Living the Word

by Pastor Ken Miller Rieman

Poverty and Wealth
in the Gospel of Luke

In the coming weeks, Pastor Ken Miller Rieman and Jay Patterson will team up to lead a Lenten Bible Study.  The study will explore the themes of poverty and wealth from the perspectives presented in Luke’s Gospel.

Why study poverty and wealth during Lent?  There are several reasons.

First, Lent is the season in which Christians contemplate the meaning of Jesus’ journey to the cross.  What is the ultimate meaning of his life, his death, and his message?  It is also the season of repentance, the season in which we reflect individually, and together, upon the ways that we have failed to live in accord with Jesus’ teaching.

But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.  Luke 14.13

Second, the central role of Luke’s Gospel in the liturgical scripture lessons this year (Year C) inevitably confront poverty, the most frequently addressed social issue in the entire Bible.  Indeed, Luke’s Gospel lifts up, to a greater degree than the others, Jesus as a manifestation of God’s compassion for the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed.  In Luke, Jesus’ inaugural sermon proclaims this as his very mission and purpose for being (Luke 4).

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of Jubilee.  Luke 4.13-19

Third, we observe today, in our world, that nearly every significant social crisis, whether it be hatred, crime, war, drug abuse, disease, hunger, or environmental destruction, all of them are fueled, at least in part, by the unequal and unjust distribution of our world’s resources.  It is no wonder that poverty is central to the concern of a Gospel which proclaims Jesus as the savior of all humankind.

As we find in the letters of the apostle Paul, the author of Luke’s Gospel proclaims that being a disciple of Jesus and being a citizen of God’s Kingdom are inseparable.  One cannot love God and turn a blind eye to the plight of one’s neighbor.  God’s purpose in Christ is to bestow justice and mercy upon the whole world.  The followers of Jesus are those who seek to live in accord with God’s intentions for all people.

There are many examples in our history of Christians who found success in fighting poverty and injustice, but those groups have had less luck convincing the wealthy and the powerful to surrender their privilege.  There is currently an accelerating trend toward ever greater inequality in the distribution of wealth.  In 1976, the top 10 percent of the population owned about 50 percent of all private wealth. By 1999, the richest 10 percent’s share had grown to 70 percent. (Economic Apartheid in America, p. 54)  During that same period, CEOs’ pay increased from an average of 42 times their worker’s pay to 419 times worker’s pay.

How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!  Luke 18.22

But there’s more here at play than just the marketplace.  Government policies in the last thirty years have shifted the US tax burden from corporations to individuals, from the wealthy to the middle class and poor, and from the federal government to state and local governments whose taxes are the most regressive. (p. 102)

As Christians from the world’s wealthiest and most powerful nation, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to examine our response to Christ’s call.  In the final analysis, Luke’s Gospel suggests that we have misunderstood the very nature of poverty and the true source of our wealth.  Is that good news?  Come help us decide.

Our study will meet on three different Wednesdays, from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.  We will meet February 21st, March 7th, and March 21st.  We will arrange additional times for the group to view and discuss several films relating to our theme.  These will be announced in worship, in bulletins, and the on-line calendar.  If you are interested in viewing the films, but feel unable to attend the classes, just let the office know and we will call you with the viewing schedule.