tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984344.post7342904288606215584..comments2023-10-18T03:19:36.584-04:00Comments on outWORD by Matte Downey: Jesus and moneyMatte Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13475890740790772858noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984344.post-325147725969702422013-06-24T12:25:00.901-04:002013-06-24T12:25:00.901-04:00" The kingdom of God has more to do with love..." The kingdom of God has more to do with love and generosity than with negotiating and exchanging one thing for another. The problem with trying to apply the exchange economy to the kingdom of God is twofold: 1) we believe we can get what we want by negotiating, and 2) we think we have something of great value to negotiate with. Both of these ideas are basically useless in the kingdom of God. God does not work by exchange. "<br /><br />I think this is correct, the Kingdom of God does not work by exchange. The Kingdom of God is more than generosity. Revelation forces recognition of the illegitimacy of all systems of exchange, of all economic, political, religious, and social forces that bestow prestige or power. <br /><br />Jesus not only sees those that are overlooked. He rejects the means by which the "overlooked" are created. <br /><br />This is why the early Church held all in common. There was no generosity. Instead, there was no conception of private property, no recognition of the legitimacy of the systems that create inequality and injustice.<br /><br />The poor have a different set of traps than the rich, those traps may be "religious" or "spiritual" in nature. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs not only to the poor, it belongs to the poor in spirit, those who do not bank or hoard their righteousness.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com