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Justice and the Prophets

August eighth, Justice and the Prophets

 

The prophets had the thankless roles of confronting Kings and calling on them to be just.  There are lists of how to behave justly in the admonitions of the prophets.  Those who are baptized into Christ are baptized into Christ’s role as prophet and inherit the obligation of speaking truth to power.

Teresita Scully, MTS

 

1.     Jesus is considered the ultimate prophet.

 

  • Jesus teachings are based on Old Testament prophecies: bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming freedom for the prisoners, the oppressed as free, (Isaiah 61 in Luke 4:18-19.)

 

  • Jeremiah: Grieved over his people's suffering and spoke out against their injustice, even facing persecution for his unwavering commitment to God's message, according to Franciscan Media. 

 

He consistently advocated for the marginalized and vulnerable, demonstrated by his interactions with outcasts like lepers and tax collectors, states Drawing on the Word. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, particularly the Beatitudes, emphasizes a hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness that aligns with prophetic ideals. Rea Justice in the New Testament.  

 

2.     Jesus transformed the Old Testament Law by emphasizing love

 

  • He challenged legalistic interpretations of the law, highlighting its spirit of justice, mercy, and faithfulness over rigid adherence to external rules, according to Matthew 23.

 

3.     The Church and Justice

 

  • In the Acts of the Apostles, the early church practiced the principles of social justice: they shared their resources when anyone was in need.

·       In the other letters, Paul and James continued to advocate for the poor.

 

4.     Justice in the Kingdom of God

 

  • In the New Testament the Old Testament's concern for justice is neither challenged nor abandoned. Throughout the Gospels, Acts, and the letters, believers are encouraged to show their love for God by first loving God and then they neighbor.  It is explained as: “love thy neighbor as thyself.”

 

As if to start all over, God says through Isaiah, “Come now, let us set things right” (1:18).

 

The Catholic Church has provided us with guidelines in continuing the mission of Jesus through their teachings on social justice. Read more here.

 

I encourage you to watch the video here

 

 
 
 

Comments

“Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith. Its roots are in the Hebrew prophets who announced God's special love for the poor and called God's people to a covenant of love and justice. It is a teaching founded on the life and words of Jesus Christ, who came "to bring glad tidings to the poor . . . liberty to captives . . . recovery of sight to the blind"(Lk 4:18-19), and who identified himself with "the least of these," the hungry and the stranger (cf. Mt 25:45). Catholic social teaching is built on a commitment to the poor. This commitment arises from our experiences of Christ in the eucharist.”

https://www.usccb.org/resources/sharing-catholic-social-teaching-challenges-and-directions

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