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how do jesus' teachings on forgiveness of debts (e.g., the lord's prayer) relate to this deuteronomic law?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Deuteronomy 15:1-2

At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. This is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because Yahweh’s release has been proclaimed.

This passage is part of Moses' address to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, outlining laws for how they should live as a community under God's covenant. It comes within a larger section on social and economic justice, emphasizing care for the poor and vulnerable.

What kind of systems or practices might embody a spirit of regular release or redistribution in our current societies?

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Read alongside it

  • Matthew 6:12

    Jesus teaches his disciples to pray for forgiveness of debts, connecting it to their own forgiveness of others.

  • Leviticus 25:8-13

    This describes the Jubilee year, a fifty-year cycle involving even more extensive release of debts and return of land.

  • Nehemiah 10:31

    The people of Israel, led by Nehemiah, covenant to observe the Sabbatical year and debt release, indicating its ongoing relevance.

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