Wealth Redistribution
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them, otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.” Matthew 6:1
Righteousness – Yeshua proclaims Kingdom principles. He announces how the citizens of His Father’s Kingdom act in ways that compete with the kingdoms of this world. He is not talking about inner spiritual values. To understand what Jesus is really saying, we have to realize that “practicing your righteousness” is a Hebrew idiom. This might be the translation from the Greek text, but it isn’t quite what Jesus means.
“Practicing righteousness” is a Jewish way of saying “give charity.” The Talmud considers this the first category of tzedakah (righteousness). Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for the acts that we call “charity” in English: giving aid, assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However, the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word “charity” suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and powerful for the benefit of the poor and needy. The word tzedakah is derived from the Hebrew stem Tzadei-Dalet-Qof, meaning righteousness, justice or fairness. In Judaism, giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act; it is simply an act of justice and righteousness, the performance of a duty, giving the poor their due. With this in mind, we see that Yeshua is telling citizens of the Kingdom that they are to take care of the needs of others without publicity and human recognition. They are to do what is necessary for others in exactly the opposite way that the kingdoms of the world behave. They are to model the secret hand of the Master, displaying God’s character undercover.
Suddenly this verse is no longer about my inner moral attitudes. It is about how I conduct myself when I am faced with another’s need. It is God’s politics, hidden from view.
The pictograph would have shown us this deeper meaning. Tzadei-Dalet-Qof-Hey reveals the picture “what comes from being hooked so that your life follows.” Literally, it is “what comes from the hook of the door behind.” Did you notice that it is all action? There is no emphasis here on your theology, your church dogma or your moral attitudes. This is about what you secretly do in the public arena. If you acted in ways so that you demonstrate your life is hooked to God’s character, then you will do righteousness in the same way that God does righteousness. Invisibly. Behind the scenes. Without self-glorification.
What does this mean for us? It means that when we perceive a need, we act to take care of it (James). It means that we carry someone else’s burden simply because the burden is there (Paul). It means we are silent, hidden witnesses of God’s grace (Matthew). We play our parts for an audience of One. We are hunters for hurts in order that we can become servants of the Savior. Keep your eyes open. Today is the day for practicing tzedakah.
Topical Index: tzedakah, righteousness, charity, kingdom, Matthew 6:1
Yes! This is so good, thanks for the Word of Life you share, I am so challanged in Living and walking this new way of doing God’s work. It is exciting to think that as an ambasador I can be salt even without them knowing that that we can influince those around us, as it were like a secret agent for God.
–servants of the Savior–
the “Shroud of Turin” has caused quite a stir, but I’d like to find (and employ), the “towel” of the Servant. Maybe the idea of the “eved” could be the follow-up to your book about the “ezer”..
This only reminds me (and strongly enforces) the idea of Jesus being the visible image of the invisible God (): He shows us how we must be righteous, so we can show the world the Righteousness of the Kingdom of the Father.
So when we talk about becoming each moment more like Jesus (), we can see that we ought to be the Image of the Justice of our Father! Amazing how every piece matches! 😀
(sorry, previous one didn’t had proper citations. This does, but links are gone.)
This only reminds me (and strongly enforces) the idea of Jesus being the visible image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15): He shows us how we must be righteous, so we can show the world the Righteousness of the Kingdom of the Father.
So when we talk about becoming each moment more like Jesus (Rom. 8:29), we can see that we ought to be the Image of the Justice of our Father! Amazing how every piece matches!
Skip, this touches on an area where I’m seeking guidance from God. In most areas I lean to the right politically and am aware of all the yelling from certain conservative media about the new administration. God’s economy was designed to release debts on a cycle and restore real property – crucial in an agrarian society – to the original family ownership once a generation. If I understand it correctly Israel never really followed God’s plan and in fact religious leaders came up with ways around God’s economy. But without regard to that it is still God’s plan. Even though it is contrary to my personal political views I’m asking God if some increased form of government mandated wealth redistribution has a root in righteousness and if so to help me get with the program. Your perspective would be appreciated.
Hi Dan,
You are not the only person my brother who dwells on this issue. Given how much the federal government dips into our earnings is of course absurd. I have often lamented over how much more material contributions could be made to legitimate needs that serve the Lord’s kingdom if … the governemnt was not so corrupt.
