Chapter 4
The Catholic Social Vision: The Bible
Introduction
In explaining the grounding from where to theologically “judge” contemporary reality, this
chapter delves into the Bible and lays out what scripture has to say about what characterizes a
just and meaningful society. Though the Bible was written many years ago, in a particular
context, country, and time, Catholicism understands that it offers something meaningful to say to
the present time and situation, particularly for doing justice grounded in faith. The narrative of
Israel, the story of Jesus Christ, and the struggles of the early Christian community, point to the
centrality of justice and shalom in living out the Christian faith.
Learning Objectives
10. Sketch the themes of justice from the Old Testament and New Testament
11. Integrate the themes from the Old and New Testament in one narrative from Scripture
12. Reflect on the implications of these themes on the contemporary situation
Exposition
One of the sources of the Catholic faith is Scripture, and the salvation history that is
narrated in it. We will examine Scripture in detail to see what it has to say regarding the kind of
community and society that Christians should aim for. Recall that reading Scripture should not
be done in a literal or fundamentalist way. Rather, it should be done in a way that takes into
account the context in which it was written, the genre, and other “patterns men normally
employed at that period in their everyday dealings with each other.”56 In order then to fully
understand what kind of community Scripture envisions for humanity, these aspects of Scripture
should also be considered when reading the text.
Old Testament
The Torah
The central narrative of the Old Testament upon which the rest of Scripture hinges is the
Exodus story. The book of Exodus recounts the hardship of slavery that the Israelites endured in
56 Second
Vatican Council, “Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation: Dei Verbum,” Vatican.va, accessed
December 3, 2015, http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vatii_const_ 19651118_dei-verbum_en.html. Hereafter referred to as DV. DV 12.
Egypt, and how they “groaned under their slavery, and cried out...God heard their
groaning...God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them” (Exodus 2:23-25). God
hears them and becomes concerned for them, ultimately delivering them from the oppressive
situation in Egypt into freedom. However, it is not immediately a happy ending, as the Israelites
wander in the desert and struggle to come to terms with what has happened, and what this
freedom means for their community. It is during their wandering in the desert that the Israelites
begin to create the kind of community and society that is envisioned in Scripture. During this
time, the Israelites draw a covenant with God, who led them out of Egypt. This covenant is
commonly understood as the story of the ten commandments in Exodus 20, where God gives
what seems to be a set of rules to govern the Israelite community.
This experience of deliverance from oppression and slavery would affect how the
Israelites understood themselves as a people and would how Jesus Christ also understood himself
and the world, and the covenant with God will be a binding relationship to which the Israelite
community will continue to turn to in defining itself as a people. This covenant is not merely a
contract between God and the Israelites, but rather is a loving relationship that both God and the
Israelites enter and commit into. Think of it as like a marriage and loving relationship rather than
simply a business or intellectual agreement.
The commandments and laws that the Israelite community set up are thus not the laws
and rules of a monarchical God who wishes to simply rule over all of creation, but rather is the
response of the people upon entering into a relationship with a God of love and justice. The
covenant can be summed up in God’s address to the people: “I am the Lord, and I will free you
from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from slavery...1 will redeem you with
outstretched hand and with mighty acts of judgement. I will take you as my people, and I will be
your God” (Exodus 6:6-7) It is this effort and action on God’s part which the Israelites respond
to in love and justice, as seen in how they structure their community and act toward one another
and to other peoples and nations.
Contract
Covenant
A binding and legally enforceable agreement
between two entities
An agreement between two unequal parties,
initiated by God through grace, and not
negotiated
Human response is compliance because of
rewards or punishments
Human response is obedience out of gratitude and
love
Can be individualistic and reductionistic (What is A binding and enduring relationship of mutual
in it for me? What do I get out of this?)
loyalty and care
Focus is on the fulfillment of obligations and
duties; this can be broken if the other party does
not do its part of the responsibilities
Focus is on relationship, with the emphasis
being on mutual belongingness and
enduring responsibility, even when the
members are unfaithful
Table 1. Differences between a covenant and a contract
On the surface, these commandments, as well as the other laws and statutes that governed
the community, were certainly rules that the community should keep; however, they also imply
something important about what kind of community the Israelites should be.
