source of great shame

Tuesday September 9^th, Romans 13: 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.  To have a debt in Paul’s society was a source of great shame.  At the same time, when you live day to day, there is always a cash flow problem.  To leave a debt unpaid among the mostly poor was to take food from the mouths of another family.  Paul is concerned about the survival of the community, and paying up on any debts was a way for the community to survive and someone who mooched off the others, while not to be confused with someone who is in genuine need, was a detriment to the survival of that community.  Paul’s double urging is to maintain the health of the community and to deal with one another out of brotherly love.  How much better off we would be if we had as our focus the maintenance of a healthy community and the caring for one another out of brotherly love.  In the end, it is not about Me, it is about We.