Passive vs Active Injustice

And the bone, the hearing, the sensation of the hearing, remains uncrushed and healthy. 22 The death of sinners is evil, and those hating the righteous shall suffer lack. For the bones of the righteous are kept by the Lord, and not one of them shall be crushed, but the death of the sinners is evil. It has already been said to us that 'evil' is spoken in two ways. If death, which follows sin, tears one away from the blessed life—according to: 'sin, when completed, brings forth death'—then this death is evil. Again, since they are handed over to punishment having escaped from life, they have died again in order that they might be punished. For it is said: 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints'; for how could this be evil, or death be evil, being planted together with the death of Christ? 'For if we are of the same kind,' he says, 'we have become indeed by the likeness of his death, but also of his resurrection.' And: 'If we died with him, we shall also live with him.' 'And those hating the righteous shall suffer lack.' The sinner, if he receives remission of sin, hates the righteous. But hating the righteous, he hates virtue. For the sinners hate the righteous not as a man—for they do not hate the sinners—but as being righteous. But he who hates a physician as a physician, hates the medical art. Because of this they shall suffer lack, they shall be punished.

23 The Lord shall redeem the souls of his servants. Therefore he says: even if an evil death touches the sinners and for those hating the righteous there shall be lack, yet he redeems the good souls of his servants. He redeems the souls from those who previously held them in a painful grip. Again you take it both ways: he is redeemed from punishment and he is redeemed from sin; for if he is redeemed from sin, it follows that he is to be redeemed from punishment. 23 And all those hoping in him shall not suffer lack. All those hoping in God shall not suffer lack like those who suffer lack, namely those hating the righteous; for if for those hating the righteous the lack signifies punishment and penalty, then for those hoping in the Lord, the not suffering lack signifies not being punished, not being penalized, and not falling to those who cause pain.

1 To David. Judge, O Lord, those doing me wrong, fight against those fighting me. No one

He demands a judge, having thoughts as if he were being wronged. It is not the voice of one committing injustice, but rather of one being wronged, rather than one committing injustice. And no one at all prefers being wronged; rather, when both committing injustice and being wronged are set forth, if it is not possible for both to exist—for it is not possible—one chooses rather to be wronged than to commit injustice; for the one committing injustice undergoes punishment, and unrighteous ones are not able to inherit the kingdom of God. But the one being wronged is not tested by these things; for he is being wronged voluntarily. Let us add that even if he is not able to defend himself, he does not exhaust himself in struggle because he cannot take vengeance, but observing what has happened, he sees that the one being wronged is more sympathetic and has many who pity him.

And the unrighteous man, even if no one punishes him, is worthy of punishment. This whole matter of examining injustice and desiring to defend oneself as if one were not committing injustice—his conscience condemns him. There is much boldness for the one saying the psalm: 'Judge, O Lord, those who wrong me, fight against those who fight against me' (Ps 35:23). I do not fight them. And I am 'peaceable among those who hate peace' (Ps 34:14). I am persuaded by the Holy Spirit saying: 'Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: say "our brothers" to those who hate you, so that the name of the Lord may be glorified, but they shall be ashamed' (Isa 54:17).

'Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: say to those who hate you "our brothers"', so that I may speak truly and not merely with a voice; for those saying 'Lord, Lord' with voice alone, He says: 'Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?' (Luke 6:46). But the one saying 'in the Holy Spirit' calls Lord Jesus, through the participation of the Holy Spirit, by means of those things which he does and thinks; he cries out 'Lord Jesus' according to the Spirit. Therefore, 'say "brothers" to those who hate you'. Let them hate, but you call them brothers truly, not by speech alone, but you act out the obligations due to brothers toward them; for in this way the name of the Lord is glorified; for it is known that someone performs these things through God; for as far as it reaches the hating, he has not spoken of those who hate brothers. 'And they themselves shall be ashamed' (Isa 54:17).