.

Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

The Bible does not explicitly mention any specific ministry or role of Ananias and Sapphira within the early church. From the account in Acts 5:1-11, it seems they were members of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. They participated in the communal practice of sharing possessions, as described in Acts 4:32-37, where believers voluntarily sold their properties and laid the proceeds at the apostles' feet to support those in need.

Their Possible Role in the Early Church:

  1. Participants in the Community of Believers: Ananias and Sapphira were likely part of the broader fellowship of early Christians. This group was characterized by unity and generosity, as the believers shared everything they had (Acts 4:32).

  2. Desire for Recognition: Their act of deceit suggests that they may have wanted to appear as generous and devoted as others, like Barnabas, who had sold property and donated all the proceeds to the church (Acts 4:36-37). However, their motives were tainted by dishonesty and self-promotion.

  3. Lesson on Integrity: While they did not hold a specific ministry or leadership position, their story served as a solemn warning to the entire church about the seriousness of sin, especially hypocrisy and lying to the Holy Spirit.


Now let's take a look at God's radical take on justice.


2. Jesus taking Barabbas's sentence

Jesus had never sinned in all of the days of his life here on Earth. And yet, his precious life was substituted for an unrepentant, non-believer, thief, insurrectionist, and murderer.

Mark 15:7

"A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising."; Also in Luke 23:19.


Matthew 27:15-26 (NIV)

Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.

At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas.

So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have 
Jesus executed.

“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. 

“It is your responsibility!”

All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.


This act symbolizes the gospel truth that Jesus takes the punishment for sinners, offering them freedom and redemption despite their guilt (Isaiah 53:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

Barabbas represents every person who has sinned but is offered grace through Jesus Christ.


When you look at the two Biblical accounts of how God had shown justice, I couldn't help but deem God's justice as relative. Ananias and Sapphira were believers supporting the ministry and their gravest sins that cost them their lives instantaneously were hypocrisy and lying to the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, Jesus took the place of an unrepentant, non-believer, thief, insurrectionist, and murderer.


At first glance, these two stories might seem to reflect a relative or inconsistent application of justice. However, when viewed through the lens of God's purposes and character, these situations illuminate deeper truths about divine justice, grace, and the broader redemptive story.

1. Ananias and Sapphira: Justice and Holiness

  • The Context: In Acts 5:1-11, Ananias and Sapphira’s sin was not merely lying but attempting to deceive God and the early church community. This was a crucial time for the establishment of the church, and their actions threatened its purity and integrity.
  • God’s Justice: Their immediate punishment demonstrates God’s holiness and intolerance of sin within His people, especially when it undermines His mission.
    • "For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17)
  • Lesson: This event underscores the seriousness of sin, particularly within the body of believers, where hypocrisy and deceit can have widespread consequences.

2. Barabbas: Grace and Redemption

  • The Context: Barabbas was guilty of serious crimes (Mark 15:7), yet he was released while Jesus, the innocent Son of God, took his place. This reflects the heart of the gospel message: Jesus died for sinners, the undeserving, and the unrepentant.
    • "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
  • God’s Grace: Barabbas’s release illustrates God’s mercy and the substitutionary nature of Jesus’s sacrifice. It also highlights that divine justice and grace often work together in ways that transcend human understanding.

3. Apparent Relativity vs. Divine Purpose

What seems like relative justice—strict punishment for Ananias and Sapphira versus mercy for Barabbas—can be understood when viewed through these lenses:

  • Holiness vs. Redemption: In the case of Ananias and Sapphira, God’s justice highlights His holiness and the need for reverence within the church. With Barabbas, God’s mercy demonstrates His redemptive plan for sinners.
  • Individual Accountability: Ananias and Sapphira, as believers, were held to a higher standard because they knowingly sinned against the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:48). Barabbas, though unrepentant, represents humanity’s need for salvation.
  • God’s Sovereign Plan: Each story serves a specific purpose in God’s overarching narrative. Ananias and Sapphira’s judgment preserved the church’s purity, while Jesus’s substitution for Barabbas foreshadowed the atonement available to all.

4. Key Takeaway

Justice may seem relative from a human perspective because we are limited in understanding God’s purposes. However, divine justice is consistent because it is always aligned with God’s character—holy, merciful, and sovereign.

  • For believers, like Ananias and Sapphira, God’s justice is a call to accountability and reverence.
  • For unbelievers, like Barabbas, it’s an invitation to receive grace and redemption.

This duality reflects the fullness of God’s justice: perfect holiness paired with boundless mercy. Far from being relative, it reveals a God who is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26).







Comments

Post a Comment