Jesus values human beings above personal wealth. It would logically follow that those who profess to FOLLOW HIM, would do the same.
Jesus lifted up the hungry, naked, stranger, sick and imprisoned so much that He said when any of us help them we help Him, and when we refuse them, we refuse Him (Matthew 25:31-46). He loves them and identifies with them. We are supposed to follow Him in that love. He even makes salvation dependent upon it.
Jesus commanded that we "give to one who begs from us"(Luke 6:27-31).
Jesus said that it will be hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom, because their values are often all wrong (Matthew 19:23-30), and encountered a rich man who could not give up his own wealth to help
the poor, so he went away sad because he chose other than Kingdom values, even knowing the price for it (Luke 18: 18-30).
Jesus said "woe" to those who are rich and satisfied, and that those who are poor and hungry are blessed according to Kingdom Values (Luke 6:20-26).
Jesus taught about a Rich Fool who hoarded more and more, built a bigger barn to store all in and died (Luke 12:15-21), because his values were all wrong.
Jesus taught about The Rich Man who died and went to hell for leaving poor and sick Lazarus at his gate (Luke 16:19-31).
And yet, there are people who claim to be Christian and who have no concern for the poor, but rather blame them for the situation they face which the rich and powerful created... they concern them selves with getting more personal gain, and justify it with Old Testament passages (when Jesus said that He fulfills the Law and Prophets)... they actively work to exploit others (mostly poor and working poor) for their own gain... even some who do not have that much themselves, but are middle class and aspire to be rich, to be let into "the club", who with great zeal rail at the poor and those who stand with them, blaming those "below" them on the economic ladder for their not having more, when it is the rich and powerful "above" them who hold them out... they try to prove themselves worthy of being among the rich and powerful, who Jesus warns us against! They claim to be Christian, but "by their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:15-20). They claim to be Christian, but "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."(Luke 12:32-34) They claim to be Christian, but they do not live according to Jesus' Kingdom values.
And Jesus says:
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord" and do not do what I tell you?" (Luke 6:46), and
that even though people may prophesy in His name, cast out demons and do mighty works, still "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the Kingdom of heaven..." (Matthew 7:21-23).
If we call our selves "Christians", doesn't that mean that we follow THE CHRIST?
Christian business people, Christian politicians, Christian stockholders, Christian neighbors should, as Paul suggests, "look not only to our own interests, but to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:1-11), if we are living the Agape Love that Jesus commanded.
Pastor Jamie
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