Justice isn’t measured by how we treat the majority, but how we protect the smallest minority.
This is a longer post than usual. It was written as an objective overview of justice as revealed in the Bible and in the life of Jesus. The application is to any form of injustice against those who Jesus called, “the least of these,” and what the Church’s role and response should be.
I asked in an earlier post, Can followers of Jesus be neutral in a situation of injustice? There are important moments like now for the Church to stand in solidarity with “the least of these.”
A Just Society and Church
Scripture is clear: “Do not deny justice to the poor” (Ex. 23:6) and “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” (Prov. 31:8).
When laws take away the rights of those with the least power, they stand in opposition to the God who “defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow” (Deut. 10:18).
A just society safeguards every person — especially the vulnerable.
One of the revealing tests of any society is how it treats those with the least power. Majorities can easily protect themselves.
But what about the smallest minority?
Is it unjust when a jurisdiction passes laws that take away the rights of such people?
According to Scripture, the answer is an unequivocal yes. 
Justice in Scripture Is Never About Power — It’s About Impartiality
The Bible consistently warns against governance and legal systems that tilt toward the strong or silence the vulnerable. Justice, in God’s eyes, is rooted in impartiality.
“Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.” — Exodus 23:6
Ancient Israel was commanded not to let the powerful, or the well-connected sway justice. The smallest and most vulnerable were to receive the same consideration as anyone else.
Unjust Laws Are Condemned — Explicitly
Few passages speak as directly to this issue as Isaiah 10:
“Woe to those who make unjust laws… to deprive the poor of their rights.” — Isaiah 10:1–2
Here, God doesn’t simply critique personal attitudes. He confronts systems — laws themselves — that strip rights from the least of these. Scripture names these laws as unjust and warns the leaders who create them.
God’s Heart Is Oriented Toward Those Without a Voice
Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly identifies Himself with those most at risk of being overlooked:
- the widow
- the orphan
- the foreigner
- the poor
- those at the margins
These were the “smallest minorities” of the ancient world. Yet God elevates them as the litmus test of true justice.
“Defend the weak… uphold the cause of the oppressed.” — Psalm 82:3–4
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” — Proverbs 31:8
Biblical justice is never passive. It requires advocacy.
Why Does This Matter Today?
Because every human being—regardless of size, influence, social position, or orientation—is created in the image of God.
“So God created mankind in his own image.” — Genesis 1:27
This means the rights of even the tiniest minority carry full moral weight before God. Laws that diminish, exclude, or devalue them do not simply create inequality; they violate the dignity God gives to every person.
A Just Society Protects Its Smallest Groups
When we measure justice only by how the majority feels or votes, we drift from the biblical vision. Scripture calls us to something higher: a community where the powerful use their influence to protect those without a voice.
This is the heartbeat of God’s justice — and the calling of God’s people.
- Justice must be impartial — not favouring the powerful or suppressing the weak.
Exodus 23:2–3, 6–7
- “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong… Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.”
These laws explicitly protect those who can be easily marginalized. Justice is not determined by majority influence or minority weakness.
Leviticus 19:15
- “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favouritism to the great, but judge your neighbour fairly.”
Taking rights from a tiny minority is a form of “favouritism to the great,” which God forbids.
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God judges nations and leaders for exploiting vulnerable or unseen groups.
Isaiah 10:1–2
- “Woe to those who make unjust laws… to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed.”
This directly addresses the question: laws that remove rights from the smallest or most vulnerable are called unjust.
Psalm 82:3–4
- “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy.”
God expects leaders to protect the smallest minority, not strip them of protection.
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Justice reflects God’s character — and He shows special concern for those with the least voice.
Deuteronomy 10:17–18
- “For the LORD your God… defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner.”
The smallest minorities in ancient Israel were the widow, orphan, and foreigner. God’s justice is measured by how they are treated.
Proverbs 31:8–9
- “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves… defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Biblical justice requires advocating for those with the smallest platform — the exact opposite of passing laws that take away their rights.
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Justice is rooted in the equal human value of every person.
Genesis 1:27
- “So God created mankind in his own image…”
Because every human bears God’s image, removing rights from even the smallest minority is a violation of that fundamental dignity.
Malachi 2:10
- “Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us?”
Shared creation undercuts any moral basis for disadvantaging a tiny minority.
What Did Jesus Model?
When we talk about justice, it’s easy to drift toward abstract debates, legal theory, or political ideology. But for Christians, the question is: What did Jesus teach about justice? And what does His teaching mean for how societies treat those with the least power — the smallest minority groups?
While Jesus didn’t lecture on modern law or political structures, His words and actions reveal a clear pattern: justice is always measured by how we treat the least, the small, the overlooked, and the powerless.
