Yesterday, I began to make the case that God is not overly concerned about equality. While some attribute this to the culture and time in which the events of the Scriptures occured, what we actually find is that God really hasn't created us to be all equal. Sure, when it comes to sin, we're all equally guilty, and Jesus' forgiveness and blood cover us equally, but outside of that, God doesn't seem overly concerned with equality.
So, if that's the case, then what is God concerned with? Does He want to see abuses practiced upon those who have more, or does He want to see those without a voice or without "rights" abused and mistreated? Well, no. In fact, throughout His revealed Word to us, God makes it very clear that His expectation of His people (and that does mean that it covers all people of the world) is that they love their neighbors as they love their own selves.
So, if God happens to give some set of spiritual gifts to one individual, it doesn't mean that God is exalting that person above others. It means, instead, that this person, in love for neighbor, is to utilize those gifts in service to others. He or she isn't to keep them wrapped up, or to use them to exalt oneself. They are to be used to build up and grow others around them.
In fact, that's the design that we see with our God and His creation. He doesn't give equally, or else we would not have to rely upon and live in community with each other. But God created us to have to rely upon others. He created the people of this world in a way that some would raise crops, others would transport the crops, others would sell the crops, some would have the skills to make clothing, others would be builders, and the like. Instead of equality, God created a system in which everyone has to rely upon each other (and upon God) for the needs and necessities of life.
God is concerned with love for neighbor, and with our interdependence upon one another. If one is lazy, it affects all the rest. If one exalts oneself over others, it affects all the rest. If one part is missing, it affects all the rest. St. Paul paints this picture beautifully using the illustration of the body. The various parts all work together, even though they are not created equally, but all are equally needed for the body to operate as it does.
God is less concerned with equality, and more concerned with love for neighbor and reliance upon one another. That cuts to the heart of an individualistic society such as we live in, but that's also why we acknowledge that following God's will and design truly is a counter-cultural thing.
So, if that's the case, then what is God concerned with? Does He want to see abuses practiced upon those who have more, or does He want to see those without a voice or without "rights" abused and mistreated? Well, no. In fact, throughout His revealed Word to us, God makes it very clear that His expectation of His people (and that does mean that it covers all people of the world) is that they love their neighbors as they love their own selves.
So, if God happens to give some set of spiritual gifts to one individual, it doesn't mean that God is exalting that person above others. It means, instead, that this person, in love for neighbor, is to utilize those gifts in service to others. He or she isn't to keep them wrapped up, or to use them to exalt oneself. They are to be used to build up and grow others around them.
In fact, that's the design that we see with our God and His creation. He doesn't give equally, or else we would not have to rely upon and live in community with each other. But God created us to have to rely upon others. He created the people of this world in a way that some would raise crops, others would transport the crops, others would sell the crops, some would have the skills to make clothing, others would be builders, and the like. Instead of equality, God created a system in which everyone has to rely upon each other (and upon God) for the needs and necessities of life.
God is concerned with love for neighbor, and with our interdependence upon one another. If one is lazy, it affects all the rest. If one exalts oneself over others, it affects all the rest. If one part is missing, it affects all the rest. St. Paul paints this picture beautifully using the illustration of the body. The various parts all work together, even though they are not created equally, but all are equally needed for the body to operate as it does.
God is less concerned with equality, and more concerned with love for neighbor and reliance upon one another. That cuts to the heart of an individualistic society such as we live in, but that's also why we acknowledge that following God's will and design truly is a counter-cultural thing.
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