Biblical Justice (1)

“You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 16.19, 20

A political football
We have been discussing various aspects of economic life, comparing grace economics, where God’s Law and Word play the primary shaping role, with the greed economics of getting and spending that characterizes much of life today.

The aspects of economic life we have been considering – government, taxes, property, commerce, borrowing and debt, inheritances, and so forth – all fall under the category of public policy. Public policy describes the terms, conditions, ends, and ground rules by which people conduct their lives in community and in the larger society. As we might expect, public policy in an economy of grace and truth will differ from what we find in an economy of getting and spending.

At times it can seem as if public policy in America is little more than a political football to be kicked toward one goal or another, depending on which outcomes the electorate will cheer. In the American political arena today, public policy is often used as a tool of political power, rather than as a means to advance the common weal. But shouldn’t public policy have the interests and wellbeing of the public as its primary focus? If public policy is to escape the grip of political power, it must have a focus and goal that transcend politics. And these must be agreed to by all who are concerned with the common weal.

As we know, however, achieving consensus on public policy objectives can be very difficult where political ends cloud the conversation.

So what is, or rather, what should be the goal of public policy? That is, what should they who have been entrusted with making public policy seek as its proper outcome?

We can find some help in thinking about this question by turning to the teaching of the Bible. Our text forbids making public policy the tool of special interests by warning against partiality and bribes. Public policies are not to be made because they favor one group over another, to the advantage or aggrandizement of policy-makers. It is only because of the common grace of God that public policy, which is always tainted by partiality, favoritism, or catering to special interests, is able to serve the public good to the extent it does.

Justice
The goal of public policy, according to the Law of God, is justice, not the satisfaction of various interest groups and their political puppets. It is precisely this objective that must guide social and cultural life within the Kingdom economy.

This is easy to say, yet it can be difficult to achieve within the framework of those who are seeking the Kingdom economy, much less among those whose policy positions are influenced by self- or party-interests.

It’s difficult to see how policy-makers in American government can keep from bending policies to special interests when (a) lobbyists take up so much time and demand so much of the attention of policy-makers, and (b) corporations and other moneyed interests play such a significant role in political campaign funding. These two institutions – the lobby and political campaign contributions – invite policy-making according to interests, if not outright bribes. Partiality is the order of the day in American politics.

Achieving justice
Can we achieve justice nonetheless? Yes, if we are willing to guard the policy-making process. Since justice is a function of the decisions of people, the best solution to overcoming the sinfulness which has become entrenched in the American public-policy system is to elect people to office who understand and embody the principles and practices of Biblical justice, and who can show a credible record of justice in all aspects of their lives.

At the same time, we must work for reforms in campaign financing and the work of lobbyists, that can help to ensure that policy-makers are swayed neither by the interests of their supporters or their own interests, but by the requirements of justice, first and always.

Any practices that transgress the boundaries of justice and can be demonstrated to be motivated primarily by self-interest, party agendas, or special interests should be regarded as perversions. They should be challenged publicly and in the courts where possible, and corrected according to the terms and demands of justice – which may include the exercise of justice against those who have perverted the public-policy process.

But all this talk of justice only begs the question: What is justice?

For reflection or discussion
1. How would you define justice? What are the sources of your definition?

2. Would you say that ours is a just or an unjust society? Explain.

3. What are some factors that make it difficult to improve the work of justice in our society? Should Christians be trying to mitigate these factors? In what ways?

Next steps – Conversation: Do your Christian friends understand what justice is? Why not ask a few of them? See how many definitions of justice you can gather. Do they agree? Disagree? Can the people you interview support those definitions from the Word of God (2 Tim. 3.15-17)? Based on this exercise, what’s your take on the state of justice among the members of the Christian community?

T. M. Moore

This week’s ReVision study is Part 8 of a 10-part series, “The Kingdom Economy.” You can download “Biblical Justice” as a free PDF, prepared for personal or group study. Simply click here. For a background study of Kingdom economics, order the book, The Kingdom Turn,  from our online store, and learn what it means to enter the Kingdom, not just talk about it.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.