Humility, Inclusion, Power and Privilege
We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who supports the work of Renewed Heart Ministries. Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue our mission of love, justice, and compassion—even in a time when ministries like ours are being called to do more with less.
Your support means the world to us. Whether we’re speaking into the broader society or engaging within our faith communities, we remain committed to advocating for a world that is inclusive, just, and safe for all. Your partnership helps keep that vision alive.
From all of us at Renewed Heart Ministries, thank you. We are so deeply grateful for you—and we couldn’t do this work without you.
If you’d like to join them in supporting our work, please go to renewedheartministries.com and click on “Donate.”
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Humility, Inclusion, Power and Privilege
Herb Montgomery | August 28, 2025
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of Luke:
On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely… When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:1, 7-14)
In this week’s reading, social location matters. Our reading includes the subjects of humility, recognition, and pride. This reading is not directed toward those for whom pride means a healthy concept of one’s own worth. In that sense, pride means you are worth just as much as everyone else. Our reading this week is rather about pride defined as someone feeling they are better than those around them. Not equal, but above. It is about seeking recognition and the places of highest honor above others.
In our story this week, Jesus is repeating principles well known in Jewish wisdom and the Hebrew scriptures. For example, in Proverbs 25:6-7 we read, “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.” Similarly, we read in Proverbs 11:2: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble.” And Psalm 18:27 states: “For you deliver a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down.”
Thematically, this teaching fits with Luke’s gospel. Luke’s version of the Jesus story began by reminding us that Luke’s Jesus would liberate those in marginalized social locations on the edges and undersides of his society. As Mary sings, “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1:52-53)
In our passage in Luke 14, Jesus advises his societally privileged listeners at a Sabbath meal at a Pharisee’s home to choose actions that reflect humility rather than hungering for recognition when recognition means they are elevated above those around them. Again, we shouldn’t confuse this with recognition that acknowledges someone’s validity, value, or job well done. There is a vast difference between the basic human need to be valued and estimated as being of equitable worth with others and the unhealthy desire to be esteemed by others as better than them or of a higher social status.
Humility is often defined as that quiet strength that values truth over applause. It reflects confidence without the need for validation, allowing actions to speak louder than ego. In contrast, craving recognition stems from insecurity and a desire to be seen, often leading to superficiality and disappointment. It is the fruit of a rupture in someone’s ability to sense their value or purpose, or to create some kind of meaning. Humility can foster growth, connection, and authenticity, whereas the constant pursuit of acknowledgment can warp our motives and, in the end, create emptiness.
Making a difference doesn’t require one to always be in the spotlight. Contribution can be deeply meaningfully regardless of who notices. To be clear, acknowledgement, recognition for one’s work, or having one’s work properly credited is a matter of justice, and not the same thing as seeking to be valued as of greater worth than others. Our reading this week is instead referring to the unhealthy craving to be recognized over and above others. In such cases, our deficiencies of value cause us to fail to ground our actions in purpose and authenticity.
Lastly, Jesus contrasts a delayed repayment or delayed gratification with immediate benefits. Rather than seeking the reward of social status now, he advises his audience to invest in a future reward at the “resurrection of the righteous.” But it’s still a rewards-based moral economy. I wish the point of this week’s reading was to choose the right because of doing what’s right has intrinsic value over any reward, immediate or delayed. Some people don’t need the promise of reward to behave well. They’ll make good choices simply because it’s the right thing to do. They don’t need the promise of heaven or the threat of hell to live by strong morals. Their own conscience is enough to guide them. Yet, it is just as much true that not everyone works that way.
For some people, fear of consequences is the only thing that keeps them from hurting others. Without those boundaries, they will take advantage of others. Without empathy, they can’t imagine doing good unless it benefits them, or refraining from harm unless it hurts them. They see kindness without gain as weakness. And since they can’t understand intrinsic morality, they can’t respect it—and they certainly don’t respond to it. In some settings, the fear of punishment is the only thing keeping some people from crossing dangerous lines. So, sometimes, to protect the larger community, intrinsically moral people have to act in ways others will understand. Punishment is a deterrent and reward is a motivator, even if intrinsically moral people wish that this way of motivating others unlike them wasn’t necessary. We may prefer a world where everyone did good out of genuine care, and certainly we can work toward that end. But until then, we can’t let the well-being of many be jeopardized because a few don’t share that inner compass. Sometimes, acting for the greater good means choosing the practical path, even when that path doesn’t feel like the most virtuous one. Dr. King once responded to someone who tried to chide him that changing laws doesn’t change people’s hearts and minds. At an address at Western Michigan University, December 18, 1963, King stated, “Now the other myth that gets around is the idea that legislation cannot really solve the problem and that it has no great role to play in this period of social change because you’ve got to change the heart and you can’t change the heart through legislation. You can’t legislate morals. The job must be done through education and religion. Well, there’s half-truth involved here. Certainly, if the problem is to be solved then in the final sense, hearts must be changed. Religion and education must play a great role in changing the heart. But we must go on to say that while it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated. It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me but it can keep him from lynching me and I think that is pretty important, also. So there is a need for executive orders. There is a need for judicial decrees. There is a need for civil rights legislation on the local scale within states and on the national scale from the federal government.”
I, too, would prefer is to make choices based on the intrinsic value or potential for something to be life-giving and rooted in compassion and equity, rather than some present or future imposed reward. But again, that is not the world we live in.
What I do appreciate about our reading this week is Jesus’ admonishment to be inclusive about the “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” These are the people who, in his social context, would have been excluded and marginalized. Jesus is here promoting equity and inclusion, principles we still need today.
The war we are presently witnessing against equity and inclusion is often couched in appeals to tradition, meritocracy, or neutrality, but it nonetheless undermines efforts to create fair opportunities for all. Those opposing equity and inclusion resent those they would still like to consider themselves as better than, and that is what our reading is speaking to this week. Modern-day opponents of equity and inclusion claim that institutional equity and inclusion initiatives end up dividing rather than uniting, but in truth, what is really triggering them is how equity and inclusion challenges long-standing imbalances of power and privilege. Resistance often stems from discomfort with change, fear of losing status, or misunderstanding the goals of inclusion. Equity doesn’t mean favoritism. It means acknowledging systemic barriers and correcting them. Inclusion ensures everyone belongs, not just the historically dominant. Attacking these principles weakens social progress, silences marginalized voices, and sustains inequality under the illusion of fairness.
This week’s reading should not be aimed at those already being excluded to scold them for desiring equity and inclusion. Rather this reading is about those who oppose equity and inclusion to protect their own privilege. To these folks, our reading speaks: “Go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’”
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. In what ways have you witnessed the weaponization of the ethic of humility and in what ways have you seen it used to bring equality? Share and discuss with your goup.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
Thank you for listening to The Social Jesus Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast please take a moment to like and subscribe and if the podcast platform you’re using offers this option, please leave us a positive review. This helps others find our podcast as well.
You can watch our YouTube show each week called “Just Talking”. Each week, Todd Leonard and I take a moment to talk about the gospel lectionary reading for the upcoming weekend. We’ll be talking about each reading in the context of love, inclusion, and social justice. Our hope is that our talking will be just talking (as in justice) and that during our brief conversations each week you’ll be inspired to also do more than just talking. If you teach from the lectionary each week, or if you’re just looking for some thoughts on the Jesus story from a more progressive perspective within the context of social justice, check it out, you might like it. You can find JustTalking each week on YouTube at youtube.com/@herbandtoddjusttalking.
Please Like, Subscribe, hit the Notification button, and leave us a comment.
And if you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 2 Episode 35: Humility, Inclusion, Power and Privilege
Luke 14:1, 7-14
“What I do appreciate about our reading this week is Jesus’ admonishment to be inclusive. These are the people who, in his social context, would have been excluded and marginalized. Jesus is here promoting equity and inclusion, principles we still need today. The war we are presently witnessing against equity and inclusion is often couched in appeals to tradition, meritocracy, or neutrality, but it nonetheless undermines efforts to create fair opportunities for all. Those opposing equity and inclusion resent those they would still like to consider themselves as better than, and that is what our reading is speaking to this week. Modern-day opponents of equity and inclusion claim that institutional equity and inclusion initiatives end up dividing rather than uniting, but in truth, what is really triggering them is how equity and inclusion challenges long-standing imbalances of power and privilege. Resistance often stems from discomfort with change, fear of losing status, or misunderstanding the goals of inclusion. Equity doesn’t mean favoritism. It means acknowledging systemic barriers and correcting them. Inclusion ensures everyone belongs, not just the historically dominant. Attacking these principles weakens social progress, silences marginalized voices, and sustains inequality under the illusion of fairness.”
