Thread by @dianabutlerbass

Naomi Klein on inherited wealth and its inherent injustices and corrupted worldview -- and how it is destroying any semblance of the common good.

And yeah, what's the lectionary text for preaching this next Sunday? The rich young ruler, that's what.

theintercept.com/2018/10/10/don…

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were perplexed.

But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

It isn't a metaphor. Jesus was being quite literal. Wealth is at odds with the kingdom. (The entire passage is Mark 10:17-31)

Have fun out there preachers -- the lectionary is trolling our politics and calling us all to speak truth.

The Gospel is NOT about "whatever keeps you from following Jesus." It is Jesus' take down of an system of injustice. Sorry if American pop theology has softened it. It isn't soft. It is one of the toughest of all NT passages.

And sorry that the donors won't like it.

“Truly I tell you," Jesus said, "But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

And I'm willing to bet that Falwell, Graham and those court-evangelicals have some squishy, un-biblical interpretation of these words of Jesus.

In my sermon, I'll draw a contrast between the injustice of this sort of wealth and the justice of God's abundance. The first is built on exclusive & hubris; the second flows from the beloved community and grace.

The former prizes entitlement; the latter is established on a foundation of gratitude and thanksgiving.

I'm sitting at my house reading responses and laughing. Other than the MAGA trolls, I'm certain the dude-bros defense of wealth here makes them the "rich young rulers" of today. And that if most of these commenters had heard Jesus say this, they would have walked away sad, too.

Or, perhaps they would have "God-splained" Jesus in the way they've manplained at woman with a PhD in historical theology who has thirty years of teaching under her belt.

And that, of course, is the point. If you put the Klein article together with the biblical text, you understand why the rich young ruler walked away -- or way the white young men of privilege love this political moment. And how wealth -- all wealth -- plays into that.

Wealth is different than abundance. Wealth is a political construct tied to a social structure. And -- as in Jesus' day -- the social structure was complicit w/injustice. Abundance is God's work -- the idea that there is enough for all in a world of sharing & stewardship.

Jesus condemns wealth.

Jesus proclaims and promises abundance.

And, in case the theological dude-bros don't know, this is one of the most ancient insights of Christian ethics thought -- going back through the medieval mystics to the monastic movements to the Cappadocian Fathers then to the Book of Acts and, finally, of course, Jesus himself.

Not to mention the African-American tradition, much of contemporary Catholic ethical thought, and the entire idea of God's preferential option for the poor.

So, by all means keep proving not only my point, but the point of wise, brilliant, deeply-educated men & women -- lay, priest, philosophers & saints -- from a range of cultures across 2000 years of Christian theology with your "rich young ruler"-like defenses of your privilege.

In this sentence above: "understand why the rich young ruler walked away -- or way the white young men of privilege love this political moment." "WAY" should be "why." Sorry for the typo -- and any others I may have missed.