Theodicy vis: the Justice of God

Dear PF,

It is an interesting opinion you have posted, and all the more interesting because it does not seem to come from someone who hates, but one who loves, God. All the same, the sense of the comments has the smell of foolishness.
The parable of the workers is an interesting case in point to argue for God's injustice (in our favor). However, the master's response is telling: "is your eye evil, because I am good?"

The evil eye, in 1st century Jewish culture, is not an idiom expressing demon-possession, etc, but one which countenances greed. An evil, or bad eye (kakos) is a greedy, or stingy eye. The master reproves the malcontented worker for his greed, which has entered into him because he perceived the goodness (here, generosity) of the master. The first lesson to be learned from this curt response is this:
God is Good. He is the standard. He is not another character on the stage whose actions may be evaluated, but the Absolute against which all other actions are evaluated. He is Truth, and there is no reason, no righteousness, and no justice apart from Him. It is a common sickness of the modern mind to imagine that these elements in society are derived from conceptual forms or even common consent. Yet the Biblical authors did not believe anything of the kind. To question God's justice is like questioning whether a meter is really 100 cm long, or whether 1 = 1. God is the standard, and what he does is just. It remains to the wise to seek to understand Him, since his ways are far from self-explanatory.

In fact, it is the perplexing of God's actions in the world that gives rise to this parable. Jesus is speaking, of course, against the indignation of Jews that the Gentiles, who have not "known God's name" are being included in God's covenant promises in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The problem is not that the Jews are receiving less than they deserve (the worker in the story is paid a day's wage), but that the Gentiles are receiving more than they deserve. And here is the core of the author's contention, in claiming that, in being merciful to us through Jesus Christ, God is unjust.

The Old Testament vocabulary of justice is one of even measures, and honest scales. It is a justice, receiving what is due to one. However, when it is a question of whether one should receiving more blessing than is one's due, there is never any thought that justice is repressed by liberality- those are the ravings of a mind infected with late 20th-century bureacratic thinking- in a word- with an evil eye.

To receive more than one's due of punishment is cruel. God will mete out the "full measure" of his wrath. To receive less than one's due of reward is cruel. God despises "unjust scales." To receive less than one's due of punishment is unjust. God always punishes sin, and never fails to do so. (Of course, the punishment has fallen on Christ for those that trust Him). But to receive more than one's due of reward is mercy, kindness, liberality, grace- but never injustice. The only reason to imply injustice in a case of generosity is to suppose that others had received less to provide the extra measure- and can we accuse God of stealing salvation from the Jews in order to give it to the Gentiles? No. Romans argues out what the parable states succinctly- the worker who works is paid.

With generosity,
Sir R.F. Burton