By Shane Kastler
In Pope Francis' recent attempts to justify the “legitimate redistribution of economic benefits” he uses a somewhat bizarre example from the New Testament teachings of Christ: the story of Zaccheus (Luke 19:1-10). The reason I call it bizarre is because,
as those who know the New Testament will remember, Zaccheus was portrayed as a wicked tax collector. A corrupt man of Jewish decent who seized the finances of the common people, with the full authority of the Roman government. In other words, Zaccheus believed in the “redistribution of economic benefits” from those who earned them to those who didn't. In his case redistributing it to his own pocket.
The point of the Biblical account was that Jesus changed Zaccheus' heart, resulting in him giving back four-fold to all those he stole from and vowing to give half of all he had to the poor. And here's the kicker, Zaccheus vowed to do this FREELY, which is to say, apart from government coercion. This really is, after all, the heart of true charity. A person gives. As opposed to thievery, where someone else takes.
In an ironic twist, the Pope couldn't have used a worse example to try and justify his socialistic views. In addressing the United Nations, and calling on governments to “redistribute” wealth he was making a call for the OLD Zaccheus to be unleashed on the world with his wicked notion of asset seizure. Rather than the NEW Zaccheus who gave willingly of his own accord. What the Pope should be doing is encouraging the people to help the poor with their physical and financial resources, rather than calling on governments to extract “help” from the people, by force. Which leads to another flaw in the Pope's Biblical interpretation.
Speaking of the new found spirit Zaccheus had after meeting Jesus, the Pope said, “This same spirit should be at the beginning and end of all political and economic activity......This ought to awaken the conscience of political and economic agents and lead them to generous and courageous decisions with immediate results, like the decision of Zaccheus.” The Pope is not only wrong, he is comparing apples to oranges. The “freewill” individual giving of Zaccheus should NOT be the beginning of all political and economic activity because political powers are operating with other people's money. It's easy to give something that's not yours in the first place. Giving of your own resources is a different matter altogether. And that's what Zaccheus did. And that's what the Bible commends him for. In truth, Zaccheus is the worst possible example the Pope could use to justify “redistribution.”
In conclusion, I would simply state as I have before that the Pope is entitled to believe and espouse whatever he wishes. But a butchery of the Biblical text in order to justify his views needs to be called out for what it is. For all of his so-called “papal infallibility” on doctrinal issues, the Pope comes down opposite of Jesus and the Bible on the topic of helping the poor. Zaccheus is commended for giving of his own accord. The Pope advocates taking by force and redistributing. In the end we see Zaccheus displaying genuine charity and the Pope displaying a faux charity that is tantamount to legalized theft. Ironically the Pope commends the OLD Zaccheus who Jesus condemned. And ignores the NEW Zaccheus who Jesus commended.
Shane Kastler is Pastor at the Heritage Baptist Church, Lake Charles, LA and Co-Host; "Church & State" KELB Radio, 100.5 FM. He blogs at The Narrow Road.
Well said. Pastor Kastler clearly know the bible. Maybe the Pope should attend one of his Sunday School classes.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that this guy calls for forced redistribution through the threat of force and violence and not charity speaks volumes of how demented and evil he is. I guess he's decided to go a different route from the teachings in the Bible. Clearly, he is establishing himself as the Material Pope. Spiritualism is just too abstract and old school I guess.
ReplyDeleteMy step-mother is largely into socialism and feminism. My experience has been that she conflates help and coercion. She legitimately wants to help people, but she unfortunately feels compelled to force her "help" on others, even when it's not wanted or needed by the person she's trying to help. She's done this with me a few times in the past and I rebuke her every time she does; her "help" usually screws up a plan that I was already carrying out to help myself and just makes the situation worse. I see the same mistake being made here, only on a grand scale.
ReplyDeleteFrom a biblical perspective, we stand before the throne for judgement individually and not collectively (Matthew 25:32; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12,13). We're held accountable for our own fruits (or lack thereof). It's instructive to read and understand the parable that follows the account of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:11-27, which is echo'd in an earlier parable in Matthew 25:14-30.
I actually agree that this world needs more charity. But it needs to be legitimate and from the heart, as described in 2 Corinthians 9:7.
"My step-mother is largely into socialism and feminism."
DeleteThey do hand in hand after all. I'm not the least bit surprised either.
"My experience has been that she conflates help and coercion. She legitimately wants to help people, but she unfortunately feels compelled to force her "help" on others, even when it's not wanted or needed by the person she's trying to help."
IOW, the usual all heart and no brain activist (this is most of the population). Being all touchy feely is completely useless without the right ideas behind them.
"I actually agree that this world needs more charity. But it needs to be legitimate and from the heart, as described in 2 Corinthians 9:7."
