January 15, 2012

 

St. John United Church of Christ, Arlington Hts., Illinois

January 15, 2012 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday

Leviticus 25 (selections)

Rev. Jeffrey Phillips, Pastor

 Sabbath, Sabbath Year, Jubilee

 

            Release and starting over for the land, property, debts, and slaves

 

v. 10: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants thereof” on the Liberty Bell

 

Biblical Principle (even if never practiced)

 

concern for the poor (stopping the greed of the rich from engulfing the poor)

 

everything comes from God anyway

 

God is holy and we are God’s holy people (Exodus: we receive God’s grace and freedom, and then pass it along to others)

 

Jesus

 

            In his own time debt = enslavement, indentured servitude, “far from God”

The rich got richer from debt of the poor, building synagogues.

 

Luke 4

He healed the sick and cast out demons, releasing the poor

Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12)

            Teachings on the rich and poor – Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16)

            Beatitudes – the poor can be released now

            Early church practiced a communal sharing (Acts 2)

 

Marie Dennis: “The Jubilee was intended against the inevitable tendency of human societies to concentrate power and wealth in the hands of a few.”

 

The rich could use their surplus to help others or get even wealthier

 

            Monopoly

 

Jubilee is an indictment of both pure, unregulated capitalism and the Communist system.

 

Jubilee: the purpose of an economy is to guarantee enough for everyone, not surplus for a few.

 

“Communitarianism” versus individualism

 

Today

 

1% of the world’s people control half of the wealth

16% of Americans are poor (highest rate since 1993)

Top 10% of Americans hold more than 70% of the wealth

 

Since 1980 incomes of the top fifth Americans have risen 55% , 25% for the second fifth, 15% for the third fifth, 7% for the fourth fifth, and have decreased by 4% for the lowest fifth

 

1980 CEOs made 40x more than their average employee.  Today, it is 400x.

Gaps are widening – do we want to live like this?

Even if US poor have refrigerators, etc., is their situation acceptable?

 

Calvin quoted by R. Sider in the Christian Century

Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations (1776)

 

MLK Sunday – he’d be urging us on.

 

            Cared about poverty and war

            Tomorrow’s action

 

What can we do?

 

Bridge the gaps!  Stop them from increasing!  Release the poor from poverty!

 

            The poor have a responsibility

            Churches and charity have a responsibility

 

But being nice to the poor is not enough.  Giving to charity is not enough.  Volunteering is not enough.

 

            Government programs are also needed in the mix.

 

                        Tight budgets should not balanced on the backs of the poor

                        Progressive and fair tax policy (“proportional giving”)

                        Education (property taxes, grants to the poor for college)

                                    My testimony about Pell grants getting me through college.

 

 

Get informed – no excuses!

 

Take action.

           

Oikocredit – something individuals and organizations, even pension plans can do it.

 

Jubilee: give dignity and hope back to the poor.  Give them a chance!  Start over!

 

Every generation born into poverty, should have a chance to get out of poverty.  This is the spirit of the biblical concept of Jubilee.

 

Micah 6:8 – “What does the LORD require, but to do justice…..?”

           

Amos 5:24 – “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.”