Morning light today, back garden
This morning, over at TC, there was a discussion about the current heresies of this age. The prosperity gospel (or “health and wealth”) was mentioned in the first comment. However, today’s lectionary has a text used to prove the prosperity gospel. Incorrectly…
1 O LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?
2 Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;
3 who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
4 in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the LORD; who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
5 who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved
This text does talk about economic justice, probity, honesty, and what the Romans called dignitas, taking serious thing seriously. The Prosperity people look at vers 5, and say “never be moved” implies material wealth.
Jesus himself corrects us here.
24“A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; 25it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
26“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. 27What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. 28Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30And even the hairs of your head are all counted. 31So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32“Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; 33but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.”
From my reading, we are not promised ease, happiness and comfort. We are instead promised persecution, slander, and trials — in front of courts, in front of our peers. We can expect to be called evil
(Oh, and FreeJingerites: I have had multiple bosses. The ones that caused me the most grief,,, have all been women. So, in my experience, women bosses suck).
The prosperity gospel is not new. It is Judaism — it is also Stoicism. The Wise have always thought that doing good is a reward of itself, but prosperity generally follows wise living. What it is not is the Gospel. For the Gospel is more radical. It is about us glorifying God when broken, exhausted, anxious, and under oppression. We cannot perceive when we give God the greatest glory…
We honour the martyrs and saints, most of whom suffered. But Dives is seen as a warning to us. The prosperity gospel is no gospel. It is an oxymoron.
Photo: taken with webcam, no processing.