Hell yes! Hard to do though when you're taxed to death and the currency has its value inflated away all the time. Also, how in the hell can someone think stealing form one person to give to another is charity? What, just because the one being robbed has more? That makes it ok?
It's funny how a private citizen stealing from someone else is deemed terrible but a government parasite does it it magically become charity. No one with an internet connection has any excuse whatsoever to be that damned ignorant and stupid! No one.
None of this is shocking in light of the fact the pope is from Argentina, poster child of economic basket cases. Crazy, just plain crazy....
ReplyDeleteNot only that but he's too damned stupid to learn anything from it. What a moron! LOL
DeleteThe Holy Father is not infallible in all that he says as any honest comentator would recognize, sadly Mr. Kastler doesn't seem to get this. Speeches given to world leaders and off the cuff homilies are not part of the Magisterium, so no need to worry about the Pope saying something wrong. However, I think the bigger point is missed in a reaction which ignores the whole speech. Pope Francis, like Pope Benedict is calling the UN to become something other than it is (they both are far more optimistic than I am, it seems). Pope Francis called on the UN to stop being a driving force in the throw-away culture of death as well as citing the "legitimate redistribution" (which, you'll notice he never said was something done by force). Zaccheus is a great example of what the Church wants all people to do when it comes to redistribution. Not just give your spare cloak, but the one you are wearing. It must come out of love for our fellow man, otherwise it has no merit and is not charity at all (as Pope Benedict said). Socialism is condemned as an evil heresy. Pope Francis is not pushing that even if he does have quite the knack of picking horrible phrases that spiral out of control and distract from his messages. He's a rather provincial former provincial from Argentina, he's new to the world stage and the 1st world. He's not the skilled German professor or the cosmopolitan Polish Pope...it's different. But he's still Pope and unlike Shane Kastler can forgive sins, loose souls from Purgatory, and change wine and bread into the Body and Blood of Christ.
ReplyDelete-Brian Douglass
"A contribution to this equitable development will also be made both by international activity aimed at the integral human development of all the world’s peoples and by the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State..."
DeleteNo offense, but this is fairly direct. I'm sure this Pope means well, but he's making a grave error by getting the State involved in what is supposed to be a charitable affair. Jesus' teachings were bottom-up, not top-down. This continued marriage of the institutional Church and the State will have terrible results for both those inside and outside the Church.
Pope Schmope. I used to be Catholic. It's a good religion if you just want to go through the motions and never be challenged to grow in your faith. If you think you deserve credit for showing up, be a Catholic. Seriously, what is with this "Holy Father" nonsense? The Pope is just a man. He's not a demi-god. Stop treating him as such. And what is with this canonization of people as saints? The Bible calls everyone who is saved as a saint. And what is with the liturgy of the saints? Isn't Jesus supposed to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life? Aren't all sinners supposed to come to the Father through him? If so, why would you pray to Saint this or Saint that? Aren't they just sinners like you? And holy Mary? Where is that in the Bible? Why pray to another sinner when you could pray directly to Christ? And what is with the no birth control mandate? If I want to wear a condom to keep from getting my wife pregnant, what the hell business is it of the Church's? Should I just take my chances, have more kids than I can afford, and socialize my inability to care for them on my family and the taxpayers by taking WIC, welfare, HEAP, etc? Isn't theft by majority vote still theft? You Catholics make no sense. And your priests' sermons are lightweight fluff. Whatever.
DeleteIf you were ever catholic, you were not taught very well. You may want to investigate a little before posting on matters that you clearly do not understand.
Delete"he's still Pope and unlike Shane Kastler can forgive sins, loose souls from Purgatory, and change wine and bread into the Body and Blood of Christ."
DeleteCan the Pope prove this? Can he defend this from the Bible? Or is this just fabricated Catholic dogma? Scripture says "none can forgive sins but God alone."
Another excellent read !
ReplyDeleteReverend Kastler's anachronistic and ethnocentric reading of Luke 19:1-10 reveals very little knowledge about either the Greek text of the story of Zacchaeus, or the socio-cultural matrix of of the 1st century Med.
ReplyDeleteZacchaeus is actually a perfect example of profuse giving and "doing the right thing." The verbs in 19:8 are typically, and incorrectly, translated as future tense verbs - "I shall give," "I shall repay" - when in the Greek they are both present tense. Zacchaeus is not repenting and promising better behavior, rather, he is articulating his customary practice of profuse giving that is in line with Torah (see Luke 3:12-13!). And, it is only the negative gossip about him by his fellow Israelites - voiced as an agonistic challenge in the story (19:7) - that construes Zacchaeus as a sinner.
For more, see the relevant portions of this research essay: https://www.academia.edu/8567439/Adolescents_Social_Capital_and_the_Restorative_Power_of_Speech_The_Promise_of_Engaging_the_Bible_through_Socio-Cultural_Lenses_for_Youth_Ministry