Archive for November, 2018

Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. Leviticus 25:10

“Here, if ever, is the ultimate relativization of private property. On average, each person or family had at least a once-in-a-lifetime chance to start afresh, no matter how irresponsibly they had handled their finances or how far into debt they had fallen…

The possibility that Jubilee was rarely, if ever, implemented makes it no less God’s will for Old Testament times. While not applicable in all its detail to Christians in the New Testament age, New Testament allusions to the Jubilee (especially 4:16-21) demonstrate that certain principles underlying this legislation still remain in force, and these principles challenge all major economic models…

It supports the family, unites worship and social concern, and reminds one that ultimately all property belongs to the Lord. The principles of the sabbatical year and Jubilee further stress the major threat to social good that debt creates, a threat which remains at least as insidious today.”

Craig L. Blomberg in Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions (NSBT 7; Downers Grove: IVP, 1999) 45-46.

It’s been great to see Craig Blomberg at IBR/SBL this weekend. So, in thinking about the function of Jubilee, I determined get his perspective on it in his classic biblical theology on possessions. He does not disappoint. He cuts right to the heart of the matter: debt seeks to keep people in perpetual slavery and Jubilee aims to set them free.

Let’s lean into two specific things he says.

Firstly, he states that “certain principles underlying this legislation still remain in force” for us today. Did you hear that? Numerous NT texts call us to let go of possessions. Why? At the heart of the matter, the wealth is not ours but meant for the use of all. No wonder we are called to handle wealth so differently from the world around us.

Secondly, he adds that “these principles challenge all major economic models.” In plain terms, Blomberg reminds us that the Jubilee declared by Jesus rocks the financial world of everyone, everywhere. My advice in response: don’t try to fit Jesus into capitalism, socialism, communism or any other model. He won’t fit.

The generosity of Jesus only makes sense when we realize that he released us from our debts and wants us to claim nothing as our own but rather to release others for His service. So, as you think of things you are thankful for this thanksgiving, give thanks that Jesus released you from debt and resources you to bless others.

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is — that she is a sinner.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Then He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:36-50

“In addition to describing a confrontation of Jesus with the self-righteousness of the host, the account also depicts Jesus’ bridging of the gaps of social, religious, and ethical exclusivism by his association with outcasts and sinners. The story in Luke 7:36-50 makes explicit what is implicit elsewhere, namely, that in each case Jesus’ relationship with the outcasts is to be understood as an enactment of the “forgiveness” or “release” in which those persons are restored to their place in the community. The bonds that are broken with Jesus’ advent are the bonds that deprived people of a place in their society. Such periscopes echo the Jubilee images of “return” to God found in Leviticus 25 as well as those in Isaiah 61 that point to liberation from captivity and celebration of God’s eschatological reign, now recognized as present in Jesus.”

Sharon H. Ringe in Jesus, Liberation, and the Biblical Jubilee: Images for Ethics and Christology (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2004) 71.

I’ve spent the weekend at the annual meetings for the Institute for Biblical Research and the Society of Biblical Literature, hence the new header photo. In looking at texts in the Gospels that champion Jubilee, this one in particular reveals God’s generosity as we see Jesus creates space for outcasts to return to community.

Imagine the scene: reading it feels like we are attending a dinner party with Jesus. He was invited by an unnamed Pharisee. The OT Law stated plainly that the host makes provision for the washing of the feet of the guests. Failure to do so showed unfriendliness (Genesis 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; 43:24; Judges 19:21). So notice that not only does the religious leader (whom we would expect to sort this important detail) not do it, a woman walks in with a less than virtuous reputation, wets them with her tears, wipes them with her hair, kisses them, and pours perfume on them.

The irony of this scene is compounded by Luke’s record of the thoughts of the Pharisee. How would Luke know this to record it for us? We can’t say with certainty. Perhaps it’s in there to hold up a mirror for us. Maybe we too are like the Pharisee, who clearly was guilty of picking and choosing what aspects of the OT Law he would follow. I know in my own journey I have been guilty of following gospel teachings that fit in our modern cultural settings but don’t match the radical teachings of Jesus. That said, Jesus welcomes all who return to Him.

