Lord, you called us to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. Help us to see that all of creation and every breath we take is from your hand and teach us to use every good gift according to your will. Amen
I am in the process of wading through two very interesting books at the moment. One is Tomas Piketty's "Capital in the 21st Century" and the second is Elizabeth Warren's new book, "A Fighting Chance." Piketty's is a real challenge because of the depth of the material involving economics, statistics and history and Warren's is compelling in its personal tale of the American journey and hard won success. Both have a great deal to say to the future of the US and global economies.
Pope Francis has noted the need for just economics and systems that acknowledge the responsibility to address the basic needs of the poor and disenfranchised. Francis has called for a "legitimate redistribution of wealth" and cooperation between "the private sector and civil society."
For their efforts on behalf of a more equitable and functionable economy Piketty, Warren, and Francis have all been accused of being socialists. This seems to be the standard attack when anyone dares to raise a voice that challenges the "accepted norms" of contemporary economics and servicing capital. None of them, however, are arguing in anyway for anything approaching broad socialism but instead are calling for adjustments to a capitalist system that continues to teeter on the brink of collapse and which favors capital over labor as if a dollar or Euro, sheckel or ruble produces anything by itself. Capital alone cannot even sell and distribute a product without labor if it ever managed to figure a way to gather resources, engineer, and make product.
Speaking of legitimate redistribution wealth is not socialistic except by assumption of its opponents because capitalist economies depend on labor for both production and consumption. Fair pay and stopping corrupt labor practices redistributes wealth as well. Insuring fair trade and fair competition brings vitality to the market balancing the needs of producer and consumer.
Jesus dealt with people who felt oppressed under excessive politicial power, too. Roman taxes were high and placed a strain on local economics. The pharissees decided that they might draw Jesus into an unwinnable argument by asking if it was right to pay taxes. Say no and he would be labled a threat to the state and say yes and he would potentially lose the support of the crowd.
What the Pharisees did not expect and what Jesus did was redefine the question. Give Caesar what is Caesar's and God what is God's. Caesar made the coin of the realm. All trade occurred under that coin. Taxes were paid with that coin. In other words if you used the coin of the Empire you owed the Empire something for what they made possible; roads, water, safety, etc. Give Caesar his coins because he is the one who mints it and makes it possible. But more importantly give God credit for everything in your life and rejoice in his gifts.
Every morning when you rise up thank God for the rest of the evening. Every night give thanks for the opportunities and the labor of your day. Be thankful when neighbors draw close and support you in your hour of need and rejoice in the opportunity to give aid to your neighbor in their need. Tend to and give thanks for the economy of the community of faith where the coin of the realm is "agape" Christlike love poured out from the river of life which eternally quenches our thirst. In the end we are all accountable for how we use God's gifts including Caesar.
I am in the process of wading through two very interesting books at the moment. One is Tomas Piketty's "Capital in the 21st Century" and the second is Elizabeth Warren's new book, "A Fighting Chance." Piketty's is a real challenge because of the depth of the material involving economics, statistics and history and Warren's is compelling in its personal tale of the American journey and hard won success. Both have a great deal to say to the future of the US and global economies.
Pope Francis has noted the need for just economics and systems that acknowledge the responsibility to address the basic needs of the poor and disenfranchised. Francis has called for a "legitimate redistribution of wealth" and cooperation between "the private sector and civil society."
For their efforts on behalf of a more equitable and functionable economy Piketty, Warren, and Francis have all been accused of being socialists. This seems to be the standard attack when anyone dares to raise a voice that challenges the "accepted norms" of contemporary economics and servicing capital. None of them, however, are arguing in anyway for anything approaching broad socialism but instead are calling for adjustments to a capitalist system that continues to teeter on the brink of collapse and which favors capital over labor as if a dollar or Euro, sheckel or ruble produces anything by itself. Capital alone cannot even sell and distribute a product without labor if it ever managed to figure a way to gather resources, engineer, and make product.
Speaking of legitimate redistribution wealth is not socialistic except by assumption of its opponents because capitalist economies depend on labor for both production and consumption. Fair pay and stopping corrupt labor practices redistributes wealth as well. Insuring fair trade and fair competition brings vitality to the market balancing the needs of producer and consumer.
Jesus dealt with people who felt oppressed under excessive politicial power, too. Roman taxes were high and placed a strain on local economics. The pharissees decided that they might draw Jesus into an unwinnable argument by asking if it was right to pay taxes. Say no and he would be labled a threat to the state and say yes and he would potentially lose the support of the crowd.
What the Pharisees did not expect and what Jesus did was redefine the question. Give Caesar what is Caesar's and God what is God's. Caesar made the coin of the realm. All trade occurred under that coin. Taxes were paid with that coin. In other words if you used the coin of the Empire you owed the Empire something for what they made possible; roads, water, safety, etc. Give Caesar his coins because he is the one who mints it and makes it possible. But more importantly give God credit for everything in your life and rejoice in his gifts.
Every morning when you rise up thank God for the rest of the evening. Every night give thanks for the opportunities and the labor of your day. Be thankful when neighbors draw close and support you in your hour of need and rejoice in the opportunity to give aid to your neighbor in their need. Tend to and give thanks for the economy of the community of faith where the coin of the realm is "agape" Christlike love poured out from the river of life which eternally quenches our thirst. In the end we are all accountable for how we use God's gifts including Caesar.
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