First, the ten commandments point to the importance of love and care for God and
neighbor. The commandments should be understood in terms of love rather than a monarchical
command; though in English, they may simply sound like a list of do’s and don’ts, but more than
“commandments,” the decalogue can be understood more as “commitments.”57 * George
Mendenhall makes this point:
Some people who already feel a covenant bond with the biblical God may “hear
these ten statements as universal commands, even though they are not commands at
all. Such a person might more correctly choose to “hear” them posed as personal
questions: “Will you reject other gods, honor your father and mother, not commit
adultery, etc?” Within Judaism there is a tradition of viewing these statements in
such a way, as if they were marriage vows between God and [God’s] people.
Thus, the ten commandments are not a way of enforcing social control, but rather a way of
describing what it is the community chooses to commit to—the values and ethical obligations—
that are foundational for the community and which, when enacted, help make the reality of
God’s kingdom possible. Like a marriage between two people, the commandments serve as a
promise between God and Israel to commit to a particular way of life.
Second, as a corollary to the first, these commandments also emphasize justice. The
commandments show that God is a God of justice, and that knowing God is inseparable from
doing justice. Justice is a grateful response and the very essence of God who is and what God
wants from people.
Aside from the ten commandments, other laws and descriptions of how the community
ought to act can give insight into the way the community operated and would again reflect the
importance of love and justice. For example, Leviticus 25 describes what is understood as the
jubilee year, which states that every seventh year the Israelites will “proclaim liberty throughout
the land to all its inhabitants.” (Leviticus 25:10) This year would be a year of rest, and a year
where everyone would return to their property, for the “land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for
the land is [God’s]; with [God] [the Israelites] are but aliens and tenants.” (Leviticus 25:23) The
passage also emphasizes that the people were to support their kin who fell on hard times by
George E. Mendenhall, “Ten Commandments or Ten Commitments?,” in Ancient Israel's Faith and History: An
Introduction to the Bible in Its Context, ed. Gary A. Herion (Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001),
60-63.
58 Mendenhall, 60.
57
hiring them as laborers but not as slaves, restoring their freedom in the jubilee year (Leviticus
25:39-40).
In short, the Israelites should not allow oppression and slavery to once again happen to
their community, or even to those outside their community: “you shall not wrong or oppress a
resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:21). A strong sense of justice
is also evident in the many laws outlined in the Old Testament: the very next verse states that:
If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you shall not deal with
them as a creditor; you shall not exact interest from them. If you take your
neighbor’s cloak in pawn, you shall restore it before the sun goes down, for it may
be your neighbor’s only clothing to use as cover; in what else shall that person
sleep? And if your neighbor cries out to me, I will listen, for I am compassionate.
(Exodus 22:25-27)
Various other passages in the Torah will focus on justice as an important part of the community
of Israel.59 Walter Bruegemann describes this as an economics of equality, a politics of justice,
and a religion based on God’s freedom, compassion, and steadfast love and fidelity.60 The people
of Israel were freed from oppression and slavery, and freed for community justice, love, and
equality.
A community marked by the characteristics that Bruegemann outlines would be a
community marked by what is called shalom. Often understood or translated as “peace,” shalom
has a deeper meaning. It is wholeness, harmony, and flourishing; it is not simply an absence of
war or conflict, but a deeper sense of well-being and peace. This is the vision of Scripture for
creation—a creation marked by shalom through the enactment of justice, equality, and love. This
would mean a world where not only is there no war, but a world where everyone, including nonhuman creation, has food to eat, a roof over their head, their basic needs met, and ways to resolve
conflict that are just and merciful.
The Prophets
The prophets would continue to uphold this vision of justice and community set out in the
Torah. How Israel treated marginalized groups was the litmus test upon which the whole
community was judged against—if the marginalized groups were forgotten or neglected, then
neither worship nor knowledge of God was possible. Many times, the marginalized were
forgotten; the marginalized would include the widow, the orphan, and the stranger—those who
were not only materially poor, but also who had no voice or social capital in society. Under the
monarchy, the community of Israel slowly became a community marked by an economics of
privilege, a politics of oppression, and a religion based on domesticating God and legitimizing
injustice.61
59 Please
see Deuteronomy 10:17-21, 24:17-21, Exodus 23:9 as other examples.
Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination, Second Edition (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001).
