Justice in Reconciliation Ezk 33:7-9; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20 (23/ C)

 

Justice in Reconciliation

    

Ezk 33:7-9; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20 (23/ C)

 

 

“The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. Alleluia”.

 

“Who can know the intentions of God?” (Wis 9:13). Human wisdom is limited. We often see only one side of a person, one event, or one conflict. God sees the whole person. Therefore, justice requires not only judgment but wisdom, truth, and mercy. Today’s readings invite us to move from judgment to reconciliation, from possession to relationship, and from human wisdom to God’s wisdom.

 

Onesimus was not simply a social problem or a slave returning to his master. Paul asks Philemon to receive him “no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother beloved” (Phlm 16). Reconciliation does not simply restore the old relationship; it transforms the relationship. That is the heart of justice in reconciliation. Justice without reconciliation can become revenge. Reconciliation without justice can become a superficial peace. Christian reconciliation brings truth, accountability, forgiveness, restoration, and a new relationship together. The Greek word καταλλαγή (katallagē), “reconciliation,” carries the meaning of exchange, restoration, or change from one relationship to another. Christian reconciliation therefore does not say, “Nothing happened.” It says, “What happened must be faced truthfully, but it must not have the final word.”

 

Jesus demands us to place God and truth above every attachment that prevents us from doing what is right (Lk 14:25–33). Aristotle understood justice as giving each person what is due. But Jesus’ justice seeks not only what is due but also what restores the person and the relationship. He asks: How can justice lead us toward a community where the dignity of every person is respected? St. Augustine reminds us that peace is not simply the absence of conflict but the “tranquility of order.” True peace requires right relationships—with God, with ourselves, with one another, and with creation amidst political divisions, racial and ethnic tensions, wars, family conflicts, economic inequalities, religious misunderstandings, and social polarization. We easily create labels for others. But Jesus asks us to see the person behind the label we give. May God give us the wisdom to seek truth, the courage to pursue justice, and the humility to forgive in this Eucharist and become a witness to the Kingdom of God.

Your kingdom, Lord, is an everlasting kingdom, alleluia