Deuteronomy 25:4 teaches us that reward for labor is God’s plan. This passage is quoted twice in the new testament (1 Corinthians 9:9 & 1 Timothy 5:18) with Paul writing specifically both times applying it to anyone who does God’s work. His implication is that muzzling an ox is CRUEL, and so is it to place some sort of restriction on the worker of God from receiving fruit from his labors.
Every Christian is a worker in God’s vineyard. Some are in sales (preachers and some of us that don’t mind talking) and all of us are in production — see my previous post about RG LeTourneau’s analogy.
Communism / Marxism is CRUEL because of its offensive assault against God’s plan. It limits consumption which limits production (how long after muzzling an ox do you think before he starts slowing down his production?!) which limits consumption even more (you can’t eat that which isn’t produced!) which further limits production. Any muzzling that occurs is an assault, directly proportional to the level of muzzling. Certain types of taxes easily fall into the category of muzzle.
If churches, through their brotherhood agreements, place muzzles on their corn-treaders, is that not also cruel and counter-productive? Does it not break the spirit of a man before he has even begun to learn how to serve more people with greater quality? Case in point–going back a few decades while visiting brethren in Ohio–one was sharing a brotherhood near them with excellent carpenters, the waiting list was more than a year because of a restriction on what those carpenters could charge her hour. I wonder if they had ever read Matthew 25:20–Jesus essentially praises the servant who had doubled his master’s money. I would guess they missed the point–looking for some spiritual parable without taking the story at face value, first.
I bring up this subject because I still sense people who are uncomfortable even discussing this. I would call it poverty mentality. I know people, some I count as dear friends, and they struggle to think there should be any reward for them from their labors. They are ashamed when they win. They fear to have any extra. They misapply many scriptures, particularly in the NT, on the subject of reward, wealth, money, prosperity. I’d be happy to discuss these concepts if there is interest–you’ll have to ask for it.
My encouragement: Go out and produce more–you can bless people around you, which is, I think, most of the way we see God’s Kingdom happen here on earth. As you produce more, don’t muzzle yourself–that will just simply limit strength from you producing even more. Seek human flourishing.
I don’t think this post is done yet…I need some feedback on this one. Maybe you think this is the health and wealth gospel….help me clean this up so I’m clear 🙂