What economic system would Jesus promote?

This week, we are examining what Jesus would have to say when it comes to the issue of the economy. We are asking the questions "What policies would Jesus promote when it comes to the economy? What type of economic system would Jesus promote? Does Jesus promote socialism? Communism? Capitalism?" However, before answering these questions,

Yesterday, we examined the conversation surrounding the issue of the economy in our current political climate. At one end of the conversation when it comes to the issue of the economy are politicians and others who advocate for what are referred to as socialistic or communistic economic policies. And in the conversations that have been occurring over the last several years, those who advocate for democratic socialism or communism will use phrases like "everybody needs to pay their fair share" or "we need to solve the issue of income inequality" or "we need policies that promote a living wage" or "we need to rid the country of crony capitalism and deal with the one percent who are taking advantage of the system".

On the other end of the conversation when it comes to the issue of the economy would be politicians and others who advocate for what are referred to as capitalistic policies. And in the conversations that have been occurring over the last several years, those who advocate for capitalism will use phrases like "we need an economic system that promotes personal liberty and responsibility" or "capitalism makes the pie bigger for everyone" or "global capitalism is the solution to oppression and poverty". We then spent some time defining some economic terms.

Today, with all that background in mind, let’s take a look at what the message and teachings of Jesus have to say when it comes to the issue of the economy. Specifically, what do the letters that make up the Bible reveal about the type of economic system would Jesus promote? We discover the answer to this question by looking at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the book of Exodus. So let’s look at this section together, beginning in Exodus 20:15:

You shall not steal.    

Now regardless of whether you regularly attend church or if this is your first Sunday in church; regardless of whether or not you buy the whole Jesus, Bible, church thing; you are probably familiar with this statement. You are familiar with this statement because this is a statement that you have probably heard throughout your life. You have probably heard this statement in the home you grew up in, at the school you attended while growing up, and from a coach or boss that was involved in your life.

You are probably at least somewhat familiar with this statement because it is one of the Ten Commandments that you have heard about. This command is the eighth of the Ten Commandments that God gave to the Jewish people. And this command is straightforward and easy to comprehend. Do not rob someone of something that is theirs. Do not jack each other's stuff. And just a few verses later, we see God give the Jewish people what we know today to be the tenth of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:17:

You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Now the word covet here, in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally means to desire in such a way that you try to acquire what you desire.  So God here is basically saying to the Jewish people "I am commanding you not to desire something that you are not to acquire as your own in such a way that you try to acquire what you should not be desiring". God is commanding that we not desire to acquire that which is another's relationally or that is another's based on ownership.

Now here is a question to consider: How can you steal something that does not belong to someone? How can you desire something that you are not to acquire as your own if you are not to own anything? You see, the very nature of these two commands implies the ownership of private property. The very nature of these two commands is the forbidding of taking that which does not belong to you because it belongs to someone else. So both of these commands seem to indicate that Jesus would not be a proponent of socialism or communism.

Now a natural objection that could arise here could be "Well Dave what about the economic injustice that is done to others by capitalism. What about the fact that capitalism is "rigged" for the wealthy. What about the issue of income inequality that capitalism promotes"? If that objection is in your mind, I just want to let you know that is a fair objection to raise. And just a few chapters later, we see the issue of the collision of economics and justice addressed in Exodus 23:2-6:

“You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to   turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice; nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute. "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him. "If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him. "You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute.”

Now did you notice what the Lord is doing in this series of commands? Whether it is the issue of truthfulness when it comes to giving testimony in civil court; whether it is the issue of what one is to do when they find the property of another; whether it is the issue of twisting the justice system to benefit of one group over another, economic status should not be a factor.

On the one hand, we are not to deny justice to someone because they are poor; on the other hand, we are not to give favoritism in our justice system to one who is poor. On the one hand, we are not to twist our justice system so that is benefits the rich; on the other hand, we are not to twist the justice system so that it benefits the poor. One’s economic status should not be a factor when it comes to justice. And the justice system should not be used in such a way that favors or provides advantages to anyone based on their economic status. Each individual, regardless of economic status, is responsible for their actions.  

Now an argument that you would make to say that Jesus was an advocate of socialism and communism would be "But Dave didn't God say somewhere that there would be no poor. And doesn't socialism or communism provide the best environment to eliminate poverty and fulfill God's statement that there would be no poor among us?"

Let's take a minute and address both of these objections. Let's start with the first objection, that God said that there would be no poor among us. In a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Deuteronomy, we see a man named Moses say the following in Deuteronomy 15:4:

However, there will be no poor among you, since the LORD will surely bless you in the   land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess,

Here we see Moses explain to the Jewish people, that they would experience financial and material blessing as part of the Lord bringing them into the land that He had promised them. However in a section of an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Mark, we see Jesus say the following in Mark 14:7:

For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me.

So, which one is it? We will always have the poor with us or will we not have the poor with us? The answer to this question is actually found in Moses conversation with the Jewish people that is recorded for us in the book of Deuteronomy. Notice that Deuteronomy 15:4 ended with a comma, not a period. Here is the entirety of what Moses said, which we see when we keep reading all the way through Deuteronomy 15:4-5:

 However, there will be no poor among you, since the LORD will surely bless you in the   land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, if only you listen obediently to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today.

In other words, the reality that there would be no poor among the Jewish people was based on their faithful obedience to the Lord's commands. And just a few verses later we see Moses reveal for us the reality of what would happen when it came the Jewish people and their obedience to the Lord in Deuteronomy 15:11:

"For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.'

Here we see Moses reveal for us the reality that, just as Jesus proclaimed 1,430 years later in Mark 14:6, that there would always be the poor among us. And the reason why there will always be the poor among us has nothing to do with an economic system around us. The reason why there will always be poor among us is due to the selfishness and rebellion that is within us.

Now another argument that you would have to the idea that Jesus was an advocate of socialism and communism would be "Well Dave what about God's repeated commands to care and provide for the poor? What about Jesus words in Matthew 25:31-46 that talk about caring for the poor and the needy as evidence of being right with God? What about what the early church did in Acts 2 and Acts 4? Doesn't the words of Jesus and the actions of the early church promote the idea of socialism or communism?"

If that argument in running through your mind, I just want to let you know that is a fair question. Friday, we will look at the verses in question in order to address that question...