Today's Devotional

 

October 31, 2008

                                                                                                                        

Subject:  Spreading The Wealth Around 

Matthew 25:16-17 “Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money." 

Matthew 25:28 "Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.”

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By now most everyone is familiar with Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's statement about spreading the wealth around.  The scriptures make an interesting point about the subject.

In this story that Jesus told, the money from the poor or the man with less "talents" was given to the man who had been most profitable.  This is redistribution of wealth that sounds crazy; taking from the poor and giving to the rich.  Understandably, this is not a passage where Jesus is saying how to run a country and He is not advocating that government be involved in taking poor people's money to give to the rich.  This passage is talking about being a good steward of all that God has given us.  The converse of the previous statement is also true however.  God is clearly, nowhere in scripture, advocating that the unprofitable servants be given money from those that are profitable.  He does place a responsibility on the rich to remember the poor and do good with their riches.  

In the end, it's all about each person wisely using what God has given him/her.  And none of this is the responsibility of government.  Of course if the government imposes a tax, we are required to "pay tribute," but of course that doesn't make our government right.  That's why we pray for them. 

Today, each of us has much wealth that we should spread around as the Spirit leads us.  That's why we should keep as much of it as we can and then dish it out as He tells us too.  The Holy Spirit is a much better guide for what to do with our resources than our government.  Believe that.   

Carlen