The Occupy Wall Street protestors should be admired for their passion and their ideas of greater economic equality. However, according to Jesus Christ, their worldview has misplaced the solution and thus unjustly misplaced the blame. Jesus was clear that the rich have a moral responsibility to share their wealth with the poor. He even challenged a rich young ruler in Luke 18 to sell everything he had and give it to the poor.  Allow me to clarify two major points of misinterpretation by today’s secular socialist worldview. 

1. Jesus told this rich man to give his money to the poor - not to the government. 

Recently, news reports surfaced on the government’s spending waste as they paid $39,000 to feed 530 employees for five days at a meeting located in The Hilton Hotel. I work closely with the Destiny CDC Food Pantry of Brick, NJ who for $33 can feed a family of four for one week. In other words, for the same $39,000 -  this food pantry could have fed 1,182 families or 4,727 people instead of the government’s 530 employees. Money ought to be given to the poor, per Jesus,  through charities and not taxed from the productive to feed government programs.

Def Jam founder Russell Simmons who attended and supported the Occupy Wall Street crowd was asked during a recent newscast if he believed in higher taxes for the rich. He quickly agreed. The reporter than encouraged him to write out a check to the government. Instead of waiting to be taxed, he could give it willingly. He hypocritically refused to do that because he would rather give his money to charity. Of course, no one is stopping him from doing that either - but the check remains in his pocket. Secondly, he said he did not want to be the only one giving the money. He wants to support government programs with other people’s income, not his. As many who believe in social and economic inequality, they deceive themselves, as the heart can do according to Jeremiah 17:9, as they relate more to the rich young ruler that Jesus encountered than Jesus himself. They brag about their moral causes as the rich young ruler did, but will not sacrificially give what they have to the poor.

 2. Jesus was not against the rich young ruler having wealth.

Decontextualizing scripture is one of the biggest mishaps in applying Biblical principles in today’s society. Immediately following the rich man’s rejection of Jesus’ command, Jesus told his followers that whoever leaves everything in this life will receive more back in return in this life. In other words, this rich man would have increased his wealth by obeying Jesus. The Messiah was testing his greed not condemning his wealth.