The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Is that the way it’s suppose to be? Most people would say no, but is America losing its middle class because this is reality? I don’t know. All I know is that throughout the gospels Jesus had some pretty harsh words for the rich and comforting words for the poor. Yet, in Luke 8 he says, “Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”
I think the Occupy Buffalo protestors in Niagara Square can attest to this. They didn’t have much, but what they did have was taken from them last week in order to clean up Niagara Square in preparation for Winterfest.
Last night a good friend of mine invited me to attend the Sabres game with him. I rarely go to Sabres games. This was my second one in probably 10 years. We sat 20 rows from the ice in the 100 Section. I’ve never sat that close. The game last night confirmed my suspicion that hockey players are actually full size human beings and not just the runt size figures I’ve seen on TV or from the last row of the 300 Section.
As I watched I couldn’t help but ignore the thought that I was sitting among the elite, those who had made it in life (or so they’d like to think). I was sitting with the “haves” while all the “have-nots” were sitting in the nosebleeds or outside wishing they had the money to get inside the arena. It bothered me to think about the vast division that exists between the executives sitting in the 100 Section blowing $24 on drinks and the homeless guys riding the Metrorail just to keep warm. Is that division right? Of course not! That’s not the way it should be. That’s not the way it is and will be in Jesus’ Kingdom.
Yet, Jesus said, “Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” Is Jesus encouraging a widening gap between the haves and have-nots? In a spiritual sense he is. That’s why verse 18 begins with, “Therefore consider carefully how you listen.” Jesus, having just explained the parable about the sower describing the way people respond to the gospel, now describes how that response correlates to spiritual growth. Jesus is saying those who fail to listen to Jesus’ teachings will never grow, but will in fact fall deeper into their spiritual laziness and apathy. However, those that grab a hold of the gospel and acquire a taste for it will continue to eat it up and grow.
Jesus is not encouraging a division between classes. He’s merely describing reality. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves how are we listening to Jesus’ teaching? Are we spending time in God’s word? It’s like compound interest. It’s good when it’s working for you, but is awful when working against you. Let’s invest wisely into our spiritual lives. “Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” Wow!
-Sean Cronin
