Acts 2:42-45…“All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.” vss. 44-45
The good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection sparked a revival among the believers, and it touched every aspect of their lives. They not only devoted themselves to prayer and the teaching of the disciples, they were moved to share everything they owned with their community. There’s no other way to say it. The first Christians practiced communism–they believed all their possessions were to be held in common.
In our time, after experiencing the brokenness of communism as an economic system, many reject any practice that puts the needs of the community before that of the individual. They’re suspicious of any welfare system and believe that “hard-working” people are entitled to everything they can get their hands on. They embrace the precepts of capitalism and fail to see that it too is a broken system, one that leads to exploitation of the poor and the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few.
Followers of Jesus, while not embracing any particular economic theory, will reject all tendencies toward individualism and will do all they can to meet the needs of the community. They remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 25, “As you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me,” and will steward their possessions accordingly.
Thought for the Day: What is my primary motivation for working?
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