A rich man is told by Jesus, “’Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply,” “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
How easy it is for those who have wealth to live in the kingdom of Caesar. The wealthy have devised the kingdom of Caesar for their ease. They are masters at living easy in it. Those who have wealth in the U.S. have had an especially easy time in the kingdom of Caesar these last 40 years. From Ronald Reagan to current days. A recently released groundbreaking study by Carter C. Price and Kathryn Edwards, Trends in Income, shows how it is the wealthy have their ease. They gain it as a result of their theft, outright direct robbery, much of it being wage theft. The authors show how for 40 years the wealth class stole $50 trillion dollars belonging to the people. By the authors’ financial calculations of the plunder done these last 4 decades, every single U.S. worker could have earned in every single month an additional $1,144. It would have meant an additional $13,728 every single year for each of us and $549,120 overall for every one of us. The U.S. master class’ easy life in the kingdom of Caesar is aided by their court decision that “Corporations are people. Also by ensuring there is little to no tax fairness or campaign finance reform or voter integrity or universal health care for the people. The master class controls the kingdom of Caesar’s capitalist system like a casino. It ensures the house always wins at unregulated speculation at the banking table, unrestrained gambling at the stock market wheel, and unlimited wagers at capitalism’s poker game that bets on unlivable wages, impossible debt repayment interest rates, and weakened social services. The kingdom of Caesar is thousands of years making life so very hard and so very deadly for all of humanity. More deadly than the virus of Covid is the virus of capitalism. The infectious contagion has been spread by those who have wealth across history and the world. It has been spread across institutional christianity as well. Institutional christianity acts as a subsidiary of the kingdom of Caesar and its capitalist system directed by its wealthy priest/pastor rulers, like Ronald Reagan, the Bushes, Obama, and most Republicans. For example, we are told by wealthy GOP Bible study pastor Ralph Drollinger, “Free Market Capitalism is God’s blueprint for growing a nation’s economy.” How hard it is for those who have wealth to witness Jesus’ Community of God. “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” It is long past time for the kingdom of Caesar to be replaced by the people’s Community.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she with silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.” (The New Colossus – Emma Lazarus)
Prayer: Spirit, keep us at ease with sharing.
Question: How can I give away more of my possessions or share more than I presently do?
October 10, 2021 Gospel Luke 17:11-19 Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time