You asked

how does this command to 'open your hand' relate to jesus' teachings on wealth and the poor?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Deuteronomy 15:7-8

“If there is with you a poor man, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; but you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wants.”

Deuteronomy is presented as Moses' farewell address to the Israelites on the plains of Moab, before they enter the promised land. This book re-states and elaborates on the laws given at Sinai, preparing the new generation for life in Canaan. These verses are part of a section on social laws, specifically concerning lending and helping the poor among the community.

What does it mean for us to 'open our hand' today, in ways that go beyond mere transaction?

Then — the setting

Deuteronomy was likely codified and written down over a long period, possibly reaching its final form during the 7th century BCE, a time of significant social and economic change in Judah. The laws address an agrarian society where land was the primary source of wealth and status. Poverty could easily result from crop failure, debt, or loss of family land. The command to 'open your hand' is part of a larger legal framework designed to prevent extreme poverty and maintain social cohesion within the Israelite community, emphasizing mutual responsibility among 'brothers' (fellow Israelites). It reflects an understanding that poverty is often a consequence of circumstance, and the community has a duty to provide safety nets.

Across the Testaments

This passage is from the Old Testament, prescribing specific actions for the Israelite community to care for its poor. The New Testament, particularly through Jesus' teachings, reaffirms and intensifies this concern for the poor, often expanding the scope beyond ethnic Israel. Jesus consistently champions the poor and marginalized, not just as recipients of charity but as those who often understand God's kingdom best (e.g., Beatitudes in Matthew 5). While Deuteronomy emphasizes practical aid and the prevention of chronic poverty within a national covenant, Jesus' teachings, like the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12) or the rich young ruler (Matthew 19), often challenge the pursuit of wealth itself and call for radical generosity, sometimes even renunciation of possessions, as a pathway to discipleship and eternal life. Both testaments connect care for the poor with faithfulness to God, but Jesus adds a layer of identifying with the poor and linking generosity directly to one's relationship with God.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Leviticus 19:9-10
This passage commands leaving gleanings in fields for the poor and foreigners, illustrating a communal approach to poverty.
Luke 12:33-34
Jesus urges selling possessions and giving to the poor, linking treasure on earth with heavenly treasure.
Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus identifies himself with the poor and vulnerable, stating that acts of kindness to them are done to him.

Ask your own follow-up