A couple days ago I posted a blog concerning the Christian community. I came to the conclusion that we are supposed to love everyone in order for real community to take place. Well, I was just doing some research for a paper in my 1 & 2 Thessalonians class, and my topic deals with idleness among Christians. Paul writes,
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
I have always been opposed to the idea of stealing money from the wealthy and giving to the poor. I know Robin Hood's motives were good, but in today's society, I have felt like people get what they deserve. If they don't have money, it is because they don't work hard enough. When I first read this passage in 2 Thessalonians 3, I felt like my viewpoint was correct, but i started looking at what Paul is actually saying, and I have come to a conclusion...I have been wrong all these years!
Earlier in his letter, Paul taught the Thessalonians to be generous with those who have need. He didn't require them to sell their houses and lands (as in Acts 4), but he did require the church to be committed to sharing with those who needed help. Each member should work at whatever occupation they could, so as to contribute to the welfare of all; and all should care for each...Does this sound like something to you? It did to me! SOCIALISM!! AHHH! Everyone is scared to death right now, because they believe Obama is trying push socialism into the American economy, but is really that bad? Paul seemed to be a fan of everyone contributing to the needs of the community.
Is this a bad thing? Not at all! The early church was committed to working for the community. In a perfect world, socialism would be great. Unfortunately, there are people like Paul talks about in 2 Thessalonians. These people are do nothing, and they feed off of the generosity of other people. In today's context, there are many people in the United States who cannot afford health insurance, because they honestly have no way of paying for it. For instance, Jayne told me the other day of a mom who had three kids. She works a couple of jobs, but still does not have the funds to pay for medical insurance. What would happen to her in the first century church? Believers would help pay for her insurance, so her children do not die from a sickness that easily could be cured through antibiotics.
Ashamedly, I have been a fan of not giving free health insurance to people, because it might mean i won't be able to go to Taco Bell three times a week or buy those new pair of shoes for myself. I also thought that a lot of people would take advantage of the system, and this will happen no matter what as Paul talks about in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-15. But is it not better to help the majority of people who honestly need help, than to not give them support so that the small minority of "do-nothingers" will not take advantage of the generosity?
What I guess I am trying to say is that Paul promotes the welfare of the community before promoting personal gain. Socialism would work in an utopia, but we do not live in a perfect place. When Christ died on the Cross, he knew people would take advantage of his grace, but he still died. So we too must die to ourselves fully knowing people will take advantage of us.
6 comments:
haha, don't worry too much Chuck, I don't really disagree much. At first I did when you said that if people don't have money, it's because they don't work hard enough. I've been in inner cities enough to know that isn't always the case. Suppose a father leaves his family, so the oldest son has to drop out of school to get a job and take care of his already low-class family. What are the chances of that guy getting a decent job? How is he going to get a good job when he doesn't have money to get nice clothes for the interview? It's cyclical. People get trapped in poverty and don't have a way to get out of it. A lot of them genuinely want to and work hard to, but there's nothing they can do.
Therefore, it is the church's job to take of of these people. We want to government to do it, and in many ways they probably should. But we need to step up too. Our job isn't to make sure our funds are always used productively by those we give it to. Our job is to give. If we take care of our job, I think God will be alright with that, and he'll take care of the rest.
And I was just informed by you that you no longer think people don't have money because they don't work hard enough. But I'm still going to post this.
I wouldn't really worry too much about becoming a country of Socialists since Obama is about as far removed from Socialism as you could be.
I'm enjoying the thought process.
You just never know what someone else is going through. Suppose the situation (above) of the father leaving the family results in one or more members becoming homeless, couldn't find the job, couldn't pay the bills, does not have a support system of family/friends to fall back on...whatever.
Now, if I'm homeless - just get a job right? A low paying anything job. But I go to apply and I don't have an address...or a phone number..or a variety of other necessities. Then what?
Granted that is an incredibly simple story of issues that are far more complex, it paints a picture. Throw in other factors and stereotypes and it quickly turns into a very messy issue.
Poverty is an ongoing cycle, layered with an incredible amount of varying factors. You just never know what someone else is going through..and thats okay..but assuming anything is always a risky business.
In addition, community resources are sadly very limited in most cities. It's a harsh reality, but as Americans and as human beings for that matter, don't we have a responsibility to help one another? After all, are we not all a result of this cycle? For better or for worse?
