"Love your neighbor as yourself" is not a suggestion, but rather a commandment! It means that you will no more want to see your neighbor (stranger and enemy according to Jesus in Luke 10) go without what they need than you would want that for yourself. It means that you would not entertain the thought of self promotion while neighbor is struggling or suffering.
Since 1980, the top 1% of those in the nation's economy doubled their income level. Since 1980, the top .1% more than tripled their income level. The average household income in our nation is about $34,000 and the mean per capita income is about $27,000. The gap between the very few who have the most and the increasingly more who have less is widening.
And yet Christians either sit silently, while screaming about other issues never addressed by Jesus, or they join the bandwagon, supporting those in government and business (increasingly the same entity), who promote the further wealth of the wealthy and further power of the powerful (same folks), while taking away what little power organized labor and others have in order to defend themselves and make a decent living.
While cutting programs for the poor, many in government are INSISTING that we continue tax breaks for the wealthy.
While cutting unemployment benefits in most states, many in government are INSISTING that we continue tax breaks for the corporations (whom they call job creators, though they are the ones who out of self interest for more personal profit laid people off and destroyed jobs to begin with).
While actively working to strip any say of the people in organized labor, many in government are allowing companies to strip away pensions and benefits for faithful employees of many years, that the companies agreed to pay them when they started work there!
Many of these people who are in government, in board rooms and voting booths are also in churches on Sunday mornings, praising Jesus.
Amos 5: 21-24
I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your assemblies. Even though you offer me your offerings, I will not accept them, and your peace offerings I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your instruments I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Amos 8:4-7
Hear this, you who trample upon the needy, and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, 'When will the restrictions be over so that we may sell unrestricted again? And the sabbath, that we may offer our wares for sale, and make the weights uneven and gain more money, and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of shoes, and sell the rotten produce to them?' The Lord has sworn by the pride of His people: "Surely I will never forget any of their deeds."
Matthew 25:31-46
Truly, I tell you, as you fed the hungry, clothed the naked, welcomed the stranger (alien in the land), visited the sick and imprisoned (with compassion and justice), so you did it to me. As you refused the feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, or visit the sick or imprisoned, you refused me. And the goats will go away to eternal punishment, but the sheep into eternal life. - Jesus
Luke 6:24-27
Woe to you who are rich now, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you, when all others speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who abuse you. - Jesus
Luke 18:18-30
How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God! - Jesus
James 4:1-10
What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you? Is it not your passions that are at war within your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war...'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'
James 5:1-11
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have killed the righteous, who does not resist you... the Judge is standing at the doors.
The LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR thing is a COMMANDMENT. Jesus takes it seriously. It is NO JOKE! The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob takes it seriously. Injustice, inequity, inequality God takes seriously. I am sometimes accused of talking too much about love, as if I am just sharing some nice thoughts with folks rather than sharing hard truths. This thing about AGAPE LOVE has a hard edge to it. At least according to Jesus, who IS the Judge of the living and dead in my faith, our salvation is dependent upon how well we treat "the least of these". How are we doing with that as politicians, business executives and voters (especially who profess to be "Christian") in our nation right now? I believe a whole lotta people who think they are sheep will be on the goat side of the ledger...
Trampling those who are already poor to gain more for those who are already rich is IMMORAL, at least according to God. With God, not all immorality has somehow to do with sex. GREED IS IMMORAL. INJUSTICE out of GREED is IMMORAL. The God whose name is praised by those who perpetrate this immorality is NOT PLEASED and WILL NOT allow it to continue. How's that for hard truth? How's that for a prophetic word?
To REPENT means to "change one's mind", presumably so that one's direction will change in life. I believe it is time for massive repentance and a different direction in our nation, so that ALL are lifted up and not just some. I believe THAT would PLEASE GOD. I pray for those with power and wealth. I pray for those who aspire to have it. I pray for my brothers and sisters who go without what they need because others hoard their abundance (Rich Fool - Luke 12) or step over the poor and ignore their plight as they come and go in opulent wealth (Rich Man and Lazarus - Luke 16). I pray for "the least of these" and try to help them because they are my sisters and brothers and Jesus loves them. I don't want to hurt those whom Jesus loves. It is not loving, faithful or wise. I also pray for those who perpetrate injustice out of immoral greed. I pray for their souls and the soul of our nation, especially now. It is the LOVING thing to do.
Pastor Jamie
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