The Bible and Justice

When we think of justice it is often understood to be fair treatment for people. Taking this a step further, people should get what they deserve for their actions, whether good or bad, and this measure is used to sum up whether justice was achieved. Does this everyday use of justice reflect what the Bible means by that term? It is clear that fairness and equal treatment are biblical principles. Leviticus 19:15 warns, for example, “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” The biblical concept of justice goes beyond fairness and equal treatment. Spend some time thinking about this, and explore what the Bible teaches us about this. Is justice something that we create and fully achieve? How does this apply to our work with offenders?