Compensation for labor or wrongdoing forms a central illustration of justice in the material. Injustice arises first when people receive unequal compensation for identical efforts, whether through underpayment by a stingy employer or favoritism granting excess rewards to some. Scripture establishes that those who labor deserve appropriate reward, as in the principle of not muzzling an ox while it treads grain. The same principle applies within families when a parent grants special privileges to one child while treating others less favorably. A second form of injustice occurs when equal compensation is given for differing efforts, violating the requirement that rewards remain proportional to the work, sacrifice, and responsibility involved. Examples include a spendthrift sibling receiving a car while a diligent one saves for it or identical participation awards regardless of performance. Such practices undermine personal responsibility and obscure the link between effort and outcome, though they differ from charity, which aids the needy without regard to work performed, or inheritance, which is a gift rather than earned compensation. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard demonstrates mercy extended to willing laborers rather than equal rewards for idleness. When punishment is required, justice likewise demands fair compensation for the offense, such as requiring a child who steals to restore the item and face discipline for violating the commandment. These standards of compensation reveal how impartial judgment, free from partiality or excessive expectations, produces true justice tempered by mercy and compassion, enabling believers to reflect God's character by treating others according to what is due while extending forgiveness and aid without expectation of return.