A friend told me last week that she believed Jesus was a socialist, not a capitalist. I have been thinking a lot about it, so I figured it’s time to work it out in a blog.
I don’t believe he was a socialist, though I don’t believe he was a capitalist either. He was not governmental in his position at all. He never addressed the government, directing them how to govern or how to care for people.
An unfortunate disconnect has happened that is confusing so many people now. Jesus told his followers to care for the poor, the widows, orphans and the needy. We as his people have been called to do these things, not the government. There are innumerable scripture passages that instruct us to feed the poor, care for the orphan, the widow and the alien, beginning in the Old Testament and continuing into the New, from the prophets to Jesus himself to the apostles. But all of the directives were toward the followers of Jesus, not the national governments. (Except in the case when Israel, as God’s followers, were a nation on their own.)
However, in the church’s lack of obedience to these commands of Jesus, (as well as believing a lie told by the father of all lies) society has now come to expect that which Jesus clearly called his church to do to be the government’s responsibility.
I believe that capitalism is a superior form of government, but the church has to do it’s job in regards to social issues in order for the people to be fully cared for. I would dare to say that most people in the American (western) church would rather have the government shoulder the responsibility, rather than themselves, despite the fact that most ‘christians’ are conservative in perspective and don’t believe the government should be as involved as the liberal perspective believes.
Unfortunately, there has been a severe lack of stepping up to the responsibility, an attitude of apathy and disobedience to the basic commands of Jesus. The result of this ‘misunderstanding’ and disobedience leaves us with a complicated political battle over issues that God never designed to be political at all.
The early church was a community of people, who lived under a Roman government, but who cared for one another’s needs from within the community…the Church. (See Acts 2:48). He commanded his people to honor and respect the government over them. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s (Mark 12:13-17; pray and honor those in authority over you.)
Books have been written on these thoughts, and I’m not as articulate as some I’ve read, or as elaborate in my explanations, but I’ve just really been thinking about it. I’m not very politically minded, perhaps because it’s not been a primary focus in our family, but I think also because I just don’t see Jesus being concerned about the political aspects and government, but rather simply on his followers’ obedience.
Maybe I’m a socialist. But not in a political way. In a ‘following Jesus church‘ way. The church was designed to be more socialist – community based, sharing all that is owned between all involved, caring for those in need and looking out of others. Socialism in my world is ‘community‘.
I feel like that leaves me in a complicated place politically, because I view all of this as two separate arenas – that which God has called his people to do, and that which the government does. Unfortunately, they have become melded together, causing divisions among people that were never meant to be. We’ve now got political conservative Christians with what I see as a superior (though full of weaknesses too) governmental standpoint, and with the ‘good news’ of Jesus, but not dealing with social issues on either a political or personal (church) level; and then the politically liberal Christians who have great cause and vision, but have combined two arenas that Jesus kept totally separate. Neither is the ‘right’ standpoint. Both have their strengths and both have their weaknesses, and so in turn, I am left without a certain definite standpoint behind either side.
The government, no matter how great or socialist it may be, can never do what was designed to be done by the people of God, the true followers of Jesus. Until those people (myself included) decide to be truly obedient to those very basic and crucial demands of Jesus, there is no real hope for change.
Anything other than cause and vision combined with the honest message of Jesus’ salvation is not sufficient and will ultimately fail.
