(I am an evangelical Christian and attend a Baptist church in the heart of the Bible belt.)
My pastor quoted this verse yesterday in reference to fasting.
Isaiah 58:3-6
'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers...
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?
I took this to heart, and also noted the reference to fair treatment of workers (which was not the subject of the sermon). I think it is time for the Church to address the morality of certain business practices that do great harm to our neighbors and enrich others at their expense.
Leviticus 23:22
'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. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'
Leviticus 19:13
Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.
Deuteronomy 24:15
Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
Deuteronomy 25:4
Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
Jeremiah 22:13
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.
Malachi 3:5
"Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts.
James 5:4
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
Jesus' disciples gathered grain from the fields when they were hungry, as did His ancestor Ruth. (Ruth 2:2, Mark 2:23-24). The commandment to leave the edges of your grainfield for the poor is beautiful because it doesn't require handing out food; the poor can harvest and cook for themselves. Charity is only required for the truly helpless.
A Christian Response
Why is the second greatest commandment from Jesus "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"?
Let me ask this another way. What does the fellow need whom you pass begging on the highway, or whom you see at the thrift shop picking up food for his family? Enough money to pay his electric bill, or his rent for a month? This would certainly be an acceptable gift and much appreciated, but next month he will need help again.
What people really need are good jobs. Since the Garden of Eden, mankind was made to work. Work gives people not only money, but dignity and family values. And it prevents crime.
What would the LORD think about those who drive their employees out of the workplace to be replaced by slaves in a foreign land?
I feel passionately about this because I have seen layoffs happen to so many of my colleagues and friends. Of course most of them found other jobs eventually and this is certainly not limited to my business or industry. But it is a national tragedy and symptomatic of a spiritual issue. I believe that the spirit of hedonism is behind this, and the endless pursuit of money. To the extent that we in the Church participate in this system, we are responsible to speak out against it and to protect people from it.
If you are an employer, my hat is off to you for putting up with a government that treats you like the enemy. I don't know how you keep up with the time, taxes and regulations required to employ people in this country! I encourage you to speak up, rather than giving up. Speak out rather than selling out.
I have never been an employer, but a lot of people work for me. People care for my lawn, serve me dinner at restaurants, repair my house, and manufacture the products I buy. I will always treat them fairly and consider their needs when I deal with them. I will do my best to influence decision makers at work. I will use my vote to elect people who support family-friendly business practices. And I will encourage my pastor and friends to discuss the morality of this critical issue in the context of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus.
Will you join me?
Good post... I really appreciate the addition of your faith in your post (though I am sure there are others who may not).
ReplyDelete"The commandment to leave the edges of your grainfield for the poor is beautiful because it doesn't require handing out food; the poor can harvest and cook for themselves."
What do you see as some modern day examples of living out this commandment (for those of us with no grainfields)?
So sorry Chris, I didn't see your comment last year. If you happen by here again, here's my reply.
DeleteModern day example: Don't become so productive that there is no room for anyone else to shine in your workplace. Leave some room for your colleagues or underlings to get credit and rewards for their work.
Another application: I used to do everything myself around the house - anything I could do myself I would do myself. Now I am in a position to have other people do things for me and it benefits both them (they get paid reliably and fairly) and me (I can do other things).
More directly, support charities that provide tools and training, which enable the poor and needy to work and gain self esteem as they support themselves and their family.