|
The Foreigner, Widow and Orphan
Leviticus 25:35 - 46
If any of your kin fall into difficulty and become
dependent on you, you shall support them; they shall live with you as
though resident aliens (Lev 25:35).
The caption which implies a God with partiality, quite
understandably, may not find favour with some of the readers since we
have minds conditioned by the traditional idea about a God who is
impartial - a God who doesn't take sides. We have been taught for long
that taking sides is evil and hence cannot fit into the nature of a 'Just
God'.
We need to understand two things here. (1) Impartiality is not a virtue
by itself. On the contrary, it can turn evil since one can become
absolutely ineffective and useless if one fails to take a stand where
required. Taking stand obviously suggests taking sides - you are 'for'
something and surely you are 'against' something else. This is something
that we all do or we ought to do. If you do not stand for something you
may fall for anything , so goes the saying.Impartiality is a negative
virtue. God does take stands and hence not impartial. There is a Divine
Partiality. (2) God' partiality does not contradict His nature . His
nature of love is not against his nature of taking sides. Infact , it is
His love that compels Him to be 'partial'. His love finds superb manifestation
when He takes sides with the poor, weak and the defenceless. The Bible
has references and instances in plenty revealing God taking sides for the
cause of the poor and weak.
The text for today vividly portrays God's concern for the poor,widows and
the alien. Jubilee year is the final proclamation of freedom to anyone in
poverty or slavery. God vehemently demands the rich and the powerful to
open their hearts for the poor and the weak and He also holds the stand
that the concern for the poor is not a condescending act of sympathy but
a genuine response to the demands of love for others. If Christian
discipleship is following Jesus Christ taking our own cross, that cross
is the pain we willingly receive for the sake of others . It is a pain
that springs up from sharing the Divine Partiality - an effort to be with
God where He is.
PRAYER
Lord our God, shake us out of our complacency and
embolden us to be with you where you are, Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God's heart has a place for the outcast.
Christian
Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church
|