Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

    
    	That is like saying what does the constitution or the Bill of
    Rights mean to you.  Can you be more specific in what you are looking
    for?

    The question was intentionally open ended.
    
    -- Mike

    I actually prefer Luke 6:20-49, which I _think_ is sometimes
    called the Sermon in the Valley.
    
    Luke definately aligned himself with the poor and oppressed.  Matthew
    is not as clear.
    
    Peace,
    Richard

    Richard,

    I think it may also be referred to as the Sermon on the Plain.  I agree
    with you that Luke seemed to have a great deal of interest in the poor,
    and that is reflected throughout the Gospel, as well in the book of
    acts where he describes the early Christian community as sharing its
    wealth with with poor.  The Sermon on the Mount is longer and more
    detailed than the Sermon on the Plain, however, and it generally does
    get more attention than the Sermon that Luke recorded.

    Regarding the poor, Luke records Jesus as having said at the Sermon on
    the Plain:

    	"Blessed are you who are poor,
    		for yours is the kingdom of God.
    	"Blessed are you who are hungry now,
    		for you will be filled....

    To elaborate on this point, the New Jerusalem Bible identifies several
    examples of Luke's view that "riches are a danger and should be given
    away in alms."  For example (these passages are from the NRSV):

        And the crowds asked him [John the Baptist], "What then should we
        do?"  In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share
        with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."
        (Luke 3:11)

        "Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your
        goods, do not ask for them again."  (Luke 6:30, Sermon on the
        Plain)

        "So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything
        will be clean for you."  (Luke 12:41, Jesus speaking to Pharisees)

        "Sell your possessions, and give alms.  Make purses for yourselves
        that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no
        thief comes near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is,
        there your heart will be also."  (Luke 12:33-34)

        "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the
        lame, and the blind.  And you will be blessed, because they cannot
        repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the
        righteous."  (Luke 14:13-14)

        When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one thing
        lacking.  Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the
        poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
        (Luke 18:22)

        Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my
        possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded
        anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much."  (Luke
        19:8)

        Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in
        Greek is Dorcas.  She was devoted to good works and acts of
        charity.  (Acts 9:36)

        He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave
        alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God.  One
        afternoon at about three o'clock he had a vision in which he
        clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him,
        "Cornelius."  He stared at him in terror and said, "What is it,
        Lord?"  He answered, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a
        memorial before God."  (Acts 10:2-4).

    Also, Luke records in Acts that the early Christian community shared
    their wealth:

        Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and
        soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but
        everything they owned was held in common....There was not a needy
        person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them
        and brought the proceeds of what was sold.  They laid it at the
        apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
        (Acts 4:32,34)

    I believe that this emphasis on the poor is very consistent with the
    viewpoint expressed repeatedly in the Hebrew Bible (I cited several
    verses in the "Attributes of God" topic).

    I think that all of this raises the question of what we can do to carry
    out "God's preferential option for the poor".  Furthermore, do we do
    enough?

    -- Mike

I agree that an emphasis on helping the poor, both from a societal
(governmental) level as well as a personal level is very important from
Scripture.  There is certainly a lot discussed about this in Luke.  I
have found in my own life a hard heart at times in this area. It is a
struggle to give to those you hardly know.  And yet, is that not what
Jesus would do?

Collis

        When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one thing
        lacking.  Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the
        poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
        (Luke 18:22)

o If we take it at face value, what implications does this imperitive have
  for Christians today?  How many of us could actually follow through on this?

o Note that Jesus did not say to distribute the money to the church.  What
  implications does this hold for Christians?
    
    Peace,
    Richard

Re:  distribution of money

What do you mean by "take this at face value"?  Do you mean, "accept this
as Jesus' command to me"?

If so, then I think many of us need to radically change our lifestyles.

It is interesting that Jesus did not advocate (in this particular instance)
giving money to the church.  Since he did in other instances, I'm not
sure that we can read too much into this.

