Someone wrote to Matt Walsh complaining that Matt was being unfair by only accepting, publishing, and sending in the stories that represent the problems with Obamacare. This man basically said that he now has health insurance, and his success story is more important than the many, many disastrous stories. Watch Matt's response here. Matt's response was judged by some as cold because he said he would always choose to care for his family first.
A couple of Bible stories have come to my mind today, accompanied by the thought I've seen perpetuated by many Democrats recently that Jesus Christ was not Republican and that Republicans do not represent Christian values. I am not looking for confrontation here. I will say, however, that associating Jesus Christ with any political party (and accusing those of the opposite party of not being Christian) is not only un-Christian but sacrilegious.
The most common accusation I have seen is that too many Republicans complain about taxes being raised to give services to those who may be in need--or something along those lines. (I'm trying to keep these as unpolitical and as unbiased as possible, so please recognize that.) They point out that Jesus Christ would care for the poor and suggest that the Republicans do not.
It is, of course, true that Christ cares for the poor. Jesus Christ cares for all people. He cares for all of us so much that He has given us agency: the opportunity to choose for ourselves.
So which Bible stories have come to my mind? The first was the story of the rich young man who had been observing the commandments and wanted to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. The scriptures say, "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." (New Testament, Mark 10:21-22) Lest someone say this proves the point because this young man was un-Christian, there are several things that I believe we should all notice in this story. First, we know that Jesus loved the young man. Second, the young man was given the choice of whether to sell his possessions. Finally, all we know is that he went away grieved. The scriptures do not tell us what he did after he left. He was grieved, but perhaps we should also consider that he was caught off-guard. The scriptures don't tell us that he didn't sell his possessions to give to the poor; maybe he did. At one time or another, I'm sure each of us has left a church meeting sobered, perhaps even grieving, over instruction we received, because it was difficult. It doesn't mean we didn't do it.
My greatest point in sharing this story is that Christ did not demand this of the young man. He commanded it, yes, but He did not take the agency of the young man; he still had the opportunity to consider and choose for himself.
The second was that of the Elijah and the widow. If you remember the story, there was a famine in the land. Elijah asked the widow for food, but she only had enough for a last small meal for herself and her son:
"And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah." (Old Testament, 1 Kings 17:12-16)
Again in this case, we see that the widow had a choice. Could there have been a more difficult choice? But what a beautiful promise she received: "The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth." I can only imagine her faith in God and in His prophet here on earth, the absolute trust she must have felt in giving up what she believed to be her last meal to feed a man of God. She did it by choice. And she was blessed for it.
I'm not sure how clearly I can word what I want to say from here. I just know that it is painful to be accused, and to see others accused, of not being Christlike, and I am grateful that it is Jesus Christ Himself who will judge me, since He knows me and my heart and my desires perfectly.
But when either party accuses the other of not being Christ-like or Christian, it is as if they are attempting to put the government in the place of God. Not only did Christ not force obedience or giving from either the rich young man or from the widow, but He provided amazing blessings to the widow and her son. The government can't promise that--if they do, it's an empty promise. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches self-sufficiency, which must involve caring for oneself and one's family first. Then, any surplus can be given to help those in need.
One major problem I see is using the government as a middle-man in caring for the poor. Our big government is out of touch with the people, and it takes to much overhead to implement any program, no matter how well-intended. There are other organizations to whom I readily and generously donate: various programs within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but also always to two or three other charities each year. I do want to help people! I do want to be a part of good causes! But I have yet to see an efficient government program, so yes, I do complain about money being taken from me to cover government attempts at caring for the poor. I would rather donate where I know that (1) every cent goes to those in need and (2) the money does not go only to provide for those in need, but to help them provide for themselves.
Not only that, but I've been grateful to feel like I can help others here and there: immediate family, grandparents, close friends. Is it un-Christian that I choose to help those I know who are doing their best to stay afloat? Especially when I can see their struggles to stay afloat? I'm pretty sure it is most Christian to care first for those I know and love, and then to reach out to others if I am still able. Matt Walsh's point in his response was not that he wants anyone to go hungry. It was simply that if someone must go hungry, he will feed his family first. I do not see this as un-Christian. His responsibility is to his wife and children before any other person. As a single person, my responsibility is first to myself (I can't help others if I can't help myself!), then to immediate family (parents and siblings).
But I'm not looking to place myself above anyone else, either. I know there are many Christians still in our country. Sometimes we do not agree on politics. But if we are to save this country, we need to join together. We can't point fingers and accuse others of not being Christian because they aren't exactly like us. We need to stand together on common ground. We need to stand for Jesus Christ and for the values He taught and lived. In short, we need to be Christian--we need to be disciples of Jesus Christ. If we are willing to work together instead of pointing fingers and accusing, I believe we will quickly find that conditions will improve for everyone. Remember the people of Enoch? "And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them." (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:18) Instead of pointing fingers and accusing, let's work on becoming a Zion community: a people who love each other and who truly want the best for each other!
Government will not be perfect until Jesus Christ returns in glory to the earth, to rule and reign. But we can prepare now by striving to become a Zion community. We can prepare by loving and serving and giving--and by allowing others the opportunity to choose to love and serve and give. Let us become a Zion people, a people whom Jesus Christ will claim when He returns to the earth!
Another excellent post. Great thoughts.
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