THE YEAR OF JUBILEE – REDEMPTION FOR THE LAND AND PEOPLES – HOW & WHY?
The main theological premise of the Jubilee instructions in Leviticus 25 (Holy Bible) is that God is the owner of everything, including land. If the land belongs to God [Nature], which it does, then the Jubilee provides an opportunity for equal sharing. The creator wants freedom for everyone irrespective of status. Therefore, even in cases where there is enslavement, the Jubilee should provide restoration. Thus, the principles of equal sharing, love, forgiveness, help and rest as embedded in the Jubilee should be embraced by Christians as we seek to shine forth our light, contributing to stopping poverty. The Jubilee provides in concrete ways procedures for correcting imbalances and building a sustainable restorative economy.
The Jubilee advocates for justice, peace and reconciliation. The Jubilee is about reuniting relationships that have been torn asunder, about healing, reconciliation and peace in the fullest sense’. When poverty thrives in a given setting, chaos and lack of peace are inevitable; once there is justice and peace, achieving prosperity and defeating poverty become easier. The Jubilee advocates justice for all, especially in the area of land ownership. If land belongs to God, then it is appropriate that people are allowed to occupy their portions regardless of their disadvantages in life. It therefore also means we refuse to allow this is injustice, which is against God’s ideals.
The Jubilee challenges our social life, and encourages us to ask how we can achieve a just and egalitarian society. The Jubilee was an attempt to limit the social consequences of the duration of land ownership and use, because ‘the economic collapse of a family in one generation was not to condemn all future generations to the bondage of perpetual indebtedness’. The abundance of the earth belongs to God and is given to all.
References
__Harrison R. K. (1980) ‘Leviticus: An Introduction and Commentary.’ Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press.
__Heiberg J. L. (1998) Understanding the concept of land in the Old and New Testament: The importance of a personal factor. ‘Koers’ 63(3): 225–240.
__Jakawa, R. L. (2019). Dance of the New Beginning: Jubilee as a Vision for New Community. ‘Transformation’, 36(2), 61–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265378819844879
__Wright C. H. (2006) ‘The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative‘.Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
+ + Come and join and networks and broadcast the new news with us at ‘The Consensus Forums’ online – https://the2020sperfectvision.org/the-consensus/
Share this content:
