Gems of Wisdom From the Bibleنموونە

God values social justice

Living well and wisely can be very down-to-earth. As today’s text tells us: treat others well when it is in your power to do so. That starts by simply giving others the good they deserve, not withholding it for our own profit. God made that very explicit in Leviticus 19:13.

Throughout history, there are numerous examples of people exploiting fellow humans. This makes God angry, and He won’t leave this unpunished. Read for example what God says in Malachi 3:5 — “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against […] those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts”.

Giving others the good they deserve, might seem so trivial — not exceptionally wise or holy. And yet, this goes wrong so often that we need to be reminded explicitly of what is good: to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).