Perhaps there is something natural about admiring the rich
and the powerful. They have what everybody wants. If you think you are what you
own, then it follows that you admire people who own things: possessions,
security, wealth, beauty, and influence.
Challenged, most Americans would deny their fondness for the
wealthy and powerful, but the fawning televisions programs, tabloids and gossip
blogs belie their claims.
The Hebrew prophets scorned such nonsense. If the scriptures
have anything to say to the wealthy it is today’s psalm refrain: “It is I who deal death and give life.”
Although the King of Tyre probably never heard of Ezekiel or
his letter, the prophet warned him about his arrogance and wealth:
Will you then say, “I am a god!”
when you face your murderers?
No, you are man, not a god,
handed over to those who will slay you.
when you face your murderers?
No, you are man, not a god,
handed over to those who will slay you.
Inevitably the wealthy suppose they have earned their
wealth, deserve it and certainly must preserve it for the next generation.
People who say they would never cram religious values or religious customs down
their children’s throats, never hesitate to force-feed them money.
Just as inevitably, the wealthy lose touch with the harsher realities
of human life, those that Jesus knew so well. He
knew there is no protection for the poor, no special services, no opportunities
and no golden parachutes. He knew that because none were given to him.
The middle class, struggling to stay afloat in a fluid job
market, struggling to maintain their mortgages and life, health and property insurance,
blame the poor for surviving on welfare because they see them in the streets
and supermarkets. They never blame the tax-exempt wealthy whose chefs frequent
the finer supermarkets. But it is they who make the rules and call the shots.
The scriptures assure us a day of reckoning does come for
everyone. Of those who were given much, much is expected. It is not impossible
for the wealthy to be saved and the Church has canonized saints who were
wealthy, powerful and influential. But our scriptures warn us, “It is easier
for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye.”
Who are “the tax-exempt wealthy”? In the U.S.A. they can be exempted from the income tax on up to ONE-HALF of their taxable income provided they donate it to recognized charities (which include churches).
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