Anyway I have ceased moaning about this issue. No the government programs are not a form of righteousness. It is simply wealth re-distribution for the sake of manipulation and control. Contrary to popular belief in this country we, America, are not G_D’s nation. We are not the chosen nation and we by default do not act righteously. However as Yeshua taught us … we render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. It does not matter how they misuse the funds. In reality Yeshua had Peter pay the tax to the satanic empire that was crushing the necks of the Lord’s chosen people.
It is quite sad however this absurd taxation mode does significantly hinder the distribution of funds in accordance with The Lord’s plan. People naturally are less inclined to re-distribute available resources after 30%-50% has been heisted! Ultimately a government which is not submitting to The Lord is not going to utilize the wealth correctly.
The wealth will be used however to fulfill His plan in some manner … this is certain.
Dear Dan, Please accept this is in the love of the Lord, I am not Skip, but my heart so goes out to you in your above writing. You have God’s heart for doing what seems to you to be good. I commend you for that. I want to give you my background so you will see that I, nor my husband come from families of material wealth, so that I am not defending our great wealth and the re- distribution of it. Please stay with me through that introduction. I was born in 1933, my husband in 1929. Our parents were poor to start with, and then lived through the real Great Depression, and added to that was Dust Bowl poverty, increasing the lenght by a few years. My husband had seven brothers and sisters, and I had five, two died at birth. It was not the sometime government help with the WPA of building roads that went to “no where” and paying the men one dollar a day, to do that that got us through it. It was the work effort: plowing, tilling the soil, by the sweat of their brows, and thrift of these parents and children, and the desire to get an education, and then the HOPE that Jesus gave us, in the small churches that taught God’s Word, and where we experienced the love of Him, and yes, literally experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit at times. —
( Yes, I remember one road that I saw as a five year old, it was built into the middle of a fenced farm and stopped there. Also, I remember many other blunders the government made). I have lived three -fourths of a century plus, and have always searched the scriptures for God’s righteousness from the Bible, and then tried to do the practical application. ( I have not been in one straight and narrow path as far as just being in one denonination, one version of a Bible-but many versions-much study, many types of Christian Churches and in several denominations). God has allowed me and my 80 year old husband of nearly 57 years, not through material wealth per se, but through His provisions to travel in many areas of the world, and live in a third world country with 95 percent Muslim population. We have been so blessed with numerous children of our own, grandchildren, and now three little great-grandchildren, also foster children, yes even now, one family of five are included in our lives: a military family. We have been with Skip’s teachings almost since the first year, and he knows that our income has been nominal: small Christian college and Universities, with me also having to teach in order to care for our own family and be able to give to others as we saw it in God’s word. I can not praise the Lord enough for his graciousness in all these years.
With all that introduction, and making a long statement on never living in great material wealth; I want to emphatically say, never, never in history has any nation ever benefitted from the government being in charge of the wealth. Those in charge are also wicked and sinful people. Aren’t we all born with a sinful nature? Why could they take a lot of wealth from others and and “redistribute it to the needy, who would not yet know how to manage it”? Taking from those that have, and giving to help the poor? We are not YET living in God’s Kindgom on earth! Redistribution of wealth only puts the wealth in the hands of such leaders that control all wealth, and they become corrupt, if they were not in the beginning. Study the British Monarchy throughout its history, then Marxism, communism, Nazism, and even such large world organizations as League of Nations, United Nations, corruption abounds.– Look at the systems of the government in our own country, whenever government gets in, corruption abounds.
The wealthier get richer, and the poorer get poorer. Those in charge always have plenty though.– Remember, France’s, Queen Marie Antoinette’s famous statement, when told that the people have no bread, “then let them eat cake”. Such is the attitude of all dictators of any kind.
Did you read the web site that Skip gave on June 11, on Kingdom Politicis? It was from one in his group who has a web site on the history of our country moving away from the rights of individual. I am blank on his name. —- I will continue on & end in a much shorter comment below. L.B.
