Entitlement Programs?

I listen to public radio most of the time that I listen to radio. With the upcoming election looming large, there are many discussions happening in political debates and in conversations around the water cooler regarding Entitlement Programs such as Medicare and Social Security. Democrats largely believe that our government should captain the programs (and therefore, tax payers - Democrats would say that the wealthy should pay more in taxes..) because they don't trust the wealthy fat cats to give support to poor people. Republicans largely believe people should give to the poor outside of government influence. (Now... I know that this is generalization but that is what I believe the major political parties think.) Sometimes I get caught up in the discussions and I think, "Who's right?"

The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently (August 19, 2012) released a study of giving patterns in the United States. Here's an excerpt:

"The nation’s most-generous ZIP codes aren’t its richest. And when large numbers of rich people live in one neighborhood, their giving is even more likely to drop to well below average rates.

A new Chronicle study of tax records shows that of the top 1,000 ZIP codes that give the biggest share of income, only nine are among the nation’s 1,000 richest ZIP codes. In city after city, it’s the low-income residents who lift giving levels."

So it would seem as if the Democrats are right - a valid way to get the wealthy to contribute to the people that need it is to force them to by collecting taxes and then distributing it to those that need it.

But wait! The study also looked at states that voted for McCain (red states) and ones that voted for Obama (blue states) and found that the top 8 states giving to charity were red states and the lowest 7 states giving to charity were blue states. In fact, only 6 of the top 20 states were blue states and only 6 of the bottom 20 states were red.

What does this say? Republicans voluntarily give more but are not as wealthy as Democrats? Now I'm really confused...

It's time for me to go to my SOURCE... the one that helps my understand the larger picture than what's happening in the US of A here and now... the Bible!

I read in Deuteronomy 15:

The Year for Canceling Debts

At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. ² This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. ³ You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. ⁴ However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, ⁵ if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. ⁶ For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you. 

⁷ If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. ⁸ Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. ⁹ Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. ¹⁰ Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. ¹¹ There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. 

What I get out of this that pertains to the Entitlement discussion is:

•  I NEED to give to those in need - it is a reflection of the blessings of God - the more I'm blessed, the more I should (and can) give. 
• The amount that I'm to give is not defined by what I want to give - it is defined by what the person in need NEEDS. Wow! What if that's more than what I feel comfortable in giving!
• I should not be hardhearted or tightfisted about it.
• If I don't give to them what they need - it is SIN!
• If I do this...God promises that He will bless me in ALL my work and EVERYTHING I put my hand to... WOW!

SO... Who's RIGHT? The Democrats... The Republicans... I believe that there may not be a CORRECT choice as far as God is concerned because God is most concerned with what is in your heart and the actions - no matter which they are - are directed by your heart to love and serve our God! Below is what Jesus had to say about it and below that are 24 verses that refer to what's in our heart...

The Greatest Commandment

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

1. Deuteronomy 4:29
   
2. Deuteronomy 6:5
   
3. Deuteronomy 10:12
   
4. Deuteronomy 11:13
   
5. Deuteronomy 13:3
   
6. Deuteronomy 26:16
   
7. Deuteronomy 30:2
   
8. Deuteronomy 30:6
   
9. Deuteronomy 30:10
   
10. Joshua 22:5
    
11. Joshua 23:14
    
12. 1 Samuel 7:3
    
13. 1 Samuel 12:20
    
14. 1 Samuel 12:24
    
15. Proverbs 3:5
    
16. Proverbs 4:4
    
17. Jeremiah 29:13
    
18. Joel 2:12
    
19. Zephaniah 3:14
    
20. Matthew 22:37
    
21. Mark 12:30
    
22. Mark 12:33
    
23. Luke 10:27
    
24. Colossians 3:23
    

God's Universe

This is God's universe and He does things His way.

You may have a better way - but you don't have a universe!

Bloody Sweat and Tears

Reading John 17....

I think about this time for Jesus…on the Mount of Olives…knowing what is to come – earthly pain followed by a descendance into Hell(!) and then a brief time again on earth and then ascendance into Heaven. The first two trips sound like not so much fun…cause for stress and angst…An angel appeared and strengthened him (Luke 22:43) and his sweat like drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Wow, I’m not sure if he was just praying hard or whether Jesus was anxious. I like to think that he felt as I would feel and how I often feel – anxious! Jesus’ earthly companions were absolutely no help…no one to talk to or get strength from…they were sleeping! (Luke 22:45).

I then look at the substance of Jesus’ prayer he was praying so hard – prays for himself, his disciples, and all believers. My prayer for myself sounds miserably small and short of the mark. One like…”Father, please help me…tomorrow is a big day…help me to stay strong and complete the mission”. Jesus instead prays “Glorify me so I can glorify You! You know better than I that this is all so people can have eternal life…what is eternal life… it is knowing You and me! So again, glorify me in Your presence with the same glory I had before the world began”    Uh, wow again! Pretty much by my limited mind, creating the world and everything we know (and don’t know i.e. space, world, animals, people, etc) seems like the most glorious thing ever – yet Jesus points to how important this moment is – it is just like making everything from scratch – yeah, THAT glorious!

Then Jesus prays for his disciples – he knows that they know who Jesus is…Jesus knows that the disciples know God…Jesus asks God to protect the disciples so they will be one like Jesus and God are One….that’s how we are supposed to be…ONE. Jesus doesn’t ask that the disciples would leave the world…only that they be protected from the evil one. That’s something I don’t think of much – how do I need to be protected from the evil one… in what ways? Jesus also asks that God set the disciples apart for sacred use…sanctify…Jesus sets himself apart for sacred use so that his disciples can be set aside, too.

Finally Jesus prays for all believers….again Jesus prays that believers will be one as Jesus and God are One…and that all believers can be “in them”. This next part is cool to me – Jesus wants the believers to know that God loves them just as much as He loves Jesus! Jesus want us to be with him and to see the glory God gave Jesus…the same glory as when everything was made?!

Lots to “hear” here.