It is amazing to hear the enormous misconceptions some politicians and most of the media have about Christian beliefs. Take for example the discussions about redistribution of wealth sparked by President-elect Obama’s comment that we should “spread the wealth around.”
To hear the media tell it, liberals want to help the poor, while evil conservatives want the rich to get richer. You even heard conservatives playing to this notion: “Liberals want to take from those who have and give to those who don’t. That’s called redistribution of wealth. It is a socialist idea that will ruin this country.”
But the idea of giving to the poor is a Christian principle. Liberals, as they so often do, have distorted that principle, and so it’s the distortion we must fight, not the principle.
Jesus was approached by a rich young ruler who asked what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.'” Then the rich young ruler said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” Jesus responded: “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” (Matthew 19:17-23, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23)
Notice that the Christian principle is about giving. The liberal concept is about taking. The Messiah wants us to discover the joy of giving to the poor. Obama’s plan is different, despite being “crowned” by some the new “messiah.” He wants the government to take what you have and he’ll make sure the poor get it.
The Christian principle not only helps the person receiving the charity but will, perhaps more importantly, make a better person of the one giving the charity. The liberal concept deprives people of the redemptive quality of giving and actually makes it harder to be charitable.
That brings us to the next point: We are all required to give. I know we have heard over and over that 95 percent of us will actually receive a tax cut. “It is only those rich people making $250,000 or more that will pay more.” Well, sorry to disappoint the guy making $249,000 and the rest of the “poor,” but Jesus actually requires us all to give to the needy, no matter how much we make.
Jesus said: “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” (Luke 3:11) And: “[W]hen you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:13)
Many feel they don’t have much so they are excused. Remember the widow who gave all she had?
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
Some may say the widow gives the money to the church, and that’s different. But listen to Jesus’ illustration of the Day of Judgment, where He portrayed people from all nations gathered before him as He separates them “as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” To the “sheep” he says, “Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” When those listening ask in astonishment, “When did we” [do that], He will answer: “Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:21-39)
That’s the principle: “If you love God, you will love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:34-40) That means giving comes naturally, and it will have an everlasting impact on society.
Time and time again, Jesus himself was “moved with compassion” and provided for those in need. The blind could see, the mute spoke, the paralytic walked, lepers were healed, and He fed thousands, among many other things. Christians, as followers of Christ, must do the same.
Lastly, liberal “redistribution” is laughable because the government doesn’t really give to the poor. We all know how the government spends money; it just spent $700 billion on a bailout so that the “poor” at AIG could go on their half-million dollar retreat. Billions go to bureaucratic “commissions,” “task forces” and departments. They even use it to support organizations like Planned Parenthood, the No. 1 abortion provider in the country, to the tune of over $300 million a year.
The government does many things, caring for the poor is not one of them. That’s because caring for the poor is about relationships. It goes beyond governments; it’s about you and me. It strengthens individuals, communities, cities, states and the country.
If we really want to help the needy, let’s promote that old Christian spirit of loving our neighbors as ourselves, instead of counting on the government to “spread the wealth around.” Because they’ll spread it around all right, around Washington, D.C., that is, while the poor get many things, except the help they really need.
Let’s curb the kangaroo court of anonymous sources
Tim Graham