Dan, and whoever reads this, it is L.B. again, to end the above reply. What I think the Lord has shown me through the many years of studing, seeking, searching, and am continuing to do so, is that: as we are not YET living in His Kingdom made complete on earth, there will never be a Utopia of any kind on earth. We must accept that, and do whatever is in our walk of life, AND live out what He, Jesus has put in us through the Holy Spirit
A few years ago, I Thessalonians 4:11 became a verse that in several versions of the Bible, became such a motto to me. I used to go around stating it- using several words from different versions, such as “aspire, aim, make it your goal, etc., and then saying, “it is a verse not many people pay any attention to”. to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your own hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one. ( v. 12)
If we apply that verse, along with whatever our skills and opportunities allow us to do, and take care of our own families first, then reach out to whomever is placed in those paths, with God’s love, and remember the # one Commandment, and that will include seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousnes, if there is any more God wants us to do, He will open the doors wide in front of us to go through. We will not need to push them open. ” BE YE CONTENT ” – Yes, IN ALL OF THIS. One final thing: Yes, we CAN TRUST THE LORD OUR GOD.
What a wonderful, genuine, heart-filled response. You are, essentially, preaching to the choir. I was, and am in agreement with the views unanimously expressed here. LaVaye-Ed, I am not a child of the depression but both of my parents were raised on dirt-poor depression era farms in small mid-west communties. My Mom told me that on some Christmases her big present was an orange. They did their best to make sure that the lessons you passionately relate from your own lives were etched into me.
The genesis of my motivation in putting forth this question is not that I myself believe that what has already been happening on this issue for decades and is now gathering additional momentum is right, correct, or an expression of Godly righteousness. My motivation is based on a growing awareness of the need for humility in approaching the things of God. I am praying to have a humility in my approach to God that keeps me open to correction and instruction but does not put me in the position of being “proud of my humility.” 🙂
Again, thanks to everyone who has responded. I retain the beliefs and assumptions I started with. But, if anyone out there has another view I would like to hear it.
A lot of great discussion here. The web blog from one of our own is by James Watkins. Also, you might be interested in the book by Marvin Olasky, Renewing American Compassion, which unequivocally demonstrates that when religious (Christian) organizations provided compassionate care in the community, the effect was far better than any subsequent welfare program, far more penetrating and for more healing. When we switched to government controlled charity, we moved directly away from God’s plan for community compassion. It’s a great book!
It is my conviction that community takes care of community. Government interferences always leads to anonymity, permanent joblessness and community collapse. This was just as true with Solomon as it is today. The Christian community must resist this pattern of the world’s system. We must never be anonymous to each other. That’s why I encourage each to tell the personal story here on this blog – and let us help each other. For example, I happen to know that James (above) is facing severe financial crisis because he refused to cheat customers of the business where he was employed. Without a job, he is very near the edge. So, At God’s Table is going to help. But he will need more than the little we can provide. He needs work, as I am sure others in our community do.
Redistribution means helping to restore members of the community to productive citizens so that they in turn can become sources of help.
There is a difference between relief and recovery. Relief is needed when no alternative is available and the need is desperate. But the goal is always recovery. When the Bible instructs me to give food and water to even my enemy, it does not imply that I am to provide all he needs to continue to wage war against me. It means that I am not to let him starve if I can prevent it. But the goal is always to bring him into the community, to make him my friend. That is personal – not the result of some impersonal collection agency.
I once attended an awards banquet where one of the honorees spoke and said “My grandfather always taught me that when you do a good deed, God puts a mark on one side of the ledger. But when you tell someone about it, He puts two on the other side.”
The speaker totally missed the irony in her statement, but is so true about our society. Some people, mostly the wealthy, love to give to charitable causes, but they seek their picture in the society column or the write-up in the newspaper to make sure everyone knows what they have done.
More in keeping with the point of the discussion is that we have failed miserably as God’s stewards. Since everything is His, we are only stewards of what He has given us. Imagine if a wealthy man hired you to manage his money and years later he asked you for an accounting.
You replied, “well I bought this nice house and fine cars, took all these wonderful vacations and then I put in my will that my heirs will inherit the money you entrusted me with. Unfortunately there is nothing left for you.”
Unfortunately, that is how many of us act with His money and with so many of Jesus’ parables dealing with this very subject, I suspect it is of importance to God!
Lord, please help us learn how to be good stewards of the resources you give us!
Grace and Peace,
Jay