Luke 6:24-26

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.’” vss. 24-25a

Jesus’ words about poverty and riches leave no doubt about where he stood on the matter of economic inequality. His sympathies are squarely on the side of the poor and his words about riches make most of us squirm. Again and again, particularly in Luke’s gospel he warns about the dangers of wealth, and on one occasion he even tells a rich man to sell what he has and give the proceeds to the poor. Of course many believers have figured out ways to ignore these teachings about money and focus on the spiritual side of faith. We love to talk about giving our hearts to Jesus but would never dream of giving him our bank accounts. Some used to feel at least a little bit guilty about our greed, but not any more. We’ve seen a radical shift in values, and now even many Christians are approving of our country’s overt worship of riches. Some are saying that our government has no responsibilities for the poor and needy and applaud the elimination of virtually every aid program being currently funded. Sooner or later true believers are going to have to make decisions about where they stand. Either Jesus was blowing smoke or he was speaking the truth. The choice is becoming more clear-cut with each passing day. Which will it be? Billionaire oligarchs or the poor and needy?

Thought for the Day: How will I step up to help the poor?