61 Brueggemann.
60 Walter
The task of the prophet was two-fold: it involved both criticizing the current situation, as
well as energizing and engaging the people to imagine an alternative. Many of the prophets will
speak of particular horrifying events that will befall Israel as consequences of their sins and of
turning away from the covenant; however, the prophets will also speak of an alternative day of
restoration and hope, should Israel choose to heed the covenant once again.
The clearest and most concise example of this would be the book of Amos. Amos was a
prophet in the 6th century BCE. His book describes the importance of justice in following the
covenant, as he condemns those who transgress this relationship with God:
They hate the one who reproves in the gate,
and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.
Therefore, because you trample on the
poor and take from them levies of grain,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not live in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine.
For I know how many are your transgressions,
and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
and push aside the needy in the gate.
I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (Amos 5:10-12, 21-24)
Amos makes it clear that the people have broken the covenant by trampling on the poor and
needy; this breaking of the covenant will lead to the destruction of Israel. Later on in chapter 9,
Amos will point to the restoration of Israel, once they turn back to the covenant.
Other prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah will also emphasize justice in the face of
corruption and the forgetting of the marginalized.62 Different prophets will emphasize different
aspects of the covenant, but justice and care for the marginalized will always be a key aspect of
the prophet’s call back to the covenant. The contemporary equivalent today would be those who
may go to church every Sunday or every day, yet fail to take notice of the poor who beg outside
the church, or do not participate in donating or volunteering It is not enough that the people
Key passages include Isaiah 1:10-20, 56:1, and Jeremiah 22, 33:14-16. For more on this please see Brueggemann.
practice the ritual aspect of covenant, pray, or say that they believe in and are devoted to God;
rather this needs to be seen in the care for the poor and needy.
The Wisdom Literature
Though the wisdom literature might seem more philosophical or lofty, justice can still be
found in these writings, even though it is not as obvious as the prophetic literature. For example,
in the book of Proverbs, chapter 1, verses 10-15 warns against those who would join in with
sinners who wish to harm others; chapter 8 also describes how closely wisdom and justice are
related, with wisdom walking along the path of justice in verse 20. Chapter 20 highlights the
need to heed the cries of the poor and is an important part of business as seen in chapter 16.
Chapters 14 and 22 also mention the importance of doing justice to others.
The book of Psalms also speaks of justice—some examples are Psalms 7, 9, 10, 12, 33,
and 89. Many of these psalms pray for God’s favor, particularly in the face of injustice, knowing
that God was a God who sided with the needy and oppressed. The book of Ecclesiastes can seem
very cynical and sobering in its description of oppression as always present in human experience;
however, Qoheleth continues to hope in God’s assurance of justice in the end, knowing God’s
transformative power.63 The book of Job also deals with the idea of justice and temporal
retribution—the idea that those who are good will be rewarded, and those who do not will be
punished—through the story of Job, who is a righteous man and yet suffers many misfortunes.
The book of Job challenges the simplistic notion that those who are poor or oppressed deserve it
because they have sinned in some way, while at the same time, it also encounters God through
confusion and anger on behalf of those who experience injustice in the world:
What is it that Job has understood? That justice does not reign in the world God has
created? No. The truth that he has grasped and that has lifted him to the level of
contemplation is that justice alone does not have the final say about how we are to
speak of God. Only when we have come to realize that God’s love is freely bestowed
do we enter fully and definitively into the presence of the God of faith. Grace is not
opposed to the quest of justice nor does it play it down; on the contrary, it gives it its
full meaning. God’s love, like all true love, operates in a world not of cause and
effect but of freedom and gratuitousness.64
New Testament
The Gospels
63 Mark
J. Boda and Shannon E. Baines, “Wisdom’s Cry: Embracing the Vision of Justice in Old Testament
Wisdom Literature,” in The Bible and Social Justice: Old Testament and New Testament Foundations for the
Church’s Urgent Call (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2016).
64 Gustavo Gutierrez, On Job: God-Talk and the Suffering of the Innocent, trans. Matthew O’Connell (Maryknoll,
N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1987), 87.
In understanding Jesus’ teachings, it is important to note that he was raised in a Jewish
community, and so many of his teachings would be rooted in the Jewish Scripture and Tradition.
His teachings thus cannot be simply separated from his Jewishness and would have assumed
many of the teachings from the Tanakh, building on what he learned in his community.