The timing of this post is perfect as we approach Thanksgiving in America. When our generosity exhibits the justice and righteousness of Jubilee, we help people return to community and, in response, they are profoundly grateful! We release them from labels and stereotypes and we begin to realize our own issues in the mirror of the Word.

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:1-10

“The story of Zacchaeus provides evidence that through actions that caused harm, through fraud, and through the thefts connected to his profession, he damaged and in fact made impossible the life of dignity for many people. The relationship with Jesus brought Zacchaeus back to his origins, restoring justice.

The fourfold return in the case of the theft of means of production or of products, as an act that took place during the collection, was foreseen in Exodus 22:1 (see also Numbers 5:6-7). The purpose of the return as part of the Jewish tradition of Jubilee, is the opportunity for impoverished people to be rehabilitated, so that they can return to having their own independent means to produce and to live, free of processes of indebtedness! Thus, the damages can be, if not compensated, at least alleviated, and the persons who were deprived can once again have at their disposal the capital that was taken from them by fraud. They can reorganize their lives.

Moreover, Zacchaeus reclaimed a tradition of his people, namely, returning fourfold more to persons he had robbed and giving over half his goods to persons who had entered into a process of impoverishment, perhaps even precisely because of those fraudulent actions. Zacchaeus practiced the forgiveness of debts in its full and profound sense. With that, old Jubilee traditions were revived that had been proclaimed and longed for by the suffering people.

The grace of Jesus in relation to Zacchaeus is converted into relationships of grace and commitment in social and communal life of the people. Only in this way do rich people have a space in the ministry of Jesus and in the communities of Luke.”

Ironi Richter Reimer in “The Forgiveness of Debts in Matthew and Luke” in God’s Economy: Biblical Studies in Latin America, edited by Ross and Gloria Kinsler (Maryknoll: Orbis, 2005) 166-167.

Jubilee helps us interpret the odd transactions that take place in the Zacchaeus story. Jesus launches His earthly ministry with a Jubilee proclamation (Luke 4:14-21) which, as we have explored in Deuteronomy, calls for justice and righteousness. In response, Zacchaeus does both, so “salvation” comes to the house of this sinner. His first act reflects justice. He shares half of his possessions.

This act, however, must not be misconstrued as giving rich people license to hold back half their wealth for themselves. Such an interpretation cannot be possible as it would cause Jesus to contradict Himself. The general instructions of Jesus tell everyone not to store up treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-21), and His explicit command to the rich man says to sell all He has and give it to the poor (Mark 10:17-31).

So, the sharing of half of his possessions was his act of justice, which would be half of what Jubilee required, and his payback amounting to four times his theft represented an act of righteousness or making things right. What remained? The text does not say so we cannot say with certainty, but as ancient sources widely report theft as common among tax collectors, fourfold payback of his theft would likely would have consumed the other half.

But don’t miss the big prize that this short soul received which was better than all the money deployed in restitution. He gained fellowship with Jesus. Salvation came to his house. Jesus had declared Jubilee and, in response, Zacchaeus counted the cost and paid the price. He cherished justice and righteous more than money. Thus, this text with its calculated transactions relates not to generosity, but in biblical terms, to Jubilee restitution.

We are blind guides who lead people astray if we say this text affirms that rich people hold back for themselves half or any portion of wealth on earth. Again, that would present our Lord Jesus Christ as an inconsistent teacher. Instead, we must tell those with riches to follow Jesus’ clear instructions because He promises that the obedient will receive one hundredfold gain with persecutions in this life as well as eternal life with treasures safely stored up in heaven.

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:6-11

“Leviticus proposes a year of Jubilee (every fifty years), but the prophets proclaim the realization of the mishpat [justice] and the tzedekah [righteousness or ethical obligation of charity] that will avoid the injustice of debt, slavery, and the loss of lands and houses. When that injustice is already installed in the society, they announce for Yahweh a time of liberation that has neither dates nor calendar. We should always be in this time…if we hear the voice of the prophets.”

