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/vat- ii_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…I 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 agreementAn agreement between two unequals, initiated by
between two entities 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 in
it for me? What do I get out of this?)
A binding and enduring relationship of mutual
loyalty and care
Focus is on the fulfillment of obligations and duties; Focus is on relationship, with the
this can be broken if the other party does not do its emphasis being on mutual belongingness
part of the responsibilities 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.58

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

57
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.
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 non- human 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 Deuteronmy 10:17-21, 24:17-21, Exodus 23:9 as other examples.
60
Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination, Second Edition (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001).
61
Brueggemann.
 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

62
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 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
65
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

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 before in Luke, Jesus is seen in the desert, where satan tempts him with
three particular temptations.68 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, satans’ 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.”70

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 for the multitude and average person.
“Solidarity is the social meaning of humility…humanity as solidarity is the foundation of a just
society.”71

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, I 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…I 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 arse for it [by us]…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.73

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 number 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.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/issue19/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
everyday 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 Zaccheus’ 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 leads 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.
77
“Justice in Romans and Revelation,” Peace Theology (blog), March 24, 2010, https://peacetheology.net/restorative-
justice/7-justice-in-romans-and-revelation/.
matters” (James 2:14-26).78 “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

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 The 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 modern day prophets of today? How are they continuing the two-fold task of the
prophet?
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