Those morally opposed to debt love this verse, but it's more an observation than a rule. It is certainly a caution against going into debt, but the context compares poverty and borrowing. Is it a sin to be poor? No, and poverty usually limits your options.
Verse 9 - "Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor."
This verse helps us make sense of Jesus in Matthew 6:22-23: "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" A good eye means being generous and open-handed to the needy.
Verse 10 - "Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease."
Strife usually finds its source in one person, while the rest are just trying to deal with it. If you find that source and can change their behavior, shut them down, or get them to leave, suddenly peace abounds in the home or church.
17-21 - listen to what I've said!
22-29 - don't rob the poor, be friends with the angry, secure others' debts, change your fathers' boundaries, or be slack in your work.
How is this about Jesus?
He often would conclude with "He who has an ear, let him hear."
As the richest man in the universe, Jesus didn't use it to exploit the poor, but has paid off our most important debts. He lifts the lowly, but casts down the high and mighty.
No comments:
Post a Comment