In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property. Leviticus 25:13
“Two principles lay at the basis of the moral economy of early Israelite village communities. First, the land belonged to Yahweh and was, in effect, leased to Israelite families for their use…The second principle underlying all of the principles developed to keep families viable was that the land allotted to each family was unalienable, could not be permanently sold or taken away. As Yahweh declared: “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants” (Leviticus 25:23). In the covenant made following the liberation from the ancient Near Eastern system of servitude, each Israelite family was provided with and guaranteed inalienable possession of a God-given right to land, which was the means of making a living in an agricultural society.”
Richard A. Horsley in Covenant Economics: A Biblical Vision of Justice for All (Louisville: WJKP, 2009) 38-39.
As I study Jubilee and it’s relationship to generosity, I find a remarkable concern for every single person and every family. God’s care for His people runs so deep that He wants every person to have access to the opportunity to work productively and have a place to live. Don’t hear me making any modern day political statements, but rather, celebrating God’s design in the OT covenant.
While Horsley notes “it is unclear, however, whether jubilee was ever practiced” (48), we have been discovering that Jesus earthly ministry in the NT proclaimed, from the beginning, “Jubilee!” In effect, Jesus called everyone to the same two principles: firstly, to let go of what we think we own (as God owns everything), and secondly, to grasp life as faithful workers in His family (as He has generous gifted and resourced us to function in His abundant economy).
Some may question whether these ideas are relevant in light of the fact that we have moved from an agricultural to an industrial to a consumer society. In response, I say these ideas are as relevant as ever. Think about it. God still owns everything, and Jesus is preparing an unalienable place for His disciples (John 14:1-6). The only way to “keep families viable” in the modern world is to live like we believe everything Jesus said is true. Jesus has declared “Jubilee!”
Do this and together we will look like aliens and strangers in this world, but our example will be the greatest, most generous gift we can give those around us.