Okay, put down your whips.  No need to flip over tables. There are ways to follow Jesus that are less drastic, and also less likely to land us in jail.  The title of this post was to get your attention, to draw you attention to the issue of payday loan .
Payday lending may seem like an odd topic for a Sunday morning sermon but that’s where we found ourselves this past Sunday at my church in Springfield, Ohio (Its also why we are planning a Community Forum on Predatory Lending in Springfield on May 25). There are four reasons why we felt that this is an issue that Bible believing churches should be discussing.
 
Why should Christians actively seek to reform payday lending
 
First, it’s a Bible issue.  The bible makes a strong case against sexual immorality. There are approximately 50 passages dealing with that topic.  By contrast there are over 300 passages talking about the poor.  This should cause us to be at least as concerned about the needs of the poor as we are about different forms of immorality. Here is a sample of the Biblical references to our duty to care for the poor:
 
Psalm 12:5
Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the Lord.
“I will protect them from those who malign them.
 
Psalm 82:3
Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
 
Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.
Titus 3:14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need...

Some of you may say, That’s fine but does the Bible really care about interest rates?”  Apparently it does:

Proverbs 28:8
Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.

Leviticus 25:35-37
If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.

Second, this is a Jesus issue.  In the busiest, most important week of Jesus’ life, the week leading up to his crucifixion, he took time to confront people who gouging the poor by charging them exorbitant rates to purchases sacrificial animals, or to exchange their currency. By chasing those who were oppressing the poor out of the temple and disrupting their means of business he made a bold and costly statement about his priorities as the Messiah.  His actions at the end of his life were consistent with the very first statement Jesus made following his temptation in the wilderness.

​Luke 4:18,19
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
o proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
 
Third, real faith leads to action.  James, the half brother of Jesus Christ and the Pastor of the first Church in Jerusalem made a reputation for himself as a defender for the poor.  It didn’t go over well. James, who had the nickname, “Old Camel knees,” because of his consistent discipline of prayer, upset the powers that be by confronting the wealthy who were oppressing the poor in Jerusalem.  They threw him from the top of the temple, and when he survived the fall they finished him off with clubs and stones.  James’ life was committed to one central message, real faith leads to action.  He went a step further; He said faith without action is dead

Spiritual maturity isn’t measured by how pious we are or solely by the lack of sin in our lives.  The spiritual maturity that Jesus sought was measure by action.  Doing things that are consistent with his example and with the values of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Fourth, God tells us to seize the moment.  Ephesians 5:16 tells us that we are to redeem opportunities to do good or to oppose evil because the times are evil.This is one of those times.
 
We are at a critical moment.  Our opportunity to oppose a specific form of oppression will pass quickly.  What we do in the next month or two can make a difference.  It’s our chance to follow the example of Jesus Christ by standing up to an industry that is designed to oppress the poor, the payday and predatory loan industry.
 
Here are a few facts about this industry

• It is larger than McDonalds. There are 6,000 more payday loan centers than there are McDonalds.  Worldwide revenue for McDonalds is around $22 billion.  Worldwide revenue for predatory lending was almost $47 billion.
• Most of this revenue comes from the poor.  The profile of the typical payday borrower is a young divorced or separated woman of color with children who earns less than $40,000.  In fact, 80% earn less than $30,000.
• They charge excessive interest 390-665% interest.
• The average borrower will pay $520 in fees on an initial loan of $375.
• Rather than being in debt till their next payday, they will be trapped in debt for over 6 months.
• They will take out 10 additional loans before they can pay off the original amount borrowed.....