And the rich he hath sent empty away

We speak of the Gospel as "good news". Luke's Gospel is particularly known as "good news to the poor". But if the Gospel is good news to the poor, is it not also bad news to the rich? The other day I was reading the Magnificat, and that day I went for a walk into Chalfont St Peter, a nearby village which must be one of the most wealthy areas in the country. I couldn't help thinking how difficult it must be to be a Christian there. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Not difficult. Impossible.

There are two types of people that Jesus rails against. The first are the religious hypocrites, typified by the Pharisees. The second are the rich. "Woe to the rich!" These are not easy or popular words, and were not when they were spoken. While the church today argues about women priests and gay bishops, it's quite ironic that the problems that Jesus spoke against - hypocrisy and wealth - have been accepted by the church for almost all of its existence. Maybe he knew something we don't.

Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool. He sends away the rich young ruler. Nearly every parable in Luke is to do with money, the rich and the poor. The poor always win and the rich always lose. Why does Jesus hate the rich so much? Is he jealous? Hasn't God given them this money to enjoy?

We don't really believe that Jesus hates the rich. We don't really believe he said "Woe to the rich". Hey, we don't really believe he said "blessed are the poor", preferring to spiritualise it to the Matthean "blessed are the poor in spirit". That one's a lot easier for us to deal with. I don't know much about hermeneutics, but I know enough to be suspicious of anything which allows us to avoid the plain sense of what Scripture is saying. Here are three more ways to avoid the idea that Jesus hates the rich. Three ways people claim you can be rich and still be a Christian:

• He didn't really say that. This is the snake's objection - "Did God really say...?" As an example of this reasoning, let's take "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." This sounds very much like Jesus is saying that a rich man cannot become a Christian. The way to explain this verse is as follows: There was a gate in the city of Jerusalem called the "eye of a needle gate", which was very narrow, and through which you had to enter very carefully. Jesus was saying that a rich man could only become a Christian very carefully. There's only one problem with this idea. There was no such gate in Jerusalem. That explanation was completely made up as a way to avoid the plain sense of the words. In reality, Jesus was actually saying that a rich man cannot become a Christian. Oh, we don't like that.
• It's not the money, it's what we do with it. So long as we have the right approach to our money, we're OK. There's only one problem with that. Jesus didn't say "Woe to those who are rich and abuse their money." He said "Woe to the rich". God will send the rich empty away, not the rich and foolish. It may offend our sensibilities that Jesus saw riches as evil in themselves, but he did. It probably went down as badly then as it does now. To assume that Jesus meant "rich and profligate" is to read into the Bible what is not there, in another attempt to avoid the plain sense of the words. In reality, Jesus was of the opinion that riches themselves corrupt, not our attitude to them. Oh, we don't like that either.
• "Same to you, pal". It's hard for me to tell others about Jesus' hatred for riches when I'm so rich myself, compared to the vast majority of the world. Well, yes. That is my problem. I find it a huge challenge, I shall have to deal with my problem. That does not diminish your problem, though.

To be honest, I pity the rich - they cannot enter the kingdom of heaven; Jesus said so. I cannot do what he did, and accept their hospitality while maintaining the integrity to criticise them harshly at the same time. But I do know that being around the rich really does help me love the poor.

Full version - 14 Comments