Feed the poor

They began to pick (2:23) 
It always intrigued me that no one wonders about the farmer in this story. They're in his field, picking his grain, and without his permission. Where has the farmer with his 4x4 and barking dogs got to I want to know?
The reason is simple I discovered. In Hebrew tradition farmers left a certain portion of their crop for anyone in need to take away. The OT has this as an instruction not to reap right up to the edge of the field. You can find it in action in the book of Ruth. This had the double advantage of feeding the poor, and retaining their dignity, as they had to harvest the crop themselves, and maintaining healthy markets. Such practices are challenging to find, but we certainly need to find them today. 


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