Nehemiah, (5:6) Spiritual Usury

« When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. »

The impossibility of usury. Demanding compensation from his human brothers for the good granted is impossible for him.
He urges those who practice it to stop at once. In exchange for the repairing of the wall, he did not ask for the money which, according to the terms of this contract, was due to him. Because he knew the suffering of the people.
The origin of their suffering.

What you expect in return from the practice of interiority (repairing the wall)
Glory, success, are not yours, not meant to be so, not your call, not of « interest »
In reality, you’re stealing from others in need.
Not needing it : this, too, is your practice,

Just as you need to cultivate the space within yourself for those who cannot do so
and thereby unveil their initial approach of spiritual usury.

©FJ Nov2023
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