Article September 9, 1967 Issue

The Judgment of Love

SARAH SAVAGE

Impartiality has always been considered essential in the dispensation of justice. The figure of a woman blindfolded and holding the scales of justice evenly balanced is often used as a symbol of equity. But human justice is not infallible. It has constantly to be revised in the light of humanity's developing understanding of God, the divine Arbiter. Throughout the centuries human laws have been taking on more of the qualities we associate with divinity, revealed in the life and work of Christ Jesus; and they will continue to do so in proportion to men's growing understanding of God.

With the coming of Christianity a new era began for the human race. To many people at that time, the teachings of the Master seemed disturbing, as if they would turn the world upside down. New commandments were given out, old laws were revised. Yet Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."^{Matt. 5:17;}

Jesus illustrated his teaching with parables, some of them of great simplicity, others hard to understand. Perhaps one of the most controversial is that of the laborers in the vineyard, recorded in Matthew 20. According to human standards the conduct of the owner of the vineyard in giving to those coming at the eleventh hour the same wage as those who had done a long and hard day's work was unjust. But are human standards adequate to produce righteous judgment?

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