Thanksgiving

Read Deuteronomy 15:1-11.

Tomorrow, many if not most of us will gather around tables filled to overflowing with food, and hopefully overflowing with love and affection for the others around the table as well. Though this day is not a "church holiday," it certainly is one that has deep Judeo-Christian roots, as God's people are often called to thankfulness in the Scriptures. We have reason to give thanks. Many reasons, in fact.

But no one has more reason to give thanks than the one who has had their debt forgiven. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is giving his final instructions to the people of Israel. This is Moses' farewell speech, since he knows that he will soon die (and that he will not go into or live in the promised land). One of the instructions he gives to the people is for them to celebrate a sabbath year. Not only were they to recognize a sabbath (a day of rest) at the end of every week, they were to follow that same pattern on the seventh year. Specifically, they were to cancel all debts that were outstanding between themselves and their fellow Israelites. Cancelled. Gone. Papers torn up. This morning, I heard a woman loudly stressing about her thousands and thousands of dollars of college debt. Can you imagine the relief she would feel if, on the seventh year, her lender said, "The rest of your debt has been cancelled"? Can you imagine how you would feel if your mortgage company said the same? Those who experience such a sabbath have reason for thankfulness.

Jesus became that seventh year for all of humanity—and the good news is that we don't even have to wait seven years for him to cancel the debt we owe to God and to humanity for our sin. He paid the price, he cancelled the debt. Our sin broke the relationship between ourselves and God. Jesus repaired it, rebuilt it. We owe a debt to him that we can never repay, and the good news is that we don't have to. Jesus is our reason for thankfulness.

By the way, there is no evidence that Israel ever practiced this discipline, despite Moses' instructions. There is no evidence that they listened to this—but let's not be too hard on them. We don't, either. Even those of us who claim to believe the Bible "from cover to cover" do not practice this, and we write it off as, "Well, that's just the Old Testament." Yes, it is, but I also know (from personal experience) that nothing breaks relationships like a debt between friends. I understand the economics (which is probably why Israel never practiced this), but as with many Old Testament laws, we have to look for the deeper reason behind the law. We're called to model forgiveness, not holding grudges (debts) against others. Paul puts it this way in the letter to the Romans: "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not covet,' and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (Romans 13:8-10).

When debts are cancelled between people, we have lived out and practiced the law of love. And that is a reason to give thanks.

Have a blessed, loving Thanksgiving!

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