Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honours him. (Proverbs 14:31). In our series on Ezra-Nehemiah we have reached a point in the narrative (in Nehemiah 5) where the conflict that has come from opposition to the rebuilding of the walls, and the work of rebuilding itself, takes a back seat and a new problem emerges – the problem of hunger and exploitation.
We’re thinking today about being living examples to our community. Of how to be role models for the good.
Our world has many different types of role models. There are role models that have paved a way for future generations – people like Barack Obama Malala, Mary Curie. There are people like David Attenborough, who invested time and energy and caring for the planet and raising awareness of the stewardship needed. Actors and singers can be role models. Olympians and paralympians. Celebrity are a whole new category of role model from the Kardashians to YouTubers like MrBeast. Who are some of your role models? they can be politicians, siblings, activists, parents, minister of faith. Who has been influential in your life who do you aspire to be? Do we think that actually we can be role models and our role models to other people in the way we think an act and behave?
Using this passage in Nehemiah, we’re thinking about problems in the world of hunger and exploitation. It was a situation Nehemiah was facing. They’ve been building the wall, there was opposition. All of this takes a backseat in the face of this new crisis of hunger and exploitation. The people approach Nehemiah with this serious problem that they’re facing, and we get Nehemiah as a living example of how to tackle this reality of hunger and exploitation. We can look at these big global issues and think what can we possibly do, but here we have an example of what one person was able to do in his corner of the world.
Our opening verse this morning was this from Proverbs: ‘ whoever oppresses a poor man insults his maker, but he who is generous to the needy honours him’ if we are generous to the needy to help people in hunger in our little circle influence, then we’re honouring God, and Nehemiah was a living example of this and we can learn from him this morning.
We’re using these books of Ezra and Nehemiah in a series to help us think about this year of discernment. About how we can trust the God will build his kingdom about how through studying Gods word and standing in the gap through prayer we can know more of Gods ways can hear his voice and guidance and today we’re thinking about how we can be living examples of godly behaviour. The people that look out for those that are needy that are suffering from hunger and exploitation.
What can we do to tackle hunger exploitation today in our little bit of the world?
Nehemiah Was able to battle hunger and exploitation because he became aware of the hidden strains in the community. He hears this outcry from them. We read this in the first five verses of chapter 5. There was need for grain some are needing to sell their land, some were even needing to sell relatives. Needs were not being met.
A similar thing happened in the book of ACTS. The Hellenistic Jews were not being cared for in the same way, and this was brought to the attention of the brothers in Jerusalem, and so action was then taken, to make sure that all were being looked after.
What are the strains in our community? Where can we act? Where is the impoverishment where is the need?
Nehemiah saw the situation and was stirred to anger at the injustice. He was controlled and constructive in how he dealt with this situation. He gathered people together and explains that what they were doing, was not right, was not good.
In our Society what are people doing that is not right? where is our anger being stirred up?
Nehemiah wants to redress the wrong that exists – calls them to generosity to enable all to have enough.
Nehemiah has a great pattern of leadership. He sees the strains in society. He seeks to address these wrongs, and does this, because he’s motivated by the love of God, and of his brothers and sisters he dismisses his entitlement. Similar to Paul dismissing his entitlement in one Corinthians, chapter 9. Nehemiah is an example of humility of generosity – he doesn’t laud his power over the people, but shares what he has with his people.
The passage ends with Nehemiah wanting to recognise his generosity.
You might be sitting there thinking well, I’m not a leader, but actually all of us can be leaders – being a leader is to do with influence and we all have influence over certain groups of people within our orbit.
Jesus sums up the law in this way: hear o Israel, the Lord, our God, the Lord is one. love the Lord, your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind with all your strength. The second is this love your neighbour as yourself, there is no other commandment greater than these. This is how Jesus is teaching his followers to be living examples in their community
What does this mean for us in our community? we’ve talked about how in this year ahead We’re staying open to what God might be moving us in to. Where is there an outcry in our community? What wrongs can we redress? How can we lead by example?
What are your spheres of influence? what people do you come across day and day out what things do you see around you? That’s good people wear on a mission from God, and as part of that we want to think about what the needs are of our community and how we can be living examples that point people to Jesus. How can we model, loving God and loving our neighbour as our self. we can be people that don’t exploit that don’t take people for granted that generous with what we have as we move into the year of December. What is going to be stirring in us both as individuals and as a whole community. What situations will anger us into action?
Let’s spend some moments reflecting on these questions. In our community Where is there an outcry? What wrongs can we address? And how can we lead by example? Let’s be open to where God is wanting to speak to us and where we can be his living examples.
St. George's Church Ramsgate 