Reparation is not a matter of vengeance or charity; it’s a matter of justice. The concept of reparation has biblical precedence. Under Old Testament law if a person wrongs another person, the wrongdoer should confess the sin. But saying “I’m sorry” is not enough. Expressing remorse may begin the process of healing, but somehow that which was damaged must be restored. The law goes on to state that the wrongdoer “must make full restitution for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged” (Num. 5:7).
