Brian McLaren, in Everything Must Change
Who has spent some time pondering Jesus' message about wealth? What does Jesus have to say about equity?
Here are some passages where McLaren thinks Jesus somehow subverts the equity system of his day:
1. Matt 5:25-26: seek reconciliation outside the system.
2. Matt 18:23-35: "penal fairness that requires punishment by the book but lacks mercy isn't the kind of justice desired by God" (246).
3. Matt 20:1-16: an economy of care for the common good ... "social sustainability, healing, and transformation" (247).
4. Luke 16 -- the so-called "unjust" steward presumes on a meaning of "just" Jesus doesn't use. Jesus evidently sees the whole system as unjust and praises a man who defects from the system.
5. Luke 16:13-15 -- serving God or mammon and Pharisees who loved money.
6. Followers of Jesus are to have a "justice" that outstrips that of the Pharisees and scribes.
7. He invites the excluded to banquets (Luke 14): read the chp in Luke -- potent rhetoric.
8. His treatment of women is similar at undoing systemic injustice; his treatment of children and he washes feet -- all subversions of the system.
What does holiness mean? He appeals to John Wesley, for whom holiness was social holiness. Then he appeals to Walter Rauschenbusch to show that holiness transcends the personal; then to Jacques Ellul on rank individualism. "We have in many ways responded to the big global crises of our day with an incredible, shrinking gospel" (252).
The invisible hands of free markets will not undo the systemic injustices of the equity system.
What to do?
1. Generosity toward the poor.
2. Call the rich to generosity.
3. Work to improve the system
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Subscribe
Michael,
Checked out your link. Works great. Looks like some great books. Appreciate the synopses. Bookmarked it for future reference. Thanks.
Brad:
Thankfully, it is interpreted as you say. Otherwise...
My parting comment would be that stereotypes can keep some people from seeking out and showing compassion to some needy people.
When I invite others to come under the bridge with me, the "no work no eat" attitude gets in the way for some. They are so worried about enabling a dysfunctional lifestyle that they miss the opportunity to show compassion to the disabled needy that are there also.
Mark #61,
I do know what you mean. I have seen it even among those who are supposed to be leaders in the Church.
John Stott’s comment is not that much different from that of another John.
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”
McLaren’s suggestions mostly make sense. I do not see how an international minimum wage could work. It would probably harm those it is attempting to help. I am not sure if we know what biological limits are?
I believe that justice is important. I am blogging a series on Justice and Economics at Blessed Economist. However, there are limits to what justice can achieve for the poor. Mercy can go much further.
If justice is our only motive for assisting the poor, we are forced into thinking that all poverty is caused by injustice, which gives a a distorted view of reality and prevents us from finding that work for the poor. We end up seeing poor people as victims, who need a rich clever person to sort them out. This fits well with the American narrative of “the good guys ride out to shoot up the bad guys and rescue the helpless maiden”, but it does nothing for the self respect of the person who is poor.
The context of the quote from John above is not justice but love.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” (The real John 3:16).
Love empathises with the person who is poor. Love does not tell them what they need or what to do. Love finds out what they want and need.
#63 I've seen you raise these issues before concerning justice and mercy. What a powerful insight. Thanks.
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.