WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
Jesus hates welfare?

by Rachel Held Evans on Oct 29, 2008. 

So I generally try to avoid throwing Bible verses around to make a point, but when I got an e-mail entitled “Who Would Jesus Vote For?” that included the line, “Jesus hates welfare,” I felt I had to set the record straight with a quick reference to Matthew 25. 

These are the words of Jesus himself, found in verses 31-40:

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 

All the NATIONS will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on the right, and the goats on the left. 

Then the King will say to those on the right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 

For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; naked and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you came to Me. 

Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? 

The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extend that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’” 

[The emphasis on the word “nations” is mine.]



January 5, 2009 - Via e-mail

Re:Jesus Hates Welfare.

I'm updating my campaign website (sawyer2012.com) and would like your insight: In quoting Matthew 25, you imply that Jesus, in his praise of those who contributed to others, supports a general welfare - even if created by the state (or else why would you bring it up in the first place).

Wonderful. So that I might enlightened my stingier conservative supporters, would you please give me some additional Biblical quotes wherein said Jesus believes, Ceasar or Herod, or any other bureaucrat has the moral authority to forcebly take money from, say a fellow carpenter, or farmer, and give it to someone else who, say, might not choose to take a menial job that pays chump change - so that I might add your thoughts to my website to enlighten such conservatives.

Cordially
1. If He promised to appear on C-SPAN ?

2. About abortions ?

3. Upon hearing that Alan Colmes was leaving Hannity & Colmes ?

4. Upon hearing of Ellen Goodman's retirement ?

5. About the murder of James Pouillon and Dr. Tiller ?

6. If Tiger Woods told Him that B.S. story.

7. If John Edwards told Him that B.S. story ?

8. If Alan Greenspan & Ben Bernanke had offered Him a home loan at 4% ?

9. If he helped Pontius Pilate's children after an earthquake and Pilate jailed him?
( hmmmmm   .  .   .   come to think of it )

10. That Tom Harkin harked unto Him to tell His followers that Healthcare is a God-given right ?

11. If the EPA used His name to promote free housing for people through an establishment of a GOVERNMENT  Faith-based social program ?

12. If Nancy Pelosi had called on His church to TELL their faithful that they need to back progressive legislation ?

13. That the Reverend Jim Wallis had called on Him to provide a redistribtion of wealth ?

14. If he saw that the faithful were abandoning the trendy establishment churches in favor of the conservative evangelical churches ?