If Jesus Were a Socialist: The Rich Young Man
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"
"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy. Besides, how can I steal when everything belongs to everyone?"
Jesus looked at him and loathed him because he was rich. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, give away everything you have to the poor, even the treasure you have in heaven. Then come, take from the rich."
At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Now after him! Get everything he owns and give it to the poor!"
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said, "Any man can make this possible by taxing the wealthy and giving all the money to the poor."
Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel has done enough, but he must also relieve others of their wealth then in the age to come, eternal life, and give it to the poor. But all who are first will be last, and the last first."
Please readthe real story in Mark 10:17-31.
Copyright 2010 by Brietta Kiele. Please feel free to copy this story and post it wherever you want. I only ask that, if possible, you include the link, or at least, the reference to the real story in the Bible.
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"
"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy. Besides, how can I steal when everything belongs to everyone?"
Jesus looked at him and loathed him because he was rich. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, give away everything you have to the poor, even the treasure you have in heaven. Then come, take from the rich."
At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Now after him! Get everything he owns and give it to the poor!"
The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said, "Any man can make this possible by taxing the wealthy and giving all the money to the poor."
Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel has done enough, but he must also relieve others of their wealth then in the age to come, eternal life, and give it to the poor. But all who are first will be last, and the last first."
Please readthe real story in Mark 10:17-31.
Copyright 2010 by Brietta Kiele. Please feel free to copy this story and post it wherever you want. I only ask that, if possible, you include the link, or at least, the reference to the real story in the Bible.