I love that GOD specifically makes provision for the poor that demands that the landowner treat them respectfully. What a great country we would be if we did the same!
I also appreciate the fact that the system isn't designed around handing out food (although we are to practice hospitality), rather it is about giving people the opportunity to get it themselves. In other words, there is still an amount of work involved if you want to have your needs met. But at least you have this opportunity. In other cultures at the time, the poor or foreign were not so fortunate. I think this adds to the self-respect of those in need. I think most people are willing to work to meet their needs, but they often don't have the opportunity (for a variety of reasons). Or they have become dependent on systems that don't require active participation but instead maintain passivity in society. How crazy would it be for the government to take some of their massive program money and buy farmland and then let those in need tend it, receiving the crops as payment? Of course, that's an oversimplified, hole filled proposition, but conceptually it is interesting to think about. It is tough to draw parallels because we don't live in an agrarian society. Urbanization was not a problem facing the Jews when these laws were established.
That goes back to the saying, "If you give a person a fish, you feed him, but if you teach a person to fish, they can feed themselves for the rest of their lives."(paraphased). Doug and Frankie do this very well. Imagine what change would happen if Mike's idea could happen!!
Since we do live in a different context, and having people actually glean farmland is not a real possibility in our environment (nothing really gets left behind with mechanization anyway...I'm not a farmer, so that's just my observation), what are some ways that we can ensure that the poor have opportunities to meet their needs? How should we translate these commands into Northern Kentucky. As dougnfrankie have already mentioned, we can begin by showing respect. Does the church have a greater responsibility to fight for opportunities, overcome barriers to them, or even provide some opportunities itself?
For example, illiteracy could be a barrier to employment, regardless of one's physical ability or desire to work. Should the church be engaged in teaching people to read? Or teaching English to foreigners? Another example...should the church (as individuals or a body) be engaged politically to ensure that the laws that are passed uphold justice and the rights of every person? What responsibility to have to the process?
Those are all great ideas. I think people somehow need to be shown they can have confidence and self-esteem and do the job if they have one. Teaching people to read and write would be great, also.
Great insights J. We are all called to be submissive. We have been talking in the youth group about submitting to authority and how it never goes away even with age. You just have different people to whom you need to submit. This is difficult to do, especially with joy. But I agree with you that it is essential if we want to be used by the Lord.
Great discussion last night about submission and what that really means. Too many people see submission as a negative thing, because out-of-context scripture has been misused throughout history to abuse others. If you read about submission throughout the entire Bible however, it is clear that all are to submit to GOD first. If everyone did that, the issue of submission to other humans would be a non-issue, because everyone would be striving for GOD's will, not their own.
8 comments:
I love that GOD specifically makes provision for the poor that demands that the landowner treat them respectfully. What a great country we would be if we did the same!
I also appreciate the fact that the system isn't designed around handing out food (although we are to practice hospitality), rather it is about giving people the opportunity to get it themselves. In other words, there is still an amount of work involved if you want to have your needs met. But at least you have this opportunity. In other cultures at the time, the poor or foreign were not so fortunate. I think this adds to the self-respect of those in need. I think most people are willing to work to meet their needs, but they often don't have the opportunity (for a variety of reasons). Or they have become dependent on systems that don't require active participation but instead maintain passivity in society. How crazy would it be for the government to take some of their massive program money and buy farmland and then let those in need tend it, receiving the crops as payment? Of course, that's an oversimplified, hole filled proposition, but conceptually it is interesting to think about. It is tough to draw parallels because we don't live in an agrarian society. Urbanization was not a problem facing the Jews when these laws were established.
That goes back to the saying, "If you give a person a fish, you feed him, but if you teach a person to fish, they can feed themselves for the rest of their lives."(paraphased). Doug and Frankie do this very well. Imagine what change would happen if Mike's idea could happen!!
Since we do live in a different context, and having people actually glean farmland is not a real possibility in our environment (nothing really gets left behind with mechanization anyway...I'm not a farmer, so that's just my observation), what are some ways that we can ensure that the poor have opportunities to meet their needs? How should we translate these commands into Northern Kentucky. As dougnfrankie have already mentioned, we can begin by showing respect. Does the church have a greater responsibility to fight for opportunities, overcome barriers to them, or even provide some opportunities itself?
For example, illiteracy could be a barrier to employment, regardless of one's physical ability or desire to work. Should the church be engaged in teaching people to read? Or teaching English to foreigners?
Another example...should the church (as individuals or a body) be engaged politically to ensure that the laws that are passed uphold justice and the rights of every person? What responsibility to have to the process?
Those are all great ideas. I think people somehow need to be shown they can have confidence and self-esteem and do the job if they have one. Teaching people to read and write would be great, also.
Great insights J. We are all called to be submissive. We have been talking in the youth group about submitting to authority and how it never goes away even with age. You just have different people to whom you need to submit. This is difficult to do, especially with joy. But I agree with you that it is essential if we want to be used by the Lord.
Great discussion last night about submission and what that really means. Too many people see submission as a negative thing, because out-of-context scripture has been misused throughout history to abuse others. If you read about submission throughout the entire Bible however, it is clear that all are to submit to GOD first. If everyone did that, the issue of submission to other humans would be a non-issue, because everyone would be striving for GOD's will, not their own.
Amen!
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