This post is inspired by scripture and a song. The scripture is Luke 18:18-30. The song is titled "Rich Young Ruler" by Derek Webb. You can find the song at www.freederekwebb.com and download the whole album for free. The lyrics are at this website where I found them. I hope you enjoy the scripture and song. It poses an interesting conundrum for Christians who long to live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. It is one of Jesus' more difficult teachings (for us rich westerners).
This scripture troubles me. But I don’t think the point is for people to give up their stock portfolios, big houses and suvs...that’s mentioned once (in the song). What’s repeated is the line: “I want the things you just can’t give me.” What are the things we can’t just wrap up in a box and give to people? What are the things that don’t go in an offering plate? What are the things you can’t just give and walk away from? In my mind the answer is connected to relationship. It’s easy for us to give to the poor, but the harder part is building the relationship. So in a sense it’s easier to sell everything and give it to the poor, than to actually be in relationship with poor people. Maybe Jesus is asking us in a sense to become poor, to see how we’re all related instead of overlooking them as “those poor people.”
Does that make sense? I’m not trying to explain away the scripture, or take away from how troubling it is. But the struggle for me is, “even if I sell it all and give it all away, has that changed anything, or have I just increased the poor population by one more?” My hope is that through relationships where we develop solidarity with the poor (develop a sense of "we’re all in this together"). So the song speaks to me in the sense that we tend to live our lives to protect us from the poor, or to shelter us from poverty. So we’ve become disconnected from lots of people whom God loves.
Now, I’m just a young naïve 26-year-old who hopefully still has a lot of life to live and learn. So my opinion is probably wrong and mis-grounded, but that’s where I’m at right now. Mostly in the gospels, the poor were not simply without money, they were invisible to those with wealth and status, and so Jesus asked the Rich Young Ruler to see the invisible people and try to see life from their perspective, and live life with them not above/over them.
Who are the people that I pass everyday and have opportunity for relationship with, but don't take the opportunity to relate? Who are the people that I think I'm better than? Who are the people I think "aren't worth my time"? What might I have to give up to actually be in relationship with "those people"? How can I see myself as one of them? Do I sell everything and give it to the poor?
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2 comments:
Ben,
I agree with what you said. I am not sure, but i think that the book of amos might be somewhat related in the ideas of what it means to be rich and unrighteous, and then poor and righteous. I think that if you did give all of what you have away that you might be one more poor person, but you would also be one more person completely and utterly dependent upon the provisions of God. As for me i dont ever want to be rich, but rather as a pastor i want just enough to live life humbly and with all of my energy and time going to my family and church. I heard today in church that there was a man who came from Africa and in his village he was one of the only Christians, he also lived in a hut and did not have very much food. He lived life completely dependent upon God. When he moved to America he could not understand how people were christians here because as soon as he got here he was no longer in desperate need of God anymore. Can you imagine what a congregation would look like filled with people who are desperate for God?
Got to go have fun
Your keen insight of "completely dependent upon God" is a good one. I don't know about "desperation" being a characteristic, but certainly an awareness of our constant need of God's provision is something that's lacking from our congregations in the US. What you remind me of is God's words to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8:18-20, "But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today. If you do forget the Lord your God and follow other gods to serve and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord is destroying before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God."
Our awareness of God doesn't always have to come from desperation (like your man from Africa), but somehow we need to not forget. We need to always remember that what we have and who we are and can be is from God. Bottom line: whether it's from desperation or not we have to remember God provides, not me.
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