Justice to Minorities

GOLDEN TEXT: “Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” —Hebrews 13:1,2

LEVITICUS 19:33,34; DEUTERONOMY 24:14,15

THE “minorities” referred to in these scriptures were the “strangers” and the hired servants in Israel—particularly the hired servants who were poor and needy. The Israelites were to deal justly with these. In fact, concerning the “strangers” the Lord’s instructions were, “Thou shalt love him as thyself.” This simply meant that the requirements of the Law pertaining to their relationship toward one another were to govern their conduct toward “strangers” as well as among themselves. They were not to have one standard of conduct toward their own people and another toward non-Israelites.

This was right and just, and besides, it helped to teach that basically the entire human family is one family. Paul explained that God “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth.” (Acts 17:26) While God had made special promises to the people of Israel, he wanted them to realize that basically they were no different from the people of other nations and races, and therefore that all should be treated alike.

The Lord gave to Israel another reason why they should love the “strangers” in their midst as they loved themselves. It was because they had once been strangers in the land of Egypt. In Egypt the entire nation of Israel was a minority, and a much oppressed minority toward the end of their sojourn there. The Lord graciously delivered them from their slavery, and now he wanted them to show their appreciation of this by treating minorities among them as they treated their own brethren.

The Israelites were told that they should “not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy.” (Deut. 24:14) Leviticus 19:13 and Deuteronomy 24:15 indicate that servants were to be paid at the close of each day. Since this was the Law, it was to be strictly observed. Apparently the “poor and needy” of that time lived “from hand to mouth.” Perhaps in many instances they depended on the day’s earnings to procure their evening meal, so a real hardship would result if they did not receive their wages promptly at the close of each day.

MATTHEW 9:9-13

IN THIS scripture we are presented with a minority in Israel of a different sort—not poor and needy hired servants, and not strangers, but a group which, on the whole, was probably financially better off than the majority of Israelites. Matthew, the publican, whom Jesus called to be an apostle, was one of this group. The feast which Jesus attended was probably arranged by Matthew to give him an auspicious opportunity to present the Master to his friends.

But from the standpoint of the majority in Israel, these were sinners, and as such were looked down upon. The Pharisees inquired of the disciples, “Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?” Jesus’ reply to this was that they which are “whole, need not a physician, but they that are sick.”

In this reply Jesus acceded to the viewpoint of the Pharisees that the publicans were “sick” and that they were “whole.” Jesus on other occasions referred to the Pharisees as hypocrites and “whited sepulchres,” so, actually, it would seem that they were just as much sinners as the publicans.

Jesus’ statement that he had not come to call the “righteous, but sinners to repentance,” refers to those who claim to be righteous. Actually, all are sinners. There is none righteous. All have sinned and have come short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:10,23) No one can have peace with God and receive life apart from repentance and a faith in God and in the redemptive work of Christ which leads to full dedication of one’s self to the divine will. In “this present evil world” those who accept this call to repentance and consecration have always been a minority, misunderstood, and often persecuted.

GALATIANS 3:28

THIS text refers to the faith seed of Abraham, the spiritual Israelites of the Gospel age. These are called out of all nations, races, and groups, and are made one in Christ Jesus. They are to be associated with Jesus as the “Seed” through which all the families of the earth are to be blessed.

Our Golden Text refers to the time when Abraham entertained the angels who reassured him that Sarah would bear a son. He was richly blessed by the experience.

QUESTIONS

Who are the “minorities” referred to in the Old Testament portions of the lesson; and how were the Israelites to treat them?

Were the “publicans” actually more sinful than the Pharisees?

Who are referred to in Galatians 3:28?

Who are the angels referred to in the Golden Text?

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