José Severino Croatto in “From the Leviticus Jubilee Year to the Prophetic Liberation of Time: Exegetical Reflections on Isaiah 61 and 58 in Relation to the Jubilee” in God’s Economy: Biblical Studies in Latin America, edited by Ross and Gloria Kinsler (Maryknoll: Orbis, 2005) 107.

This weekend I am attending the Society of Biblical Literature 2018 Annual Meeting here in Denver. It will be good to rub shoulders with biblical scholars from around the world and even better to hear papers offering fresh research and insights much like Croatto’s exegetical article which served as the source for today’s Daily Meditation. If you are reading this and attending, please message me, and let’s try to meet up.

Croatto’s research celebrates that Jubilee in the mind of the prophets is not bound by a year but becomes our way of living all the time. When this takes place, we thrive in the reality Isaiah envisioned. We spend ourselves on behalf of those who are hurting, needy, oppressed, and our otherworldly, charitable (think: grace-filled) behavior makes things right (think: brings righteousness) all around us.

Thursday night Jenni and I saw the stage production of “It’s a Wonderful Life!” at Front Range Christian School, where our son and daughter attended and where Sammy works part-time. The cast did a masterful job in a story that depicts the impact one person, George Bailey, can have on an entire community. He help every person have a place to live and food on the table after a day of work. It really got me thinking.

Just as George Bailey spent himself for Bedford Falls and contributed to its flourishing, we get to do the same thing where God has us. And yet, it’s hard, so hard that when crisis comes, we may, like George be tempted to give up. It will always appear absurd and challenge our fortitude, so re-read today’s Scripture to receive divine consolation and renewed courage to spend yourself generously.

This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'” Matthew 6:9-13

“A schematic and literal translation follows: Our Father who is in heaven, Your name may it be sanctified (against idolatry), Your reign may it come to us (for life), Your will may it be done (against domination). Give us today our daily bread, Forgive us our debts, for we have already forgiven our debtors. Do not let us fall into temptation. Free us from the evil.

In summary we have seven elements: The concerns of God: God’s name, God’s reign, and God’s will. The concerns of the community: our bread, our debts. The threats: temptation and evil.

The community that prays the Lord’s Prayer is a poor community that needs its daily bread and is overwhelmed by debts, but it is also a community in solidarity with other poor people who are indebted to them. The taxes of Rome, of King Herod, and of the Jerusalem Temple were unpayable. Many lost their homes, their land, and even their freedom because of debts. The forgiveness of debts was therefore a significant liberating reality among the peasant communities of Galilee. the petition for the forgiveness of debts belongs to the tradition of the Sabbatical Year and the Jubilee. Therefore the Lord’s prayer is the Jubilee prayer par excellence.

The Lord’s prayer uses the same terminology and theology as the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:23-25). In this parable we have a king who forgave ten thousand talents to his servant, but the servant did not forgive another servant the miserable sum of one hundred denarii. This parable is found in Matthew’s discourse about the church (Matthew 13:1-35). In light of this ecclesiological parable and in light of the whole Sabbath and Jubilee traditions, we should interpret the petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our debts” as a petition to God to proclaim a Sabbatical or Jubilee Year, a year in which all debts should be forgiven. The debt that is here requested to be forgiven is not a debt to God (a sin) but debts that the community has to other persons. It is a matter of real economic debts. The one who prays is a poor community overwhelmed by its debts (and also overwhelmed by the lack of bread, by temptations, and by evil in general).”

Pablo Richard in “Now is the Time to Proclaim the Biblical Jubilee” in God’s Economy: Biblical Studies in Latin America, edited by Ross and Gloria Kinsler (Maryknoll: Orbis, 2005) 51-52.

This exploration of Jubilee related to generosity has brought the theme to the heart of our Christian faith. The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray emerges before our very eyes as the Jubilee prayer. It challenges us to care more about other people than money, to forgive debts because we realize that our debts have been forgiven, and to call for help to avoid temptation and evil.

