A Modest Proposal For An 11th Commandment

  • Eleven • 

"You shall not claim the right to more than enough as long as any of God's children anywhere have less than enough." 

I can already hear some serious objections to the above. How dare we add to the sacred Ten Words given at Mount Sinai? And does this even align with what the Bible actually teaches?

A defense:

1. Moses, the great lawgiver and leader of God's people, would surely affirm this, noting that the daily food God provided in the wilderness was aways to be gathered and shared equally. He would also remind us of God's commands to release people of their debts every seventh year and to restore land to their original owners after every 49th year, the year of Jubilee.

2. The Hebrew prophets would surely add their Amen in light of the importance they placed on justice for the poor and the dispossessed, and in light of God's judgement on those who disregard the needs of orphans, widows and refugees in need.

3. The psalmist and the writers of the Proverbs would point to some of the many passages that call for generosity and justice for all people.

4. Jesus would affirm how this resonates with Kingdom economics, and with God's will being done everywhere on earth as it is in heaven. 

5. The apostles and first century church leaders from many nations would embrace this as aligning with believers making sure there was "no needy person among them," and with Macedonian churches called to raise funds for the needs of people in far off Judea.

Like it or not, to agree to anything counter to this commandment would be to claim an inherent right to better treatment for some of God's children than others. What Divine Creator and Sovereign would ever consider that as being OK?

Having said all this, I realize that we at our house are far from faithfully reflecting all the life changes this commandment calls for. But as stewards rather than owners of God's wealth we must begin by experiencing this fundamental change of mind and heart--repenting of our claim to a right to more than enough while others have less than enough.

God has no favorites, period. Whether white, brown, North American, native or foreign, enough is all we are entitled to.