A few simple thoughts I've been processing in the past week of hearing a number of peoples opinions about the topic...
Nice work Char...I'm enjoying your thoughts.
- D
im VERY much enjoying these thoughts c. glad that our numerous "tiffs" on this issue didnt just end with no result huh? : )
So I like d-heff was about to get fired up in my discussion when you thought "if people don't have money, it's because they don't work hard enough." but since that's not what you think I'll discuss this issue of the church instead and it's role to help, yet it will touch on the idea of working hard as well.
Say a man from Mexico grows up in a family being the eldest child and his father is an alcoholc that doesn't take care of that family ever, the young boy grows up in a home where he steps up to help feed his younger siblings. He gets a job at age 10 delivering groceries to wealthier families on the other side of town because he lives in a home that looks like the home from the Original Willy Wonka movie home where Charlie lived, with his 5 other Sibilings and another brother who isn't his brother but a boy his mother took off the streets. The mother doesn't work because she is taking care of babies as well as toddlers having so many children and all. Then as the eldest son delivers groceries he sees Christmas approaching as it approaches he asks his mother for the one thing that can help the family that year, a Scooter!? (Now I know what you're thinking). He explains that if he has a scooter he can deliver faster and more groceries and make more money for his mother while his father spends every penny he makes in the fields on hookers and alcohol.
Now in Mexico they believe Jesus sends Christmas presents to all the good Ninos and Ninas. So as Christmas approaches this boy wakes up to find the scooter. Completely excited and overjoyed he notices that when riding this scooter the handle bars are crooked and broken. So as graciously as possible he asks his mother why the scooter is the way it is. In all truth she had recieved it from a family that was better off than them and their child was done with it. But she explains that while Jesus was delivering all the toys in the world to all the little good ninos and ninas, he used your scooter to deliver them so it got messed up on the way.
Instances like this would cause that boy to work hard even to the point where when he had children they wanted him around more but he lived a life of always providing for the family. He evetually came to America to live the American dream, he gained wealth a reputation as one of the Best Chefs in San Francico cooking for famous people from goverment to Hollywood. He even became involved in the church. His family was baptized and he even left his Catholic roots behind. Yet because the mighty dollar can be decieving he eventually bought one to many items. By not being able to pay for everything his family lost it all. They filed for bankruptcy and they had a short time to move out of their two story home.
As this mexican man and his american wife feared where they would go, hope had arrived. A semi truck pulled up belonging to members of the church. The Church began to load up the house from clothes to furniture. They piled everything in as they moved in with family. Although the truck dropped everything at a storage place. The next few months 9 people lived in a 2 bedroom apartment. As they peiced their lives back together.
Honestly I've watched my dad go through a lot being this man from Mexico. He struggled in areas of life I would never know. I remember when we had no electricity in that house before we lost it, my brother and I recall the lack of food in the house and yet my dad probably felt the greatest pain. To be thrown back to a situation that appeared similar to the one he grew up in when he was only 10. I can;t help but think sometimes things happen to us because we just don't no better. To be honest the final straw on the camels back was a shrewd car salesman who told my dad that he could afford a car that he really couldn't afford. Granted some people aren't hard workers and what it really comes down to is how do we show the world what the church really looks like. The church surrounded my family at one of it's greatest hours of need. I look back on that experience when that Truck pulled up with Pastors, elders, and woman with food, and I can't help but say we need to get off our Lazy buts as belivers and help the poor. To be honest I hate how we always assume that it's money. It actually could just be food, our time, or muscles to move furniture. I love the Lord because God loved us first. Take this whole socialist idea out of it we just need to be there for people especially those who never grew up in that church environment. I sometimes even feel awkward at Ozark because I didn't grow up until I was 10 in that lifestyle of Church. Heck my parents still struggle with feeling accepted in the church, so that's why God needs believers who will go out of their way to those who work hard and those who don't, those who sin and those who sin less, those who take and those who give, those who complain and those who encourage, those who are Mexican and those who are white. God Bless.
Chuck. I Agree. I Love You.
Just remember that this ethic is appropriately practiced within Gospel Centered Communities. To think that the U.S. government should be the vehicle by which we enact this ethic is to misunderstand Paul. Paul is clearly talking about the Church.
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