What You Asked About Restitution

Restitution raises many great questions.

Several questions were prompted by the previous post: “The What, How, and Why of Restitution.”

By way of summary, restitution is the act of a repentant offender restoring what has been wrongfully taken, withheld, and damaged.

Some had heard the word “restitution” but did not know what it meant or how it is linked with God’s process of forgiveness. Others wondered how it relates to issues such as defamation of character or physical injury.

Here are brief responses to three of these questions.

Question #1

“Why should I make restitution if I have been forgiven?”

Restitution is meant to restore a victim to wholeness to the greatest extent possible.

In simple terms, we earlier described confession as spoken repentance. It is the repentant heart expressing itself to the ‘other.’ Similarly, we described restitution as repentance in works—that is, in concrete action. It is the repentant offender doing what they should to restore the victim to wholeness.

We have an illustration of this in a tax collector (Luke 19:1-10 NET):

Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I now give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much!”

In biblical terms, restitution teaches that grace-filled repentance is not complete until victims are restored, compensated, and harm and injustice are addressed.

Restitution is not the price of forgiveness; it is the fruit of repentance.

Question #2

“For me, restitution is most easily understood in cases of theft or damage to property. How does restitution relate to situations in which lies are told that damage or destroy a person’s character and reputation?”

It might help to lay out the elements of such an offense in steps.

Telling lies about another person or group causes damage. Others believe the lies and a person wrongfully loses a good reputation, position, or relationship.

As pointed out, restitution is meant to restore a victim to wholeness to the greatest extent possible. So, in situations like this, how can wholeness be restored?

Here is a general principle:

Confession and restitution should take place in the same arena in which the wrong or sin was committed.

If I wronged you privately, I should confess to you privately. If I wrong you publicly, I should confess publicly—or at least in the presence of those before whom I injured your name and reputation. So, confession should be as private as possible, and as public as necessary.

Where the offense has been private (you and me only), Matthew 18:15 directs:

If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.

Let me adapt an example of a public sin.

A person calls a workmate “a liar, a cheat, and a thief” in the presence of four colleagues. Later, that person discovers that she was wrong about the accusations. She had slandered and damaged her co-worker’s reputation.

Referring to our earlier posts, let’s assume the accuser acknowledges her offense and takes hold of God’s gift of repentance. After confessing the matter to God, she then confesses to the person she wronged.

What about the four colleagues?

They should also hear the confession. This may not be possible at the same time and place, but the confession should be “aired” in the same forum as the sin committed.

• If the sin was committed in a group, then the confession should be made in the presence of that group;
• if one-to-one, then to that one; and
• if in the privacy of one’s thoughts, then to God alone.

If the slander resulted in the victim losing her employment, then a more public correction of the slander is necessary, together with the restoration of any related financial loss.

Keep in mind that restitution is about making the other person whole again from your wrongful actions. That includes their reputation.

Question #3

“I find I am having a hard time applying this to a real-life situation. Where in the process do you work out restitution? Should there be a place for negotiation with the victim? If you have any more examples, please share.”

If I understand the question correctly, this asks whether there are limits on the offender’s restitution, or whether it is a ‘blank cheque’ filled in by the victim.

I suppose situations can arise in which the “victim” takes advantage of the offender’s desire to make restitution. The “victim” sees it as an opportunity for getting more.

Perhaps we can find help from some Old Testament texts on restitution. For instance, Exodus 22:1-15 is an extended prescription for restitution in situations of theft of, or damage to, another person’s livestock or other property.

Even though it is unlikely you have stolen someone’s ox, we get a sense of what community standards were and what love of neighbor looked like.

If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep. (22:1)

You will also recall Zacchaeus’ commitment to repay four times the amount he had gained by cheating others (Luke 19:8).

Here are three insights:

1. Restitution will probably be more expensive than what was gained from the wrong action. You will end up paying more. This seems necessary to make a person whole again. Rather than a punishment, it is better to frame this as a deterrent.
2. A victim may reduce or refuse any restitution. This is the victim’s choice, free from any coercion or other pressure.
3. The community has a role (see Exodus 22; Matthew 18; and 1 Corinthians 6:1–11). A community’s involvement can help prevent abuses by either the offender or the victim and establish what is reasonable and just.

I have received other great questions. One of them asks: 

“What can I do when restitution is not possible?”

I will respond to this question in the next post.

In the meantime, I look forward to more of your comments and questions. You can reach me using this link.

FORWARD TO the next post in this series

BACK TO The What, How, and Why of Restitution

TO START at the beginning of this series

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