Central to Christian faith is Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, which is an
important part of salvation history. However, these events cannot be understood without
understanding the ministry of Jesus, which this chapter will focus one. The ministry of Jesus
becomes a way for people today to understand what Jesus’ mission was, what he wanted to enact
here in this world, and what his values and priorities are. It also gives us insight as to what his
vision of the world is, and what he was willing to die for, because ultimately, he was killed for
his work, dying on a cross because he went up against
There is so much that can be said about Jesus’ ministry and teaching. However, the
chapter will focus on three passages in particular: the inauguration of the kingdom of God, the
temptations of Jesus in the desert, and the final judgement of the nations. It will also discuss
Jesus’ table fellowship, a recurring practice in Jesus’ ministry.
The Inauguration of the Kingdom or the Reign of God: Mark 1:14-15 and Luke 4:14-30
Jesus begins his ministry with the proclamation: “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
God has come near; repent and believe in the good news.”65 Jesus now proclaims that the reign
of God is here and that people can both rejoice but at the same need to change their ways. Jesus
both announces the good news of mercy, love, justice, and the reign of God, but at the same time
denounces the oppression, wickedness, and injustice of the time. He eats with the sinners and
proclaims God’s love for all. At the same time, he also showed anger at those who reduced
God’s covenant to something for economic gain, as seen in Matthew 21. Thus, Jesus’ message is
an invitation to love and forgiveness, but at the same time entails conversion or metanoia—a
repentance to do the good and live according to the covenant.
Jesus describes the Kingdom at the beginning of his ministry using passages from the
book of Isaiah. Luke 4:16-21 describes how Jesus read the following passage from Isaiah:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4; 18-19)
Jesus references the Jewish Scriptures in describing the Kingdom of God, a reality that has
already come, but is not yet fully realized. It is also a very earthy kingdom—not an abstract state
of “heaven” but a state on earth where God reigns and creation flourishes. Jesus thus does not
Cf. Mark 1:15
excuse earthly injustice by pointing to a “just reward” in heaven; rather, Jesus sought to enact
justice in his temporal space and time. Thus, Jesus’ “words do not remain an abstract idea, but in
[Jesus’] own behavior [he] enacted the values of the reign of God. He welcomed all who came to
him, excluding no one on the basis of their status or previous behavior. He healed people’s
bodies and spirits...He forgave sins. He pointed out the injustices of his time and opposed those
who laid heavy burdens upon the people.”66 Jesus did all these with certainty and with love, and
did not desist even when he made powerful enemies.
Jesus announces the Kingdom not simply for God’s self-aggrandizement, but for the sake
of the “other”—those considered to be the least, the last, and the lost. This becomes not simply
for Israel, but “for the sake of the nations... because God desires the salvation of the world, the
salvation has to be tangibly present...precisely so that the other nations can see that there really
can be justice and peace in the world.”67 68
The Temptations of Jesus: Luke 4:1-13
The story of the temptation of Jesus in the desert is a short but interesting passage that
reflects how Jesus seems to understand his own mission. Set immediately after the inauguration
of the Kingdom in Mark, and in Luke, Jesus is seen in the desert, where Satan tempts him
with three particular temptations. The first temptation was for the hungry Jesus to turn some
stones into bread (Luke 4:3-4). The second temptation was for Jesus to worship Satan in
exchange for glory and authority (Luke 4:6-8). The last temptation was for Jesus to throw
himself down from the temple, citing Scripture that if he were truly the messiah or the Son of
God, God would not allow him to be hurt (Luke 4:9-12).
A common interpretation of the story is that Jesus was able to resist these temptations and
thus we are to emulate his rejection of sinning and worshipping Satan. Some would also interpret
how even Satan can quote Scripture, and thus to be wary of how Scripture and Tradition are used
and understood in the moral life. While these interpretations do teach us something important
about Jesus’ ministry and the Catholic faith, connecting this story with Jesus’ ministry and
justice gives us another interpretation of the event.69
We can understand this story as Jesus own discernment on his ministry. Jesus would also
have been discerning about his mission and ministry—how he would preach the Kingdom of
God. Jesus understanding of his ministry can be understood in the choices he made in the face of
these temptations. On the one hand, Satan’s temptations can be understood as implying more
than just bread, worship, or risk. Had Jesus chosen to do what Satan was asking, it would have
deep implications about how Jesus wanted to minister to people.
