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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “The poor and justice” The poor are those lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society. It can also be defined as anyone who lacks the means to procure or acquire the necessities of life. Justice is the notion of treating people impartially, fairly, properly, and reasonably. In other words, giving people what they are due. Poverty and justice mean treating the poor fairly, properly, and with dignity. We shall reflect on the fact that God expect us to take care of the poor when He makes us prosperous or blesses us with a good harvest.

Beloved in the Lord, in Leviticus 23:15-22, the Israelites were instructed on the details of how to celebrate the Festival of Weeks, as outlined in Exodus 23:16 and Exodus 34:22. The Festival of Harvest is also known as Pentecost, as it was celebrated 50 days after the Passover feast. The focus of our reflection is to consider God’s instruction to the Israelites during harvest after the celebration of the Festival of Harvest. The Lord commanded them, “‘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 foreigner residing among you. I am the LORD your God.’” (Leviticus 23:22) In other words, in God’s economy, He has given others bountiful harvest to some so they will be in a better position to feed the poor and vulnerable in society, hence the saying from Jesus, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:48) Again we are reminded to give to the poor when He wrote to Timothy, Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:17-19) Beloved in the Lord, giving or supporting the poor is about having a just society where the human dignity of all people is respected. We are expected to make provision for the poor in our families and communities as a church and as individuals. The needs of the poor were met in the Early Church, and Apostle Luke reported in the Acts of the Apostles that “… God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time, those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. (Acts 4:33-35).  Does the church of the 21st Century care about the needs of the poor? Are the needs of the poor our priority? With all the voluntary and untaxable funds that come to the church, do the poor have a share in them? In the 21st century, most churches are ministering to themselves and not to the poor and vulnerable among them. We spend huge sums on gigantic and state-of-the-art auditoriums and worship centres but spend little or nothing on the poor. The church is doing so much that nothing is done for the poor. Most churches do not have any specific ministry for the poor but have regular fundraising takes so much from members, including the poor among them. We have an obligation to the poor because we have been blessed and given the grace to harvest. For those believers who God has blessed with lucrative employment and prosperous business, we must please the Lord by caring for the poor and vulnerable in our families and communities. This is what the world calls giving back to society, but for us Christians, it is acting justly, fairly and equitably in the economy of God.

In summary, we have discovered that God expect us to take care of the poor when He makes us prosperous or blesses us with a good harvest. Shalom.

PRAYER

May the Holy Spirit strengthen us to be generous to the needy, and may the Lord continue to bless us we a bountiful harvest in all our investments and businesses. Amen