[Monday's Devotional] - Don't take advantage of the poor

Don’t take advantage of poor people just because they are poor.

Don’t treat badly those who are in need by taking them to court. Proverbs 22:22 [NIRV]

 

The Bible is quite clear about the fact that God doesn’t like the poor to be taken advantage of.  In 21^st Century Britain, things are no better than they were when Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers.  Recently I received a flyer through the door from a company called Buy As You View – like Bright House (which has a store in the Rugby Clock Towers shopping centre), this outfit aims to make domestic appliances (TVs, cookers, furniture etc.) accessible to those who can’t afford to buy outright.  With an APR of 68% you can buy what you like over a 3-year period and you will find that the total payments are almost exactly twice the cost of the item if purchased outright.  All this when we have the lowest interest rates in banking history.

 

It seems that the payday loan companies (like Wonga) are not the only ones who are getting rich at the expense of those who can least afford to be their customers.  And what if you fail to keep up with the payments?  You might find yourself treated badly and taken to court.

 

What would Jesus say?  What do you think about these business models?  What can we do to improve the outlook of the poor, the disadvantaged and those who are baffled by the numbers presented to them?

 

Lord, help us to seek justice and mercy for the poor.  In Jesus name, Amen

 

Dave MacLellan