66 Elizabeth
A. Johnson, Consider Jesus: Waves of Renewal in Christology (New York, New York: The Crossroad
Publishing Company, 1990), 75-76.
67 Gerhard Lohfink, Jesus of Nazareth: What He Wanted, Who He Was, trans. Linda M. Maloney (Collegeville,
Minn.: Michael Glazier, 2015), 46.
68 While contemporary images of devil and the satan are often that of an evil, malicious entity, the understanding of
satan or the devil has often been that of an adversary or someone
69 This interpretation of the passage taken from the lecture given by Mr. Liberatore, a theology professor at the
Ateneo de Manila University. Michael Liberatore, “The Temptations of Jesus” (January 2012).
The first temptation of turning bread into stone signifies the importance of material
possessions. Certainly bread, food or some material possessions are important—people would go
hungry without food, and it would seem that it would be easier to do the good if one were
wealthy. This temptation thus signifies a focus on possessions, which in themselves are not bad;
after all, people need some money and food to help themselves and others. However, Jesus
makes the choice that simply using or having possessions are not the way to genuinely work the
Kingdom of God; rather, his answer and his ministry show that, instead, Jesus opts to focus on
the importance of sharing what possessions he has, particularly in the practices of table
fellowship. It is through sharing that Jesus recognizes and accepts the humanity of others,
“[shaking] the foundations of a world divided into important and unimportant people.”
The second temptation that offers Jesus all the world is the choice towards power. Again,
power in itself is not bad, and the choice entails possibly using one’s power for good; perhaps it
might even have been easier for Jesus to do his ministry if he had more power. However, history
has shown that absolute power can corrupt even those with the best intentions, and so again,
Jesus rejects the way of power, and instead walks the way of service. Jesus’ ministry focused on
service to others and especially the marginalized, epitomized in his washing of the disciples’ feet
at the last supper (John 13:1-17). He fed the multitudes and healed the sick. His heart was always
moved with pity and compassion for the many who came to him.
The last temptation that asked Jesus to throw himself off the temple to “prove” he is the
messiah and that he was special. This temptation to prove himself is the temptation to prestige'.
and again, prestige on its own is not bad—it may have even helped Jesus, in that it would have
been the “sign” those who did not believe him were asking for. However, Jesus again rejects this
way of prestige, and works instead towards solidarity with the people. He did not wish to be
“above” others with the elite but was always working to be with and caring the multitude and
average person. “Solidarity is the social meaning of humility...humanity as solidarity is the
foundation of a just society”.
It is through discernment that Jesus himself also comes to reflect on and make sense of
his ministry, with sharing, service, and solidarity becoming the hallmarks of his ministry, rather
than going the route of power, prestige, and possessions. Sharing, service, and solidarity will
become part of the core principles of Catholic social teaching, which we will see in the next
chapter.
The Judgement of the Nations: Matthew 25:31-46 * *
70 Dean Brackley, The Call to Discernment in Troubled Times: New Perspectives on the Transformative Wisdom of
Ignatius of Loyola (New York, USA: Crossroad Publishing, 2004), 100.
71 Brackley, 100.
As mentioned in the previous chapter, Matthew 25:31-46 is a central passage for Catholic
social thought. This passage discusses what happens at the eschaton. or the end times, and
outlines how people will be judged.72
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to
drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick
and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35-36). This passage
is one of the clearest accounts of Jesus teaching about the final judgement, and what is expected
of those who seek righteousness. Jesus also again readily identifies himself with the poor who
were fed, clothed, given water or shelter, or cared for, rather than the rich and the powerful—
“truly, 1 tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,
you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). Jesus focuses on corporeal acts of mercy, inclusion, care as
the criteria upon which people will be judged, implying the importance of justice and working
for the poor and the marginalized as being essential to the Christian faith commitment.
As stated in the earlier chapters, Matthew 25:31-46 becomes the cornerstone of Catholic
social thought. Alongside other stories and parables such as the Good Samaritan, the rich man
and Lazarus, this becomes part of the theme of justice that runs through Jesus’ ministry. Jesus’
stories show that, while he preached salvation, prayer, and faith in God, he also included the
work of justice as an important component in his ministry and the Kingdom of God.
Table Fellowship
Jesus did not only preach about justice through words—he also made it clear through his
actions. One of the most common actions we find in Scripture is Jesus eating with those who
were understood to be sinners during that time, and thus were marginalized and excluded.
Sinners would include tax collectors, who were seen as collaborating with the Roman empire and
thus traitors to the community, and prostitutes, who were not necessarily women who sold their
bodies for sex but would include any woman who did not conform to the expectations that
people had of women back then.
<Box: Commensality>
<Commensality, the practice of eating or drinking together, has always been a social activity.
Eating and drinking with others is not simply about nourishment. On the contrary, commensality
is a fundamentally social practice. Through commensality, people can set boundaries and define
who is included and who is excluded in society by identifying who is included and excluded at
the table.
In the Philippines, we tend to have all family members at the table. However, the people who are
considered domestic workers—the maids or yayas—often eat separately from the family. Even
abroad, Filipina domestic workers will eat separately from their employees, which marks a
delineation between employer and employee. This can be seen in one of the interviewees of a
72 Eschatology
is a branch of theology that is dedicated to the understanding of the end times, or what will happen
when the world and creation as people understand it ultimately end.
Singaporean who hires Filipina domestic workers; take note of how she understands the
relationship between her and her family and Marita, the Filipina domestic worker she hired:
With Marita, what happens is, if we're not home she eats with the kids.... But,
generally speaking she doesn't eat with us. But I also get the feeling she prefers not
to. She'll just have something in [the kitchen] or...1 prefer it that way, because—I
don't know why—probably because there is a clear delineation between your maid
and your family members [coughs, clears her throat] and as callous as that might
sound, since she's living here, and looking after your children and that sort of thing,
they [the children] know that—that she's just a maid. And they treat her like that at
times—and get kicked up the ass for it. So, I guess in that respect, because she's not
a part of our family, I don't want to share family meals sort of thing. You know—
she's here, she helps, she serves or whatever—I don't treat her like a second- class
citizen, but at the same time I don't treat her like I'm related to her, either.
Because she's not [related]. You know what I mean? And I know that's different from
other people as well. There are other employers who do embrace them as part of the
family. But I always think that's a bit fake. I mean, in the end you're going to send
them back to the Philippines, or leave them here on their own, and so what does it
mean? And that's more of a betrayal.
Even through the simple practice of eating, one can identify who has power based on who eats
with who, and where these people eat. Eating can be used as a way of exclusion and
marginalization.>
In Jewish society, no person who followed Jewish law strictly would dare eat with those
considered sinners. These people were considered as the rabble. Jesus practiced a radical
inclusivity in eating with these people:
The ’am-ha-aretz (literally “people of the soil”) are the peasant farmers, craftsmen, day
laborers, and all others who belong to the lower strata of the Jewish society. They are often
referred to as the ’ochloi (“multitude” or “crowd”) whose personal identities are lost in the
massive numbers of humanity. Because they do not have any political and economic clout,
they are often despised. They are considered in some rabbinic traditions as “the rabbles
who do not know the Law” and consequently, there is a rule among the rabbis that warns,
“The disciples of the learned shall not recline at table in the company of the ’am-ha’aretz” By sharp contrast, Jesus indiscriminately extends his table fellowship to the
multitude. The Gospel writers all attest to his concern for the crowd who comes to listen to
him.73 74
73 Rosslyn
von der Borch, “Eating Together: Navigating Commensality in Expatriate Households Employing
Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore,” Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific, February
2009, http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue 19/vonderborch.htm#n20.
74 Santos Yao, “The Table Fellowship of Jesus with the Marginalized: A Radical Inclusiveness,” Journal of Asian
Mission 3, no. 1 (2001): 27.
Jesus, “through such gestures…clearly illustrates that God’s redemptive fellowship is to be
offered to all who would respond, regardless of their social status and rank.”75 In today’s society,
then, Jesus would eat especially with the farmers, the fisherfolk, the regular Filipino person who
works every day to give their family a life of dignity. He would not seek to eat with the rich and
powerful.
