In the footsteps of the Lord (Exod 22:21-23:9)

A young friend of mine struggled with an older woman in her church, who was sharp-tongued and opinionated, especially when it concerned young people’s manners, morals and dress sense. Perhaps because my friend lost her parents and was living in foster care, the older woman thought some grandmotherly advice was in order. Nevertheless, the constant criticism about my friend’s hair, the length of her skirt or her boyfriend often reduced her privately to tears. Worse still, gossip started circulating about ‘her doings with her boyfriend’, which were unfounded and whose source was clearly this same woman. Matters came to a head, however, when the old woman had to go into hospital and neither her daughter, nor her older friends were able to come and feed her cat. My friend felt a nudge and, after struggling with herself, offered her assistance.

Helping those who hurt us and caused us harm is never easy, but today’s reading focuses our attention on compassion to those in need whether deserved or undeserved. Israel’s needy were the resident non-Israelites (without the protection of their extended family) and the widow and orphan (literally ‘fatherless’), who had no male to care for them (Exod 22:21-24). In addition, those in extreme poverty (Exod 22:25-27) may have needed to ask for credit for mere survival and if they were to pay interest it would have created a crippling debt that kept them permanently in bondage. Neither did they have valuables to guarantee the repayment of their loan except what was on their back. Taking their outer cloak, which functioned as a blanket at night would have increased their misery. Israel is called to be compassionate because they knew what it was to be strangers and exploited, yet they have also experienced God’s compassion who heard their cry in affliction. In our context, the needy might be the immigrant with limited English who is easily taken advantage of, those from lower economic backgrounds and limited educational opportunities who have no support from home, those who are caught in the cycle of domestic violence and substance abuse. It may also be the elderly, who are pushed aside and ignored in favour of ‘young blood’.

The second half of our reading draws attention to the need for justice and this is the flipside of compassion. Though Exod 23:1-3, 6-8 deals with false statements and bribes in a courtroom scenario, we can extend the principle to untruths, gossip and vague allegations told of others in church, in the workplace or within the family. Our words may destroy someone’s reputation, colour views of their behaviour and affect how they are treated by others. Fairness also demands that excessive compassion does not lead us to favour the disadvantaged (v.3) at the detriment of others (see more on this here). On the other hand, even if a person is felt to be undeserving (such as an enemy), Israel is called to do the right thing (Exod 23:4-5).

Wedged between these exhortations for compassion and justice are a few verses on honouring God and on holiness (Exod 22:28-31), which at first glance seem out of place. However, the point is that love of neighbour should go together with love of God. Thus, humanitarian concerns must not be separated from the relationship with God. This is a particularly relevant message in our secular context where the link between the two is severed. However, for God’s people, showing godly behaviour in the horizontal as well as in the vertical relationship creates a healthy whole. Thus, the Lord should not be treated lightly (the meaning of the root for the Hebrew ‘curse God’ – v.28), i.e. by showing Him contempt, disrespect or by ignoring Him. Rather, those who belong to Him should express their commitment by giving Him the first of their harvest, animals and their own offspring (see my post on the details here). These actions also reminded them that they, God’s firstborn, were redeemed by Him. Thus, when they showed compassion and justice to others, they were walking in the footsteps of their Lord, who has done the same for them.[1]

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[1] The last practice of not eating meat torn in the field (v.31), which was considered unclean, is a reminder that Israel is to be set apart and holy. While the categories of clean and unclean no longer make sense to us, the point is that by this simple action they are recalled to their status as people sanctified and set apart by God.

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