While the social and economic factors of the Galilee setting differ from today, the troubles look remarkably similar. Most people have debt and lots of it. Some got it from poor decisions they made, a few had major crisis situations wipe them out, while others got there because the global economic system told them that everyone relies on debt to function.

So what does generosity look like in a world filled with debt and indebtedness? Followers of Jesus must proclaim Jubilee. We must acknowledge God’s name as Sovereign, that His reigns guides our lives, and that His will dictates our decisions. From there, we trust Him to supply, and we become a community that forgives debts realizing the forgiveness we have received from God and avoiding evil and temptation with God’s help.

The perfect picture of this community is the early church in texts like Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-35. God help us become people who care not for accumulating possessions but share everything we have to help brothers and sisters who are enslaved to debt, as C.S. Lewis says in Mere Christianity, “even to the crippling and endangering of your own position” (87). Make us into a Jubilee community that shares generously, Lord.

Sharing in light of Jubilee is not you giving your money to me to help me because you are such a nice person, or vice versa. As God owns everything and since Jesus declared Jubilee, our openhandedness reflects submission to God’s name, reign, and will and results in restoration. This behavior is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit and sustained by grace, which is why the Scriptures describe “generosity” as a fruit of the Spirit.

During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them… The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey…” Exodus 2:23-25; 3:7-8a

“No one should presume to offer a panacea for the woes of today’s world, but it is our belief that we must all strive to find ways to live and act conscientiously. The dominant socioeconomic order, which is becoming global at an alarming rate and in apparently irresistible ways, may overwhelm and immobilize us. On the other hand, we remember that the biblical history of salvation begins with supposedly powerless slaves, aliens living at the heart of one of the world’s greatest empires. Surely the God who liberated them can guide us into responsible action for personal, ecclesial, and social transformation. At least we can learn how others are making space and creating times for resistance and liberation. Jubilee spirituality may draw upon and incorporate experiences and perspectives from diverse sources, but it will relate them organically with the real world and the grave socioeconomic and ecological problems of life for our own and future generations.”

Ross and Gloria Kinsler in The Biblical Jubilee and the Struggle for Life (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1999) 19.

Throughout human history, money emerges as the driving force of the world’s economic system. Those who possess it rule. Those who do not find themselves oppressed and enslaved. But God sees all this. Revisiting the Exodus account reminds us that he can deliver “supposedly powerless slaves” and help them experience abundance.

So the generosity that comes into view first today is God’s generosity toward the oppressed. He sees and has concern for the suffering. That models for us how we must live and act toward those the enslaved. Not only that He comes to rescue His people. Again, we learn that we might be part of the solution for helping deliver people.

This is Jubilee spirituality. It’s personal (that means it starts with me and you), ecclesial (which means we do it as a church community), and it transforms social settings (the larger society in which we as believers and our church exists). We have concern for the oppressed and we act on their behalf to help set them free.

In God’s economy, we serve God and not money, so we make money our slave and use it to show our love of God and care for our neighbor. In following God’s design, we go from “supposedly powerless slaves” to being freed by God to help set others free. God’s generosity has liberated us to help liberate others in tangible ways.

So, next time you feel you are too small to make a difference, or you think the socioeconomic problems around you are too great to conquer, remember Moses. In the Exodus, God raised up a man who knew he could not do it himself but thought it was possible with God’s help. That’s what you will find when you help the hurting that God sees. He will work through you to proclaim Jubilee!

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’  “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:19-31

“A rich person lives in grave spiritual danger. Among the perils he or she faces are the soul-destroying temptations to hoard, to become hard-hearted and tight-fisted, to exploit the vulnerability of others, to turn a blind eye to the plight of the needy, to trust in riches, to become deaf to the call of God, to forget that God is the giver and owner of all, to indulge in worldly pursuits and excesses, to give in order to gain prestige or position, to act arrogantly toward those of lower status, and to flaunt what they have. The wealthy can greatly reduce these spiritual risks by acknowledging God as the source and Lord of all, by trusting Him without anxiety, and by opening their hearts and pockets freely to meet the needs of others.”

Karen L. H. Shaw in Wealth and Piety: Middle Eastern Perspectives for Expat Workers (Pasadena: William Carey Publishing, 2018) 55-56.

