1-2 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for cancelling debts has been proclaimed. 3 You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. 

4-6 However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the  Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For the  Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.

7-8 If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land that the Lord  your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted towards them.  Rather, be open-handed and freely lend them whatever they need.  9-10 Be careful not to harbour this wicked thought: ‘The seventh year, the year for cancelling debts, is near,’ so that you do not show ill will towards the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give 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. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed towards your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. Deuteronomy 15:1-11 New International Version

My title for today's reading comes from vs 7-8 where God said that His people were not to be ‘tight fisted’ when it came to caring for those in need, but ‘open handed’. He wanted them to be generous and kind. We see that already at the start of the chapter where they’re told that they were to cancel debts at the end of every seventh year. What do you think may have been the reason for such an instruction?

Perhaps it was because endless debt can be very demoralizing. But it may simply have been that God wanted them to show the same kindness to debtors that He continually showed towards them. Being in debt isn't always to do with money – there’s also the debt of sin. Jesus told a story of a servant who was forgiven a huge debt by his master, but then had a fellow servant thrown into jail for not repaying a small debt. Jesus ended the story by saying: “In anger his master delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” God's people are called to pass on the mercy God continually shows them. But what is the sad truth that comes out of verses 4-6?

If Israel served God faithfully He would bless them so much that they'd always have an abundance and there would be no need for anyone to be poor. But the reality is that this never happened. They became greedy and selfish and experienced the same 'social problems' we see in society today. That's why vs 7-8 bring up the topic of helping the poor, and vs 11 says there would inevitably be poor people in their towns. What was the danger that could arise when it came to forgiving all debts every seventh year? (vs 9-10)

How well God knows our hearts! He knows how devious and crafty we can be. People would be reluctant to lend to the poor in the sixth year knowing that they'd have to cancel the debt the following year. So God called them to give generously without grudging and said it would lead to His blessing on their labours. When the apostle Paul was encouraging Christians to share with those in need he said: “Those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly. Those who sow generously will also reap generously. Each one should give as he has determined in his heart, not reluctantly or under pressure, for God loves a cheerful giver! And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will overflow in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8) May God make us open handed people who willingly help those in need where and when we can.