Lk16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was personal loan for 10000 salary clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
You may presume that this is a familiar story from an affluent neighbourhood of Sri Lanka. The observation belongs two thousand years back in Palestine when Jesus Christ walked the earth. The Lord Jesus saw and described the stark contrast in spite of the truth – “Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all”. (Proverbs 22:2).
Israel had the law of God, which expressly spelled out how the poor should be cared in their land . Exodus 23:6 “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.
Exodus 23:11 but during the seventh year let the land lie unploughed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. Lev 25:35 “‘If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him, so he can continue to live among you.
Deuteronomy 15:2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lends unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release .
but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you . 4 However, there should be no poor among you , for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you ,
KINGMAKERS
They were to especially remember how they suffered long as slaves in Egypt, labouring for the grandiose schemes of the Pharoahs who impoverished and taxed the common man. They built the pyramids to display dynastic splendour, at the cost of the poor man. Ancient monuments surviving from the feudal history of every nation of the east and the west, are mute testimonies of the sweat and blood of the commoner extorted for regal grandeur. Today, we have our towers and luxury limousines. Eat cake if bread is not available is the tacit reply the common man gets. And a few do just that. How long can the unreality, inequality, lying and injustice continue? .
Israel in Jesus’ day, was under the imperialistic yoke of the Romans. Romans ruled Israel with their Iron hand cloaked in the silken glove of Jewish aristocracy. The Jews that the Greeks subdued and Rome took over was a theocratic state. If the Jewish Priests and their party cronies could be kept affluent, Romans knew they could rule this vital land bridge between three continents. The Romans provided unlimited opportunities for the rich in Israel to impoverish their compatriots. This is how the new global order will run. A few in a nation will be recruited to sell the national assets to global financiers who will be the future oligarchy that rules the world . Every sovereign nation will be brought to serfdom, through devious “economic restructuring”. If an oppressor desires to oppress, he must find a willing claw. The Jewish priests were to interpret the law of God and maintain fair play in the nation. However, they used their privilege and power to foster their own purpose. This has been the oft repeated historic reality, whenever religious clergy had political power from the Tribals , through medieval Europe to Rasputin’s Russia. Conversely, spiritually empowered churches in Eastern Europe and the Philippines deposed the tyrants who oppressed the people.
OLIGARCHY – By A People for A People
The feudal states of North Europe, transformed themselves to democracies with the Protestant reformation of the 16 th Century. Allegiance back to God rather than priest , with the provision of rediscovered scriptures, was the backbone of the liberating power of the Protestant reformation. Salt after many centuries recovered its savour. A consensus of working for the Higher good of all, is the basis on which democracy can function.
Such a consensus can be derived only on the basis that all are created equal. Democracies have functioned only for half a century in all Asian, African and Latin American countries. An interest clique (usually the king, cronies and the magic man e.g. King Rajasinha & Aritta Kivendu ) convinced the people through farce or force, that it is in their best interest to have the regime ruling them. The people are told, “We are your benefactors. It is in your interest to have us ruling you”. Posters and polythene will scream the message. Even in Europe and North America, Democracy was the result of the Protestant Reformation that made the law (based on Biblical revelation) king. King was no more to be the law. Law would be above the king. Kings present loan within 24 hours and past, hate this notion that they after all, are commoners. Kings and their cronies cannot even go on the right side of the road. “What the teacher does standing”, says the old proverb, “the students will do while running”.
Prior to the Protestant Reformation, fledgling democracies collapsed (e.g. Florence), because consensus for governance was lacking. The Southern European countries that did not go through the Protestant Reformation, remained monarchies until the 20 th Century and suffered violent revolution and continue to suffer political instability and immaturity. Democratic governance is possible only with a moral and ethical basis that obligates the ruler and the ruled. If not, the axiom, ‘for the people by the people’ will be changed to- by A very few people for A few people. This was the sad state of disgraced Communist states. Gobelsian fabricators are required to attempt to bridge the gap between reality and make believe. Hitler believed that he was the greatest good that Germany and the world ever had. The dictatorial benefactor that Marx theorised should arise and Machiavelli propounded, is not to be found among the species Homo sapiens.
LIVING OUT OF MY HEART
Cicero said – it will require gods to give men laws. He hypothesised that the lawgiver will have to stand above the weaknesses of men, yet know the human nature thoroughly .
This is exactly what Jesus Christ became. He who was God took human form that He may experience our frailty and lift us up. Sports they said builds up brotherhood. We see that it sometimes has caused murder. Technological advances of our time pale into insignificance when we see the moral death that has crept into the youth and yuppies. The youth reaped what parents sowed in advancing with no moral commitment. . The Lord Jesus offers such a rule for my heart, if I would take Him to be my Saviour – to save me from the selfishness that ruins me and others. His death on the cross was the door through which He entered our human misery. Now we can enter His life through His sacrifice. The cross is an open door. The door is open to all who believe that salvation is not within themselves. You can enter into Jesus’ life and be transformed.
Sakunthala (A Parable)
None down our road ever knew how Sakunthala came to live down our road. No one knew who her father or mother was. We did not know where her abode for the night was. Being dumb, we could not find out her race or origin. All loved Sakunthala . At any time our vehicles would pull out of our walled houses, she would lovingly come to us, to greet us and show affection to us. Initially, we were repulsed by the love of a stranger. But her winsome ways stole her into our hearts. In our own house, it was another with a feather down like Sakunthala – a girl whose father forsook and my wife took over to care, that cared most for Sakunthala . She who had been an ill-treated domestic in other houses, empathised with Sakunthala . It was this fatherless daughter who gave the wonderfully romantic name to Sakunthala . The neighbouring doctor gave Sakunthala free vaccines, knowing the danger of a life on the road.
As much as we liked Sakunthala , none of us would pay the cost and take the risk of taking her into our home. Many a time she looked in to our garden, when the gates opened, longingly hoping that she would be taken in. Yet, like many refugee children, whom all lamented and none risked to have, Sakunthala was kept out. An elderly gentleman who served as a security guard at a residence nearby, when he should be living out of his pension or from his children, was particularly kind to Sakunthala . Probably, she reminded him of his own life where many elderly citizens are harshly treated in a nation fast running short of the milk of human kindness.
The other day, we heard a sharp painful sound. We all knew it came from Sakunthala . Being a dog, she bit a child that teased her defenceless self. The authorities were informed and Sakunthala was summarily arrested by the dog cart, and taken to an unknown destination, reminiscent of many sudden arrests. The girl in our house, came running to tell us – hoping we would redeem Sakunthala , the way we redeemed her. If there was a legal owner, he was asked to come and claim Sakunthala . Our pampered queenly Dandy, the Spits- Pom , cross- bred residing with us will feel no threat, since Sakunthala is no more. She will not be jealous. Living under our mercy, Dandy had no mercy for Sakunthala . Will I be willing to pay the price of canine compassion? Will we pay the price of compassion to a fellow human?