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Timothy,
Why not just give to the poor and expect nothing in return?
Luke 6:35 "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil."
If we are to lend to our enemies hoping for nothing return, why should we not graciously give and do good as we have opportunity, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
The reason we are to labor with our hands is so that we have something with which to give. John Piper said something to the effect that God blesses our labor "not to increase our standard of living, but to increase our standard of giving."
I think it is wrong to be willing to enslave our neighbor and to desire to gain at his expense. It is not wrong to desire to make money, but we should do it with fair exchange, laboring with our hands to receive increase. In the case of usury, we sit still and do nothing while our servants work by the sweat of their brow to pay us back our increase. I believe such practices fly in the face of loving our neigbhors.
The problem I see is that with loaning money with interest, we are not exchanging consumable goods. If I sell you a table for $500 or trade it for a half of a beef, perhaps I am able to profit. The exchange is complete as soon as we agree with the terms and complete the transaction. When we loan money on interest, one thing is given but not for an exchange, but rather for an obligation; that is, to be paid back the thing lent with interest. Is it not true that the Scriptures state "that the borrower is the lender's slave."
By this reasoning, would you say it is wrong to rent a house or some other item to someone? After all the landlord is not doing any work but taking a rent payment from his tenants. It seems to me that the bible does not say there is anything wrong with even a true master - slave relationship, since those were sanctioned under the civil laws of Israel. It is how the master treats his servants or slaves that makes the relationship either just or unjust
For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
Which of the following situations would you think would be morally wrong:
a) you agree to give me a half of beef now, in exchange for a specified weight of wheat in 6 months when the harvest comes in.
b) you agree to give me a half of beef in 6 months, in exchange for a specified weight of wheat in 6 months; this way we can both plan our production now as I know to grow more wheat and you know to raise more beef rather than killing cattle now.
.c) we agree to swap a half of beef now for a measure of wheat now
d) you loan me some wheat now so I can plant my fields which will otherwise stay fallow, I pay you back with a larger portion of wheat in 6 months
f)e) you lend me some money to buy wheat now, I pay you back with a specified amount of wheat in 6 months.
f) you agree to purchase a specified amount of wheat at a specified price from me in 6 months time; again, I can then plan my sowing of crops more accurately, you can better plan your household budget.
g) I decide not to sell part of my wheat now, instead I will plant it so I have more to sell in 6 months.
We are all naturally repelled by seeing the rich grow richer as the poor work hard and stay poor. But we must consider carefully whether or not the proposed solutions will do anything to actually inprove the lot of the poor. It is easy to fall into the same error as those who condemn Third World sweatshops - to see a problem and propose a solution which would kick the poor out of a job, or stop more poor people from getting jobs, and forcing them back into absolute poverty. Yes, we could always be more generous - but that applies to everyone, in every sphere of life, both sides in any transaction could be more generous to the other. Attempts to force people to be more generous tend to backfire badly
.But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right.... He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man, Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD
The fact that money was given to the lord's stewards is not synonymous with lend with interest. They were commanded to occupy, that is, to buy, sell, trade, and to try to net a profit on the money that their master had given to them. There is nothing wrong trying to use what God has given to us and try to make a profit. This is what should be expected by those who are laboring with their hands.
Do you think that there are any moral principles underscoring the Mosaic commands against lending with usury among the brethren?