In Matthew 7, in the sermon on the mount, Jesus warns us against judging others. So as we heard of the sad sinful actions of slave owners in the USA, I was alerted to the idea that likewise we are likely making similar mistakes today, which we overlook. In Jer. 17 we learn that “The heart is deceitful above all things, who can know it?” This provoked me to look for the underlying sin.
What would you guess as the underlying sin of
enslaving other humans?
I look to Scripture for an answer. I Tim 6:9-10 comes
to mind. It tells us that,”…the love of money is the root of all sorts of
evil.” Could this be the root cause? Certainly having an abundance of “free”
labor would enhance the profits of most enterprises. We learned that slaves
were valued the highest at 20 years of age and the value fell in either
direction from there. Slaves with special skills drew higher prices and some
cost as much as $35-40, 000 in today’s dollars.
In my personal experience I have come to see greed as
a major human weakness. Everybody seems to want “ just a little more money”. I am guilty and I share this temptation with
many.
My goal is to learn from past mistakes and NOT repeat
them. I know that greed is a root cause of the sin of slavery and I need to be
constantly on guard so as not to fall into the same temptation.
May G^d have mercy on us all.
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