Taking care of those in need
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 alien. I am the Lord your God."
The Lord spoke to Moses and gave him many laws and statutes to pass along to the people. These laws were not simply a way for God to exercise His authority. These laws were given in love and mercy to show us how to live in accordance with God's will. Certainly these were laws that restricted an individual's choice and freedom. But following God's laws is the path to true life, even if at times it feels contrary to our own free will and choice.
As a country, we recoil at the thought of restrictions on individual freedom. It is a principle on which this country was founded. But as with many worthy ideas, the merits of individual freedom fall apart when carried to the extreme. We all answer to someone, so the concept of complete individual freedom is a fallacy.
The key question is what does an individual plan to do if given freedom? There is a responsible way of handling individual freedom, and there is a selfish way. If we desire complete individual freedom because we think it relinquishes our responsibility to our fellow man, we are traveling down the selfish path. If we want to keep more of our resources for ourselves, what do you plan to do with them? If those plans solely involve your own savings account, your own possessions, etc., we are not following God's laws.
God didn't envision an "every man for himself" society. Over and over in the Bible we are commanded to take care of our fellow man and those in need. That is why He told Moses it is not good to harvest every last bit of fruit from the vineyard. That is hoarding God's resources at the expense of those in need.
There is a legitimate argument as to whether individuals or institutions are best able to care for and provide for those in need. But if the responsibility is left to us as individuals, we have to do it and not just talk about the worthiness of the cause while padding our own bank accounts.
The Lord spoke to Moses and gave him many laws and statutes to pass along to the people. These laws were not simply a way for God to exercise His authority. These laws were given in love and mercy to show us how to live in accordance with God's will. Certainly these were laws that restricted an individual's choice and freedom. But following God's laws is the path to true life, even if at times it feels contrary to our own free will and choice.
As a country, we recoil at the thought of restrictions on individual freedom. It is a principle on which this country was founded. But as with many worthy ideas, the merits of individual freedom fall apart when carried to the extreme. We all answer to someone, so the concept of complete individual freedom is a fallacy.
The key question is what does an individual plan to do if given freedom? There is a responsible way of handling individual freedom, and there is a selfish way. If we desire complete individual freedom because we think it relinquishes our responsibility to our fellow man, we are traveling down the selfish path. If we want to keep more of our resources for ourselves, what do you plan to do with them? If those plans solely involve your own savings account, your own possessions, etc., we are not following God's laws.
God didn't envision an "every man for himself" society. Over and over in the Bible we are commanded to take care of our fellow man and those in need. That is why He told Moses it is not good to harvest every last bit of fruit from the vineyard. That is hoarding God's resources at the expense of those in need.
There is a legitimate argument as to whether individuals or institutions are best able to care for and provide for those in need. But if the responsibility is left to us as individuals, we have to do it and not just talk about the worthiness of the cause while padding our own bank accounts.
posted by Robert Jory Allen at
2:54 PM
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