At the Retirement Reformation Roundtable yesterday in Colorado Springs (the view of Pikes Peak from our meeting room is pictured above), I gave remarks and read from Luke 16:19-31. Many in modern times profess faith in Christ and yet accumulate for themselves while ignoring hurting people at their doorstep.

I titled today’s post “God has helped” (or I could have used the title “whom God helps”) because that’s the meaning of the name “Lazarus” in the parable, a rare instance where Jesus names a character in a parable. Why mention this as we continue to think about Jubilee related to generosity?

In reading Shaw’s new book on my flights to and from NYC this past weekend, I was struck that people from economically poor parts of the world likely perceive me as a rich Westerner, but the question I must lean into is this: Do they think I am godly? In other words, they are watching what I do with what I have.

Shaw graphically reminds us of the danger of riches. They can lull people to sleep like the rich man in the parable, which leads to eternal regret. My advice for everyone with riches, about a decade after releasing our accumulated assets, is to put everything you have to work for God beyond a mina (three month’s income, cf. Luke 19:11-27).

The risks, for you, your spouse, and your family, associated with holding on to wealth are destructive. I am not trying to rob you but help you. Practice justice and generosity. Be a helper for God. Use the wealth you have to bless the poor and advance ministry for God’s glory today as you may not live until tomorrow.

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you. James 5:1-6

“These questions address three areas of economic justice: the accrual of wealth, its use, and its distribution:

Q: To what extent is the wealth of modern Christians the produce of injustice in the form of coercive or exploitative practices in labor, management, or marketing?

Q: To what extent does our material prosperity rest upon and help to perpetuate unjust structures and institutions?

Q: Can we defend the work we do in terms of its contribution to human good and its compatibility with Christian obligations to love and serve the neighbor?

Q: How do contemporary Christians make use of the social power conferred by wealth? Are our economic resources used to give unfair access to, or privileged treatment within, the mechanisms of law and government? To coerce the behavior of others?

Q: Do we hold idle assets that might be used to help those in dire need? Can we defend our share of the benefits and burdens of society as just and equitable?

Questions about justice in the accumulation, use, and distribution of wealth can also be addressed to the public institutions which Christians participate in and thereby help to support. Of particular concern in both Testaments is the potential of wealth for fostering corruption and inequity in the political and judicial structures of society… The test case for the questions about justice is the text from James 5…

James draws upon Old Testament and apocryphal traditions to condemn the wealthy who hoard their goods and give nothing to the poor, who accumulate their wealth by cheating their laborers, and who use their power to corrupt the judicial process. The passage will stand for the condemnation of all kinds of economic injustices and for the retribution of the Lord of Hosts that is said to await them.”

Sondra Ely Wheeler in Wealth as Peril and Obligation: The New Testament on Possessions (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995) 140-142.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, and the head of the Jerusalem church speaks pointedly about not hoarding wealth. This passage was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” for Jenni and me, a study of this text led us to distribute all our accumulated financial resources about a decade ago.

Candidly, we felt we had no answer for our Lord, should He have returned and found us hoarding wealth in the last days when we had been resourced for generosity. While advisors justified our behavior as “saving for a rainy day and for retirement” we were accumulating money in precisely the place Jesus said not to.

Related to Jubilee, justice is not about doing what is legally right. It’s about handling money in a manner that reflects God’s abundant economy and contributes to the flourishing of all. If your financial practices widen the gap between you and your neighbor, make sure you are prepared to give an account for your actions.

These questions aim to get people thinking and acting with justice while they have time. The Lord Almighty will hold us accountable for how we have handled what He has entrusted to us. Our actions and not our words will testify for or against us. I don’t know what “misery” awaits the rich but it does not sound pretty.

Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Deuteronomy 8:17-18

“Capital in the form of land was given to every family in the tribes of Israel. God arranged the economy in such a way that this capital could not be permanently squandered. If a family lost possession of its land, the land was to be returned to them in the year of Jubilee, which was to occur at 50 year intervals. This was not a redistribution of wealth as some claim, but a restoration of wealth…Jubilee was designed to make it impossible for the Israelites to convert their capital into consumption. Under this system, the sale of land was in reality a lease for the number of years remaining until the next Jubilee, and the price was determined accordingly. The land was to be the capital base for all future generations of the family.”

Jake Barnett in Wealth and Wisdom: A Biblical Perspective on Possessions (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1987) 78.

Within the larger vision of Jubilee, God generously made provision for every family to have land. The land functioned as the capital that gave them the ability to produce wealth. It came with a warning: the people must not to forget who supplied the power and who owned the land. They were to steward the land and all it produced faithfully.

This restoration provision ensured that they could not become a consumptive society with a large divide between rich and poor, but rather, an economy with widespread productivity and opportunity. It sounds totally foreign when compared to the economic systems of today, so we could be tempted to write off and abandon God’s economic perspectives altogether. Don’t go there.

Followers of Jesus may ignore but they cannot deny His explicit instructions that the rich share with the poor. This is not about giving a hand out, but about restoration that aims at giving a hand up. Jesus presents the Good Samaritan as the model and wealthy followers like Barnabas sell land and give the proceeds to the Apostles so that there were no needy in the community.

This suggests at least two applications. One, if you have excess capital, put it in play in church or ministry-orchestrated efforts that help the poor get to work. Two, if you work in a church or ministry, find ways to help the poor work productively with the capital God supplies so they can live, give, serve, and love like Jesus with you. We must realize that this cannot be separated from but must be integrated with discipleship.

And for those who prayed for me yesterday. Thanks. Preaching five services went great. I have a new home church in NYC with receptive hearts. Can’t wait to return on Thanksgiving Sunday. Today I fly back to Denver and spend the day with Paul Lenoir of Ehrenkodex (the ECFA of Switzerland) for a day prayer and discussions on financial accountability for ministries in Western Europe.

If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. Exodus 22:25

“There were occasions that could easily result in dire economic straits for an Israelite family (e.g. severe injury or illness of the male provider, natural disaster of some sort that wiped out crops, such as a locust plague), and the only way to obtain daily provisions, at least temporarily, was to ask a fellow Israelite for help. The ideal, of course, is that food would be given to the poor, but in order to restart one’s herds or plant one’s crops, the needy family would likely have to borrow (e.g. a pregnant animal or seed for grain crops). The laws of the OT did not prohibit such borrowing but it did prohibit Israelite moneylenders from ever charing interest on loans to their kinsmen. Moreover, the laws of the sabbatical year and the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25; Deuteronomy 15:1-11) were years for wiping out such loans.”

Verlyn D. Verbrugge & Keith R. Krell in Paul and Money: A Biblical and Theological Analysis of the Apostle’s Teachings and Practices (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015) 266.

As we continue to think about Jubilee and its relationship to generosity, we see another strong connection to the teachings of Jesus foreshadowed in this amazing OT concept.

The ideal of aiding the needy in tangible ways and charging them no interest surfaces as God’s design in the Law and is echoed by Jesus when He pointed us to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves (Luke 10:27).

Think about it in modern terms. A family member gets sick, has a car crash, or loses a job. Whatever the crisis, you need help in real, tangible ways. What would generosity look like to you? You need to be helped not exploited.

This is the role of the church. We are the Body of Christ, so “the ideal” must become the norm so people see Jesus in us. Like the Good Samaritan must “go and do likewise” and aid the needy around us  (Luke 10:25-37)!

I flew to NYC (LaGuardia) last night and arrived just before sunset (pictured above). I am preaching five services (with simultaneous translation) at Bethel International Church in Queens. I’d appreciate your prayers.

This is the first of three visits to this church over the next few weeks. My message is entitled “Stewarding Abundance” which will survey OT teachings linked to handling money. In a word, I’ll proclaim, “Jubilee!”

I plan to return on On 25 November 2018 to preach on “Abundant Life” summing up the Gospels. Then, Jenni will join me on 9 December to teach on “Sharing Abundantly” looking at the early church in the rest of the NT.