The Golden Rule of Justice: Hearing Both Sides

The Golden Rule of Justice: Hearing Both Sides

by Asher Intrater

Justice is such an important issue both in human society and in the eyes of God. There is eternal justice from God, and there is social justice in human affairs.

Justice has two halves: punishing the wicked and acquitting the righteous.

That is the definition of justice: punishing wrong and rewarding the right.

Deuteronomy 25:1

If there is a dispute between men, and they come to court, that the judges may judge them, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.

How does one know who is right and who is wrong?  The Golden Rule of Justice is that one must hear and understand both sides before coming to a conclusion. This is valid in every type of dispute, including marital divisions, church splits, clergy sexual allegations, political viewpoints, theological debates, criminal charges, etc.

John 7:51

Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?

Proverbs 18:17

The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him.

It is not enough just to hear both sides; you have to hear both sides in their own context.  If side A is heard in the context of side B's media presentation, it will be slanted. The same is true in reverse. Side B will not be understood if heard in the context of side A's presentation.

Side A must be heard in his own context. Side B must be heard in his own context. This is especially true today in the increased power of the media. The media has become stronger than the message itself. The context of the media presentation is stronger than the content of what was originally meant to be said.

For example, in Israel today if one wants to understand Netanyahu's position, he should see the news on channel 14; if one wants to understand the opposition's position, he should see channels 11,12 or 13.  Otherwise, the viewpoint is slanted.

The presentation has become stronger than the facts. The intended meaning of any message can be distorted when taken out of context. This is particularly true today in social media forums. And it may become even more so with the advance of AI.

This principle is essential: before coming to a conclusion, you must hear side A in his own media forum and hear side B in his own media forum. The Bible says a message is like a golden apple, whereas the media is a setting of silver (Proverbs 25:11).  Hearing a clip of side A presented in the media of side B can be very misleading.   

I remember an instance in which some people were accusing me of false teaching and arrogance. They played a clip before me of something I had said in a message. I responded, "That is terrible. How could I have said such a thing? This is a monstrous mistake on my part."

I was so distraught, I asked them to play a longer piece of recording, starting a minute or two earlier. When I heard the whole statement in context, I cried out, "Hallelujah. Yes, that is exactly what I meant."

When I heard even my own voice in a clip teaching something that was presented as incorrect, I was convinced of the mistake. But when I heard it in a wider context, it meant exactly the opposite of what it seemed to be in the clip. The context can change the perception of the meaning – even if it is your very own words.

Righteousness is the dynamic tension between justice and mercy.

For example, when Joseph found out that Miriam (Mary) was pregnant during their betrothal period, he had a dilemma. By the law alone, she would have to be killed for sin (Deuteronomy 22:23-24). At least he would have to divorce her. But in his mercy for her, he wanted to do it secretly so as not to cause her public shame.

Matthew 1:19

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

Only after he made that stance was it shown him that the pregnancy was a miracle of God, and that Miriam did not need to be punished at all.  

The balance of mercy and justice is very important. It is possible to err on either side. If there is just mercy without justice, then grace becomes a coverup for worldliness, carnality, cowardice, and self-deception.

Galatians 5:13

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Jewish Rabbinic tradition says that if you are merciful to cruel people, you will end up being cruel to the merciful.

On the other hand, if there is only justice, then faith becomes a reason to condemn others, self-striving, pride and hard-heartedness.

John 3:17

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

The perfect merger of justice and mercy is found in the cross. Yeshua paid the awful price of punishment for our sin, and at the same moment offered us forgiveness.

This genius invention of God is called "atonement": the Messiah took our punishment on himself to preserve justice and proclaimed forgiveness to us by grace. Only God could come up with the idea that he would be the substitute punishment for us. Amazing!