It is through this table fellowship that Jesus disrupted Jewish society, earning the anger of
the elite, but welcoming all to the table. It was also this encounter with Jesus that allowed people
to respond in kind with hope and a radical conversion. One example of this is Zacchaeus, whom
Jesus dines with. At the end of the meal, Zacchaeus proclaims that “look, half of my possessions,
Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four
times as much” (Luke 19:8). It is the encounter of grace that enables people to turn to God and
the good, as seen in not just Zacchaeus’ story, but also in Augustine’s story, Ignatius’ story, and
many others in history who experienced grace through an encounter with God.
The Epistles, Revelation, and the Early Christian Community
Jesus’ actions ultimately lead to his being killed by those in power: “the price he paid
was his life: Jesus’ message and his actions were dangerous ones in his time, and they led to his
death—a cruel and viciously inflicted death (Gal 3:13). He lived out fidelity to the reign of God
to the end, forgiving even those who were killing him.”76 However, Jesus’ resurrection, the
surest sign that death does not have the last word, energizes the apostles and disciples to spread
the good news. With this, the early Christian communities begin to grow and seek to articulate
what it means to live their lives according to Jesus’ teachings. One of these articulations was the
focus on justice in community, as they lived in communion with each other: “All who believed
were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and
distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45).
Paul also links justice and righteousness with salvation particularly in Romans. “For I am
not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the
Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for
faith; as it is written, ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith.;” (Romans 1:16-17) Later in
Romans 5:1-11, Paul will emphasize that God’s justice is his mercy: salvation is restorative
justice rather than punishment to God’s enemies.77 This justice has already been revealed in
Jesus and involves reconciliation rather than retribution.
The book of James also echoes the calls for justice and right living. “James resonated
with Amos as he made the case that it was not a matter of how someone could be involved in
justice matters and still be a Christian. Rather, real Christians validated their Christianity by
being deeply invested in matters of fairness, balance, hospitality, and social needs—all justice
75 Yao,
27.
76 Johnson,
Consider Jesus: Waves of Renewal in Christology, 76.
in Romans and Revelation,” Peace Theology (blog), March 24, 2010,
https://peacetheology.net/restorative-justice/7-justice-in-romans-and-revelation/.
77 “Justice
matters” (James 2:14-26). “ For James, the heart of the gospel was in seeking and finding
integrity through relationship with God and others (Christian ethics), cultivating that integrity
(spiritual formation), and extending to others the opportunity to partake of that integrity
(evangelism).”79
7
Even in the book of Revelation, there is a critique of the dominant empire that
perpetuates injustice. The book itself focuses on resisting the structures that create exploitation
and injustice, rather than explicitly calling for concern for the widow, the orphan, and the
stranger. John paints the Roman empire in Revelation 17-18 as an empire that arrogantly makes
itself equal to God while maintaining its power through violence and an exploitative economy.80
In contrast, the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21-22 is a contrast to the Roman empire, where land
will no longer be taken away by the wealthy and the powerful, and where corruption will be no
more.
Conclusion
Scripture offers an understanding of community that serves as an alternative vision to the
present understanding of reality. While contemporary culture often extremely focuses on the
individual or only on a limited sense of community or in-group, Scripture offers a wider horizon
and perspective. It shows an understanding of creation that is intimately connected and bound by
shalom and keeps shalom through love and justice. Justice is not limited to a few passages;
rather, it is a running theme in Scripture and a central tenet of the Catholic faith commitment,
alongside mercy and love.
This is the kind of creation and community that the Catholic Church ultimately strives for
and works for. This vision is also what undergirds many of today’s work in social justice and is
also part of what animates the hope of the Church. It is important to elaborate this vision because
this serves as a guide for the work that the Church needs to do; similar to how organizations,
communities, or businesses have a vision and mission that guides their actions, the social vision
outlined in Scripture and articulated by the Church serves as a “target” to aim for and is the
future that motivates the Church to continue in its bringing about the Kingdom of God.
78 William
M. Tillman, Jr., “Social Justice in the Epistle of James: A New Testament Amos?,” Review and Expositor
108 (2011): 422.
79 Tillman, Jr., 423.
80 David L. Mathewson, “Social Justice in the Book of Revelation,” in 77ze Bible and Social Justice: Old Testament
and New Testament Foundations for the Church’s Urgent Call (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2016).
Guide Questions
1. Describe the overall narrative of Scripture. How does justice and care fit into the story
Scripture offers?
2. Why is love and justice important in Scripture?
3. Who are the modem day prophets of today? How are they continuing the two-fold task of
the prophet?
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