From this Sunday’s Gospel: “I tell you, the latter went home justified (δεδικαιωμένος, dedikaiomenos), not the former …” (Luke 18:14)
In the parable proclaimed this Sunday, Jesus concluded the lesson, “I tell you, the latter went home justified (δεδικαιωμένος, dedikaiomenos), not the former …” (Luke 18:14) So what does it mean to be justified?
In present usage, we tend to view “justify” as ‘being proved right,’ especially after some ordeal or confrontation. There may even be a hint of revenge or punishment added for good measure that attempts to put oneself in a good way as the person-in-the-right after a contentious argument or hurtful ‘discussion.’ Biblically though, “justify” translates the Hebrew word צֶדֶק, (tsedeq). Tsedeq is part of a family of Hebrew words formed from the Hebrew root word צָדַק (tsadaq). While conveying a legal aspect of ‘being in the clear,’ ‘being not-guilty,’ the root tsadaq fundamentally has to do with ‘right’ in the sense of ‘right-living,’ ‘right or proper order,’ ‘right, just, or proper relationship.’ In addition to “vindication,” tsadaq and its forms often appear in English biblical translation as “just,” “justice,” “right,” or “righteous.”
Tsadaq, especially when it is applied to people throughout the Scriptures, refers often to living in proper relationship: proper relationship with God, with others, with the true self and all of creation. Used extensively by the Fathers of the Church, tsadaq (the Fathers used the Greek translation of tsadaq: dikaios, the same word that appears in the Greek New Testament) expressed the original harmony that radiated from creation. Original Justice is ‘original tsadaq’ declaring, that since all reality flowed from the hand of the Creator, all reality originally was in right-relationship with the Creator; all creation was tsadaq with the Creator. Far from a contemporary usage and understanding of ‘justice,’ biblical justice is first and foremost about living life relationally as well as each relationship in its proper place, a relationship that ruptured into disorder with the advent of sin.
For the tax collector, the prayer “O God, be merciful to me a sinner,” is a call to God our Father of mercies (recall an earlier post on mercy). Knowing that he is ‘in need’ (and he may not even know specifically the particular need), the tax collector is willing to open himself to be filled with what he needs from God our Father. In commending himself to the Lord of all, the tax collector does not tell God our Father what to do or how to do it. He trusts that whatever is needed to live life properly will be given. Such a disposition or attitude renders him a changed man.
