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\u201cAt the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. Give generously to [the poor] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today\u201d (Deuteronomy 15:1, 10, 11, 15).

Deuteronomy 15 is a difficult chapter to understand. There are several difficult translation issues within it, but for our main problem is this: how are Christians to apply this chapter, which regulates economic issues in the nation-state of Israel, to how we live today?

I think it most helpful to look at the principles which govern this chapter rather than the practical ways they were to be implemented in Israelite society. And I also think that verse 15 contains the basic principle that governs the entire chapter, \u201cRemember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you,\u201d says Moses. And then he adds, \u201cThat is why I give you this command today.\u201d

Repeatedly, Israel is reminded to remember her history. She was never to forget that she began as a nation of slaves. God took her out of Egypt, setting her free and establishing her in a new place. Further, the question was often asked, \u201cWhy did Israel deserve this?\u201d And the answer was, \u201cShe did not.\u201d God did it because God is a generous and loving God, full of mercy and compassion. This history was to shape Israel\u2019s religious imagination. As such, Israel was to follow in God\u2019s footsteps. She was to imitate God, be like him.

We tend to spiritualize this by concluding that we need to forgive as the Lord has forgiven us. This is a valid move to make. Jesus was very clear on this. In Matthew 6 he says, \u201cFor if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins\u201d (14,15). Jesus uses language which seems to borrow heavily from Deuteronomy 15, \u201cGive generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.\u201d

This forgiving is the heart of the Christian faith, and it is my pastoral experience that it is the most difficult thing to do. The best way into forgiveness is to lean into the truth that you are forgiven. I think it is wonderful that we are keeping the sacraments front and centre, each Sunday. They are meant to bring our imaginations back to this heart of our faith, \u201cI am forgiven.\u201d Still, it is difficult to practice. Often, when we meet someone, we have forgiven, we find ourselves needing to go through the process of forgiving all over again. As Jesus said, 70 x 7.

But I wonder if this passage should not be limited to the spiritual. I wonder if we are to draw lessons from it for monetary and physical life as well. Did God include this passage in the Bible to poke and prod our hearts? Does he know just how difficult we find it to share our hard-earned money? Did he anticipate that we easily find reasons why poor people do not deserve our generosity? Is this not exactly what God is calling out in this passage? Why did Israel deserve freedom? Why do we deserve to be forgiven by God? There is no reason for either! Israel was freed and we are forgiven simply because God is gracious. And in that we are to imitate him.

Pastor Anthony reminded us yesterday that God\u2019s resources are limitless. And now we are reminded of God\u2019s character. Two reasons for us to be generous. The road to generosity is not to look at our bank accounts, but to look at God, as the writer of Hebrews tells us, fix your \u201ceyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith\u201d (12:2).