Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

I keep hearing about “FAIRNESS” during the election campaign. It seems that many Christians are even falling into this trap.  Where in the Bible does it talk about fairness? The Bible does talk about treating your neighbor as yourself.  But when I read the Bible it talks about rewarding those who work hard and helping those in need.  Nowhere do I see “redistribution of wealth.”  

In Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV) it says:

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

 ”Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

” ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Now we can’t earn God’s favor but God does reward those who work hard. I have had the privilege at serving at some very wealthy churches.  One church in particular had more millionaires then I’ll ever be around again.  The people there were so transformed by Jesus Christ that they were extremely generous with their money. But they chose to give to the church, missionaries, Campus Crusade, Youth For Christ, Young Life, etc…

Those who want “FAIRNESS” would “TAKE” the money away from these generous people and give it away without giving them any say so. Is that fair?  Life isn’t fair.  I’ve never made a lot of money.  I’ve never been near a 6 figure salary.  I have family members who make lots of money and they give abundantly to Christian organizations. But the “Redistribution” folks would like to “TAKE” their hard earned money and give it away.  Shouldn’t it be the person who makes the money’s job to decide how to spend it?  

From my observation believers who have been blessed with wealth are more generous than others. They just want a say so in where it goes.  If The “REDISTRIBUTION” folks have their way it will take away all incentives to work hard and give.  Why would a person want to make that extra sale if they know the government is going to have it anyway?  Why work an extra hour when you know the government is going to “TAKE” their money? That seems less “FAIR” than allowing people to show their generosity. 

I’m amazed at followers of Jesus who are buying into this philosophy.  From my study of Scripture it isn’t supported by the Bible. Life isn’t “FAIR” but God is good.

What do you think?

[Yahoo]

The three siblings of a girl who died of diabetes that went untreated as her parents prayed instead of taking her to a doctor have been removed from the home during an investigation, police said Friday. The parents and social services experts agreed the move would be best for everyone, Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin said. The children are staying with other relatives, though they were not in danger, he said.

“There is no physical evidence of abuse or neglect,” he said.

Madeline Neumann, 11, died Sunday the Weston home of an undiagnosed but treatable form of diabetes as her parents, Dale and Leilani Neumann, prayed for her to get better. Her mother said she never expected her daughter, whom she called Kara, to die.

The family believes in the Bible, which says healing comes from God, Leilani Neumann said.

The children removed from the home range in age from 13 to 16 and are expected to return to their parents once an investigation of the girl’s death wraps up, Vergin said.

There is no intent. They didn’t want their child to die. They thought what they were doing was the right thing,” he said. “They believed up to the time she stopped breathing she was going to get better. They just thought it was a spiritual attack. They believed if they prayed enough she would get through it.”

Read about it here.

[From me]

When I first heard this story last week I was angered.  I thought what parent would not take their child to the emergency room or doctor.  But I don’t know what these parents were thinking.  They were not trying to harm their child.  They wanted God to heal them.  So is this child abuse?

What do you think?