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\u201cDo not have two differing weights in your bag\u2014one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house\u2014one large, one small. You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly\u201d (Deuteronomy 25:13-16).

Let me begin with two snippets. Yesterday, there was an article in the news about minimum wage. Its going to be raised to $15 an hour, up from $14.35. The same article indicated that a living wage in Hamilton is now $17.20. Thus, currently, those making minimum wage in our city are making nearly $3 less than needed to live in this city.

I have no experience in government policy making, nor in how the living wage is calculated. However, it is easy enough to understand that even at $17.20 an hour, one will find it very difficult to live in this city.

Recently, someone asked me why ministers appear to get away with so many sins. It seemed to this woman that only sexual sins were worthy of a clergy\u2019s status to be revoked. There were many other sins, she listed alcoholism and greed as two examples, that were serious enough for a minister to be removed from office.

These two snippets came to mind as I read through Deuteronomy 25. Its full of laws that ensured that the Israelites would live well in the land. God\u2019s people were to live with the profound reality that each person was created in the image of God, each was significant. And their society could only flourish if everyone was able to participate in that flourishing.

Out text is about honesty in business, in buying and selling. The people were to keep their greed in check; they were to be more concerned with treating people well than with turning a profit. Honest dealings with each other would keep God\u2019s blessings flowing.

Dishonesty, says our text, is something God detests. Some of the older English translations read, \u2018its an abomination.\u2019 We might ask, \u201cIs it really such a big deal?\u201d Well, God seems to think so. Dishonest business dealings are pared with sexual perversion and idolatry, as abominations. So, it\u2019s a pretty big deal. As a pastor, the elders have asked me to help them confront people who have committed sexual sins and idolatry, but never on issues of economic injustice. Trust me, such sins were being committed. Why do we not take them as seriously?

I recognize that we live in a very different context than Israel. But the fact that more and more people are being left out of economic success ought to trouble God\u2019s people. If it is within our sphere of influence to ensure that people are paid enough to live, we need to make sure that happens. If we have access to the wheels of politics, we need to use those avenues.

Many of us may not have access to levers that reshape injustices in our culture. But all of us have the capacity to pray to the God of heaven and earth who is deeply invested in these issues. We sometimes say, \u2018at least we can pray.\u2019 But that denies what prayer is. It is not a matter of last resort. It is the tool that we all have, and it is a mighty tool. Take some time to pray through the Lord\u2019s prayer from the perspective of today\u2019s text. As you pray, think about economic issues in the world today, and the injustices many people face. Pray that God will bring his kingdom of shalom in those places.