Was Jesus A Socialist, Capitalist, Or Something Else?
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Politicians demonstrate uncanny memories for selected Bible passages trumpeting secular economic platforms. The Left?s emphatic opposition to intermixing church and state rarely precludes recitation of Scripture for progressive causes. Liberals suggest it?s ?un-Christian? to deny lavish benefits for illegal immigrants; or, equate socializing medicine with Moses freeing Israel from Egyptian slavery.
President Obama repeatedly references the ?least of these? even as he avoids crediting ?their Creator? when quoting the Declaration. Obama disdains association with those bitter Bible clingers except to heap guilt upon taxpayers.
It?s fascinating how frequently modern dilettantes re-make Christ in their image via Matthew 25. Socialists finesse Scripture to justify redistributing wealth to ?the least of these? (Matthew 25:40), while capitalists overplay the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). Both tout Christ?s teachings as a crucial trump card.
Other passages are mentioned. Socialists highlight descriptions in Acts of voluntary, privately orchestrated, local and temporary communalization to prescribe permanent, coerced communism under a distant, godless government. As shown previously, Christianity and Marxism share little similarity.
Likewise, capitalists espouse Proverbs and various idioms found throughout the epistles. But Matthew 25 leads from both directions.
The rapidity and carelessness of these misappropriations of ?End Time? parables startles anyone who actually reads Matthew 25. Either these essential lessons are torn from context transforming Christ into favored worldly philosophers, or this man who changed history contradicted himself within the span of several sentences.
He demanded sustenance for ?the least of these? twenty seconds after declaring ?For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.?
Like most of Christ?s ministry, Matthew 25 teaches spiritual lessons. We are to serve Christ with all our talent which entails supporting brothers and sisters being persecuted. The ?least of these? in Matthew 25 are Believers enduring the tribulation described in Matthew 24.
Taking these passages in an economic sense eschews their essential meaning. Christ?s mission wasn?t to elevate our physical status, but to redeem mankind. Christ came to ransom sinners, not to cure cancer and extend voting rights; nor implement free markets. He comforted temporal afflictions to authenticate his claims so we?d believe, not for humanity?s physical comfort.
Politicians expand power by sowing discontent with our worldly estates relative to others ? what the Bible calls covetousness. Demagogues encourage jealousy to justify looting taxpayers. They violate the eighth and tenth commandments through programs enabling recipients to avoid the fourth commandment?s requirement of work (Exodus 20:9).
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