That is, Jesus should be our interpretive principle for what justice looks like. It is now. During the time of Jesus, the Temple was the religious, political, and economic center of Jerusalem. He was not just concerned about our spiritual lives. Jesus taught his followers that those who live good lives and follow his teachings will be rewarded with eternal life in God’s kingdom. Jesus obeyed God unto death and became sin so that sinful men might be counted righteous. And what does belong to God? Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be filled. Let’s look at the Sermon on the Mount. Key Verse: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”. Furthermore, the Bible supports the notion of social justice in which concern and care are shown to the plight of the poor and afflicted (Deuteronomy 10:18; 24:17; 27:19). He exposed the evil of racial prejudice by fellowshipping with Samaritans and Gentiles, and He even praised them in His teachings. When Jesus says to give to God what is God’s he is making a political statement. He did not deserve their ultimate loyalty. First, some Christians say that social justice is a perversion of the Gospel, and that rather than seek to engage in social justice issues, we should instead just preach the Gospel. The Bible teaches that God is a God of justice. Jesus, not the Bible, is God's living and active Word that brings life. Conclusion. Jesus indicated that the Kingdom would do away with the greatest injustice by sanctifying, or making holy, the name of Jehovah God and clearing it of all the reproach that Satan has heaped upon it since the rebellion in Eden. As Obrey Hendricks states in his book, The Politics of Jesus, “That is why what seems to have been simply a burst of outrage against wayward merchants was in reality much, much more: it was a very public attack aimed at Israel’s center of power. That claim is an act of political subversion. He boldly spoke out against inequality, helped the oppressed, condemned the … If you would judge Jesus Christ by some of those who profess to follow Him, you might think that Jesus would be an advocate of individuals’ expression of disdain and even hatred toward their enemies and of nations’ r… In closing, the lesson teaches us about “tradition” and “new thinking” and that our actions are to provide for humanity and not honor misconstrued laws so that we may live in the spirit of the law. No Comments. But once again, that misses the whole point. But that misses the point. The vested interest, or the agenda, was to translate the Bible in such a way that did not inspire the people to act with justice. When Christians look at justice, Jesus should be our interpretive principle. The Temple was not just about religion and spirituality. There was no “separation of church and state” during this time. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. That word can be translated as righteousness, which has strong connotations of having a right relationship with God. Even more, the claim of kingship while Herod was king was an act of political treason. 114, emphasis in the original.). Jesus even called Herod a fox, which was not a term of endearment! Christians need to interpret the concept of justice through the eyes of Jesus. It is only because of Christ’s obedience to suffer injustice that we have an advocate before God and the forgiveness purchased by His blood. There are many Christians who claim that Jesus didn’t care about politics or justice. The thing that mattered to Jesus more than anything else is that you repent of your sins so that you can go to heaven when you die. Sex Trafficking: the Story of a Young Girl, the Problem of a Generation. He says, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Many point to this story to claim that Jesus wasn’t concerned with justice and that he was apolitical. You will never be filled with the Kingdom of God if you just emphasize one over the other. But Jesus calls us to take sides in the nonviolent pursuit of justice. The New Testament claims that Jesus was the true king, the true Messiah. In this sense, Jesus is saying that those who hunger and thirst for a better relationship with God will be filled. I was doing some research this afternoon about how to teach kids about justice from a Christian perspective. The Emperor is not God. Jesus lives right and makes life right with others. Jesus emphasized restorative justice, not punitive justice. Catholic Social Teaching & Restorative Justice Written by Susan Sharpe, Ph.D. and adapted for Catholic Mobilizing Network. And when we claim to follow Jesus, we are disciples of justice. It is crucial that we keep this double meaning of dikaiosune in mind. He sided with the poor, the weak, and the marginalized. The Temple was as much a political and economic institution as it was a religious institution. The emperor used his status as a god to justify and enforce his will in unjust ways. But what does belong to the emperor? Powered by Knownhost and the Genesis Framework. Following the King James Version, most English translation of the Greek text translate Matthew 5:6 as. 14 Jesus did more than teach about love. He was not God. Based on these teachings, Jews have regarded the practice of justice and the seeking of a just society as Divine imperatives. In the original Greek, the word righteousness is dikaiosune. Emphasizing righteousness with God, as opposed to justice for marginalized, would allow the King’s power structure to go unquestioned. And so the question is, “What belongs to God?” The answer is everything. For you can’t seek righteousness with God without seeking justice with other people. Some will point to the scene where Jesus was asked about paying taxes. Consider three ways in which Jesus’ example made clear what justice is. “Scripture plus” or “Scripture minus” is no good. It is here. In other words, it was an overtly political act” (pg. S power structure to go unquestioned his teachings find many resources on the methods direct. Who claim that Jesus taught religious, political, and weep with those who hunger and thirst justice... Right relationship with God without seeking justice with other people all wise people who know path. That God is a God to justify and enforce his will in unjust ways an spiritual! 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