Generous Justice

I am reading Tim Keller’s new book; “Generous Justice” and what a wonderful, yet challenging read. This book is convicting while at the same time very encouraging. Keller explains that while we have been made just by the grace of God; we should out of loving gratitude help to provide justice in the world. Keller early on in the book says; “there is a direct relationship between a person’s grasp and experience of God’s grace, and his or her heart for justice and the poor.”

This book is serving its purpose, it is causing me to examine things, to question, to think, to study and hopefully spurring me to change. I am only half complete in reading this fine work, yet already I am writing about it. I am learning.

Keller does a great job helping us to understand what justice really is from a biblical perspective and explains that there are several sides to a proper understanding. Keller points us to Micah 6:8 which says;

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Keller points out that from this verse there is action; we are to act justly to others, but there is an attitude component as well as we must love mercy. Keller says then to humbly walk with God we must do justice out of merciful love. So, once we have the attitude perspective we can then move on to what exactly is doing justice?

In Hebrew there are two words used for justice the first is mishpat and it means providing care for the vulnerable no matter what that care might be; many places in the bible mishpat is used to describe taking up the care and cause of widows, orphans, immigrants and the poor. But wait; there is another side to justice. Keller points out that there is a second Hebrew word that can be translated as being just or being righteous; tzadeqah. This word refers to having a life of right relationships.

Keller points out that Bible scholar Alec Motyer defines this as “being right with God and therefore committed to putting right all other relationships in life…when most modern people see the word righteousness in the Bible, they tend to think of it in terms of private morality…But in the Bible tzadeqah refers to day-to-day living in which a person conducts all relationships in family and society with fairness, generosity and equity.”

So for now that is the challenge for me; to examine my relationships; all my relationships to look for fairness, generosity and equity. Again, very convicting yet somehow so encouraging. There is so much more to this book…I dare you to read it.

Grace and Peace!