One verse caught my attention, though. Leviticus 19:9-10:
When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.What does this mean in a modern context? For the ancient Jews, it was meant to provide a small amount of sustenance for the poor. By leaving the edges of the field unreaped and not being too thorough in harvesting, those with no fields would still be able to harvest. But what about us?
My sister does strange things. This shouldn't surprise people who know her. When she gets change after buying something at a store, she goes out in the parking lot and drops it. Sometimes all at once, sometimes one coin at a time. She figures that finding a penny cheers her up, so why not cheer others up? Is this a modern day application of this verse?
Or does it suggest that followers of the Lord should not always seek efficiency. Surely planting crops and then purposefully not harvesting them is inefficient. Maybe it means that we should even financially invest in ventures that we know will not yield a financial return (or, at least, not shy away from doing so).
I've been reading a book for our mission trip to Memphis called Theirs Is the Kingdom. (You should read this book.) It's written by a man who has been a missionary to inner city Atlanta for 15+ years. Our investment could produce jobs for those who don't have them and countless opportunities to share the message of Christ.
I can't really claim to know how to apply this these verses to our lives, but it's worth considering. What does this verse say about our God and the way we are to interact with the fruits of our labors?
2 comments:
Perhaps it's talking about greed as well. It's all part of the same idea, don't take more than you need and there will be plenty for everyone.
I think we should do the year of Jubilee too...goodness knows our country could use it this year.
I was thinking along the lines of greed too... and being too obsessed with your work; milking everything out of it, and out of people, that you can... Then there's the idea of perfectionism... and having to do it just right, thus you do it all yourself and leave nothing for anyone else... so they can't take part in the harvest and receive blessings as well. Just because you're the Jewish worker/successful career man doesn't mean you can forget about the people coming after you... They're just as important to God. Well, that turned out a paragraph longer than I meant. Don't think I made much sense either... *laughs. But, good thoughts, as always. (*thia
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