Collis

>If so, then I think many of us need to radically change our lifestyles.

Agreed!!  Wholeheartedly!!  Pervasively!!  Radically!!
          ==============                   =========
>It is interesting that Jesus did not advocate (in this particular instance)
>giving money to the church.  Since he did in other instances, I'm not
>sure that we can read too much into this.

What choo talkin' about, Collis? /;-I
Where do you see Jesus saying to give money to the church?

Peace,
Richard

I see Jesus commending the woman for giving her last two coins to "the
church".

I see Jesus getting the money from a fish to pay the temple tax.

Of course, I also see Jesus as implementing tithing in the Old Testament. :-)

Collis

Note 71.9

>I see Jesus commending the woman for giving her last two coins to "the
>church".

True.  Not to quibble, but Jesus still didn't provide a verbal assertion
about giving money to the church.  Actually, I've always thought of this
as a 'living parable;' that is, not restricted to mere money.

>I see Jesus getting the money from a fish to pay the temple tax.

Pretty neat trick, eh?  How come do you suppose he didn't take it from
his own purse?  (Or from Judas Iscariot, the group treasurer?)

>Of course, I also see Jesus as implementing tithing in the Old Testament. :-)

Then you will also see Jesus implementing communal living among the believers
in the Acts of the Apostles. :-}

Peace,
Richard

Re:  communal living implemented by Jesus

I do see a difference between Jesus (as God) "implementing" (commanding)
tithing and followers of Jesus Christ choosing a communal living style
(not due to a direct commandment).

However, I certainly agree with you (if this is what you are saying) that
such a lifestyle is an accord with the Christian faith (i.e. following
Jesus).

Collis

    Guess what??  No hook! :-)

	"Among us English-speaking peoples especially do the praises of
poverty need once more to be boldly sung.  We have grown literally afraid
to be poor.  We despise anyone who elects to be poor in order to simplify
and save his inner life.....

	...the desire to gain wealth and the fear to lose it are our
chief breeders of cowardice and propagators of corruption.  There are
thousands of conjunctures in which a wealth-bound man must be a slave,
whilst a man for whom poverty has no terrors becomes a freeman.  Think
of the strength which personal indifference to poverty would give us
if we were devoted to unpopular causes.  We need no longer hold our
tongues or fear to vote the revolutionary or reformatory ticket.  Our
stocks might fall, our hopes of promotion vanish, our salaries stop,
our club [or church] doors close in our faces; yet, while we lived, we
could imperturbably bear witness to the spirit, and our example would
help set free our generation.....

	I recommend this matter to your serious pondering, for it is
certain that the prevalent fear of poverty among the educated classes
is the worst moral disease from which our civilization suffers."

				- William James, 1842 - 1910

I've been most impressed, recently, by the quotability of the writings of
William James, an educator in the 1800's.  What James has to say, if you
can overlook the occasional sexist reference and the speech style of
yesteryear, is highly relevant and applicable today.

	"Momentarily considered, the saint may waste his tenderness and
be the dupe and victim of his charitable fever, but the general function
of his charity in social evolution is vital and essential.  If things are
ever to move upward, some one must be ready to take the first step, and
assume the risk of it.

	No one who is not willing to try charity, to try non-resistance
as the saint is always willing, can tell whether these methods will or
will not succeed.  When they do succeed, they are far more powerfully
successful than force or worldly prudence.  Force destroys enemies; and
the best that can be said of prudence is that it keeps what we already
have in safety.  But non-resistance, when successful, turns enemies in
friends; and charity regenerates its objects.

	These saintly methods are creative energies; and genuine saints
find it in the elevated excitement with which their faith endows them an
authority and impressiveness which makes them irresistible in situations
where men of shallower nature cannot get on at all without the use of
worldly prudence.  This practical proof that worldly wisdom may be safely
transcended is the saint's [miraculous] gift to mankind."