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Jesus Tied Justice Directly to the “Least of These”
In one of His most sobering teachings, Jesus said:
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)
In Jesus’ framework, justice is not defined by the experience of the majority. It is defined by how society treats those who are least seen, least powerful, and least protected.
The “least of these” were the smallest minorities in His world — the hungry, the sick, the stranger, the imprisoned. In identifying Himself with them, Jesus made an unmistakable moral claim: to harm the vulnerable is to harm Christ Himself.
So, when laws harm the smallest minority, the Church is not dealing with a political issue; it is dealing with Jesus Himself.
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Jesus Confronted Systems That Crushed the Vulnerable
Jesus didn’t merely teach compassion; He confronted structures that produced injustice.
He condemned religious leaders who “tie up heavy burdens” (Matt. 23:4) on ordinary people while exempting themselves. He overturned tables in the temple because the economic system exploited the poor (Matt. 21:12–13). He rebuked those who used legal loopholes to deny care to their parents (Mark 7:9–13).
In each case, His concern was the same: powerful groups using rules to harm vulnerable ones.
Jesus repeatedly stood between unjust systems and the people harmed by them.
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Jesus Elevated People Others Ignored
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently moved toward individuals and groups dismissed by the majority:
- children (Mark 10:13–16)
- the poor (Luke 6:20)
- women in male-dominated settings (John 4; Luke 7)
- Samaritans, a despised minority (Luke 10:25–37; John 4)
- people with disabilities (Mark 10:46–52; John 9)
- tax collectors and sinners (Luke 19:1–10)
In each situation, Jesus restored dignity, voice, and worth to those society pushed aside.
If Jesus consistently moved toward the smallest minorities, how could laws that take away their rights ever reflect His justice?
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Jesus Taught That Justice Flows From Love of Neighbour
When Jesus summarized the law — love God and love your neighbour — He immediately expanded “neighbour” to include the one least like you (Luke 10:29–37). Justice cannot be selective. It cannot favour the many over the few. It cannot disappear when a group becomes too small to be politically useful.
Jesus’ Justice Protects the Smallest
If justice is measured by how we treat “the least of these,” then yes — it is unjust for any jurisdiction to pass laws that take away the rights of the tiniest minority group. Such actions violate the teaching, example, and heart of Jesus Himself.
A society shaped by Jesus’ vision protects the vulnerable, elevates the overlooked, and safeguards the dignity of even the smallest group — because that is the way of Christ.
Church Response
Every generation faces moments when moral clarity is tested — when laws are passed that diminish, restrict, or remove the rights of the smallest and most vulnerable groups. In these moments, the Church must ask not first, “What is politically strategic?” but instead, “What did Jesus teach us about justice?”
Jesus’ words and actions offer the Church a clear blueprint for responding when any jurisdiction harms its tiniest minority: stand with them, speak for them, and embody the justice of Christ.
- Jesus Confronted Unjust Systems — Not Just Unkind Individuals
Jesus’ ministry involved more than personal compassion; it included confronting structures that produced injustice.
He called out religious leaders who “devoured widows’ houses” (Mark 12:40).
He overturned temple tables because a system was exploiting poor worshippers (Matt. 21:12–13).
He rebuked those using religious loopholes to avoid caring for their parents (Mark 7:9–13).
Jesus never accepted injustice as “just the way things are.”
He named it, opposed it, and protected those harmed by it.
Therefore, the Church cannot remain silent when laws harm the smallest minority. Silence becomes complicity.
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Jesus Gave Voice to the Voiceless
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently moves toward the people others ignored.
He restored dignity to those society had sidelined.
When the smallest minority loses rights, their voice becomes even quieter.
The Church must become that voice.
To advocate for the vulnerable is not “political activism.”
It is obedience to Jesus.
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Jesus Called His Followers to Costly Compassion
The Good Samaritan story (Luke 10) is Jesus’ response to the question, “Who is my neighbour?” His answer: your neighbour is anyone in need — especially the one others avoid, the one you don’t have to care about.
The Samaritan crossed boundaries, took risks, and bore costs to protect someone wounded and discarded.
The Church must do the same:
cross lines, take risks, and bear costs to protect the smallest minority.
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What Should the Church Do?
Following Jesus means:
- Speak clearly — name unjust laws as unjust.
2. Stand publicly — defend those harmed, even when unpopular.
3. Advocate persistently — use influence, relationships, and platforms to protect rights.
4. Care personally — provide presence, support, and practical help to the affected.
5. Pray faithfully — asking God to give courage, wisdom, and justice.
When a jurisdiction strips the rights of its tiniest minority, the Church must respond like Jesus:
standing with the least, speaking truth to power, and embodying justice rooted in love.
In those moments, the credibility of our witness is tested — and the heart of Christ is revealed.
What do you think? Are you involved in justice issues? Is your pastor or priest speaking about justice? Please join the conversation and post a comment below.
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