All things work for good

I heard an odd sentiment, and it reminded me that I used to believe this sentiment myself.  It follows somewhat with the idea of Prosperity Theology, which I've talked about before, but it's a little harder to connect back with this horrible idea. 

It's the belief that whatever our position in life - rich or poor, sick or healthy, educated or uneducated, married or single - that position is exactly the position that God has chosen for us.  If we are poor, it is because God has chosen us to be poor. 

And its perfectly OK that God has chosen us to be poor, because

we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.... (Romans 8:28a)

If all things work together for good, then a person's poverty is good - or, if it is evil, it is simply that God isn't giving you more than you can handle, and you can handle a lot (which itself is a paraphrase and misunderstanding of 1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.").

By virtue of these beliefs, it is therefore a person's rightful place to be rich or to be poor, or to have whatever comes his or her way.

Indeed, some such people believe that it is a blessing to be poor - after all, Christ said, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (Luke 6:20) and James reiterates:

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? (James 2:5)

And, even if it's not GOOD to be poor, then poverty is simply nothing more than everyone deserves, since "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a) and "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (Psalms 51:5) and "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  Every person deserves death, and any better we receive, whatever table scraps we might be thrown, is better than we deserve.

...

All of this might be fine, IF it's used as a way to help someone who is suffering feel better about that suffering, if it is used to give them hope for a better life in the world to come.  (Although the discussion of everyone deserving death is a discussion for another time.)  Unfortunately, when it's used as part of a defense of a world structured to keep funneling money into the hands of the wealthy and keep the poor suffering under the weight of the law, it's unconscionable.  It makes us lament, as Jeremiah does,

You are always righteous, Lord,
    when I bring a case before you.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice:
    Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
    Why do all the faithless live at ease? (Jeremiah 12:1)

Jeremiah recognized that such a thing is not just - as did Solomon (Ecclesiastes 8:14).   Interestingly, in Jeremiah's conversation with God, God never argued with Jeremiah about his claim that this is not justice.  In fact, God seemed pretty pissed off about the LACK of justice. 

James, in making that claim about how the poor are rich in faith, was actually saying something much more complex.  Here it is in context:

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

Whether the poor are "supposed to be poor" or not, that's not for us to judge.  Rather, we are supposed to treat them equally with the rich, not to grant the wealthy favoritism - which we clearly do in all parts of society.  And that's just a claim about equality - there are obviously so many more verses about how we are to treat the poor, all of which have to do with helping them find clothing, food, shelter, and so on.  James connects this whole argument back to the "love your neighbor" law of Jesus, just as I had done here.

Love demands we help the poor, without judgment, but as James notes, we all "become judges with evil thoughts."