“Pay Your Workers, And On Time!”

“Pay Your Workers, And On Time!”
My people say a short bed in the farm is neither because soil was finished nor that the farmer was lazy. Some things are just meant to be the way they are. Besides, “no condition is permanent.” The tides can always turn.
Moses gave this command, “Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother… or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin”(Dt.24:14-15).
The late Fr. Engelbert Mveng in defining poverty harped on anthropological poverty. This kind of poverty is caused by a minority capitalists and empirie builders who quadruple their wealth by disenfranchising the majority. In this kind of scenario about ninety percent of per capita income is enjoyed by ten percent of the people while ninety percent of the people fight for the remaining ten percent crumbs.
As a local carpenter I’ve lived the experience of exploitation. A wealthy person buys materials for his building. You charge him what he has to pay for your workmanship. At the end of the work he is not able to pay your wage. Rather he starts telling you how the economy is bad, blablabla!
The text reminds us that in order to combat social disequilibrium let the labourer be paid his full wage because he is “poor and needy.” It doesn’t matter whether he is kinsman or foreigner, pay him his wages. Do not take advantage of him to exploit him.
It is rather unfortunate that even in Christian organizations when there is need for redundancy, those who are “poor and needy” are the first to be laid off. Apart from that these low income earners go for months with no pay.
Some wealthy middle and upper class Christians hire maids and houseboys, yardmen, gate keepers, gardeners etc. While their own children of same age are going to school they keep the house helps at home, promising to settle them. But at the end of the day when settling time is near they dismiss them on trumped up charges and send them away without their pay.
My friend, when such persons “cry to the Lord against you” be sure that nemesis will catch up on you! We Christians are the light of the world; we must be the difference and ensure social justice. Each labourer deserves his wages, pay him! He is poor and counting on it! God hates exploitation and oppression!
Prayer of the week: Holy Spirit lead me so that I should not take advantage of the poor and needy hired man. Amen!
Have a blessed day and week! Peace be with you!