Following the death of his beloved wife Sarah, Abraham seeks to buy a plot of land from his neighbors for her tomb. For both religious and cultural reasons, Abraham rebuffs their offer to let him "borrow" space, and the offer to take the tomb for free. After Abraham's need is well known, Ephron offers to sell him the cave, with its adjoining field for an exorbitant price. In other words, he takes advantage of Abraham's desperation.
The parallels to our modern legal and economic systems are legion. Payday advance schemes, legalized gambling corporations beyond count, cryptocurrencies, medical scams, religious and political fundraising designed to line the pockets of those on the receiving end, Wall street get rich quick schemes, fraud in government programs, unscrupulous landlords and tenants, and last but not least, the straight-up scammers who lie to steal from the most vulnerable. We are awash in people trying to take advantage of the vulnerable.
What do we as followers of Jesus do about it? We refuse to participate in such things, even when legal, we warn others about them, and we stand with the vulnerable to protect them.
