“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. 10. 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.”
If you were to go through the files of a preacher, you would probably not find many, if any, sermons from Leviticus. Leviticus is a long treatise on the laws that the Jews were to follow in their travels and in the land of Canaan when they reached it. But scattered throughout the book are little pearls of wisdom that can teach us a lot about how we should live. Leviticus 20:9-10 is one of those pearls of wisdom. It is called “the law of gleaning,” meaning that they were to leave the gleanings of the harvest for the poor and the alien. A good example of this law is found in the book of Ruth, where Ruth picked the gleanings in the field of Boaz. What can this ancient law teach us about our responsibilities? It teaches us that we are not to be unconcerned about the physical needs of people less fortunate than ourselves. It is certain that there are some people who have mastered the art of being poor and make their living off of other people. But we are not to assume that about all people. Some people are genuinely in need, and as followers of the most unselfish person who ever lived, Jesus Christ, we are not to be indifferent to the needs of people. In Matthew 25, Jesus told us that we would be judged based on how we treated people less fortunate than ourselves: “For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger and you took me in: naked and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.” Jesus gave that as an example of people who were doing the right thing. When we give a helping hand to people, we are doing what Jesus has called us to do. If someone comes along and takes advantage of our good nature, and we did not know it, we can thank God that we did what Jesus told us to do. It teaches us that we are not to be selfish people who hold everything for ourselves. Jesus gave an example of a man who had a bumper crop one year and did not even consider the law of gleaning. He rejoiced in all that he had, and kept it all for himself. He decided that instead of sharing his goods with other people, he would keep it all for himself. In order to do this, he went to the extent of building bigger barns in which to store all of his crops. (Luke 12:16-21) Jesus does not want us to be selfish, but He also does not want us to be foolish. Jesus advised His disciples to be as “wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.” In other words, we are to be helpful and compassionate toward people, but we are also to teach those who would take advantage of people to live better lives. My idea is that when I don’t know what the motives of a person are, I will do what I can to help them because this is what Jesus taught me to do. If I know that they are trying to take advantage of me, I will turn them away. But I really have to know that they are not being honest with me. I don’t want to find out one day that I was approached by an angel as a test and turned him away. (Yes, I believe in angels.) It teaches us that God wants us to be aware that we are to love people. We are not to withhold ourselves, or our substance, from other people because we are afraid of what will happen to us. Some people seem to be afraid that they are going to help somebody, and will go out of their way not to help people, because they are afraid of being taken advantage of. If we love people, we will minister to them as best we can, or lead them to someone who can help them. Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, loved people and ministered to them, and He wants the same for us. We are not on this earth just to be served, but to serve as well. Give some thought to the law of gleaning in your own life. Bro. Joe
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
All
Archives
September 2021
|