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/humility-inclusion-power-and-privilege
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
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Christianity, Liberation and Justice
We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who supports the work of Renewed Heart Ministries. Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue our mission of love, justice, and compassion—even in a time when ministries like ours are being called to do more with less.
Your support means the world to us. Whether we’re speaking into the broader society or engaging within our faith communities, we remain committed to advocating for a world that is inclusive, just, and safe for all. Your partnership helps keep that vision alive.
From all of us at Renewed Heart Ministries, thank you. We are so deeply grateful for you—and we couldn’t do this work without you.
If you’d like to join them in supporting our work, please go to renewedheartministries.com and click on “Donate.”
Image created by Canva
Christianity, Liberation and Justice
Herb Montgomery | August 15, 2025
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of Luke.
Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing. (Luke 13:10-17)
The Jewish weekly Shabbat (Sabbath) is a sacred day of rest and spiritual renewal observed from sunset Friday evening to sunset Saturday evening. Part of the biblical creation story, Shabbat commemorates the seventh day when God ceased from creating and declared the day holy (Genesis 2:2–3). It is one of the central practices of Judaism and is both a commandment and a gift.
For some observers today, Shabbat begins with lighting candles to mark the transition from the ordinary workweek to sacred time. Then follow blessings over kiddush (wine ) and challah(bread), and a festive meal with family and community. Observant Jews typically share three meals over the course of Shabbat, and the day is filled with songs, prayers, and Torah discussion.
The essence of Shabbat is rest. Traditional observance includes refraining from work and creative activities called melachot, which include things like cooking, writing, or using electronics. This pause from productivity is not merely about abstaining from labor: it is about making space to be present with God, with others, and with oneself.
Shabbat is also a time for worship at the synagogue, including communal prayer and the public reading of the Torah. It provides a weekly opportunity for spiritual reflection, physical rest, and deepened human connection.
More than just a day off, Shabbat is seen as a foretaste of a world still future—a day of peace, joy, and completeness. In Jewish tradition, keeping Shabbat is meant to be more than an obligation: it is intended to be a delight.
There was an original justice component to the Shabbat as well.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)
Think of the Sabbath commandment in Exodus in the context of a narrative about liberated slaves who are being re-enslaved by Babylon. Scholars believe the Torah as we know it reached its final form through a process of redaction and compilation during the Babylonian exile. It served a purpose much like the establishment of the 8-hour workday, which emerged from the labor movements of the 19th Century. During the Industrial Revolution, workers often faced grueling 10 to 16-hour shifts. In response, labor activists began demanding “eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, and eight hours for what we will.” The movement gained momentum in the U.S. with nationwide strikes, including the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago. Although progress was slow, the 8-hour standard became law for federal workers in 1912, and in 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act established the 40-hour workweek as a national labor standard in the United States. The Sabbath commandment also has a history in a kind of labor justice. In the Exodus narrative, they are establishing a 6-day workweek. Notice that the Exodus Sabbath commandment isn’t so much aimed at employees as it is aimed at employers. It’s not telling employees to rest, as much as it forbids employers from denying their employees rest. In its original context, the Sabbath was about justice and liberation.
But in our reading this week, the Sabbath had become an excuse to object to Jesus’ justice and liberation work. The Sabbath had become an obstacle to justice and liberation, not a conduit for achieving it. Mark’s gospel even tells a story about how folks were waiting for Sabbath to end so they could come to Jesus for healing and liberation:
That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. (Mark 1:32)
This is a history often repeated: something that was originally intended to be life-giving evolves over time into a death-dealing tool oppressors use to keep oppressed people in their places, denying them justice, and obstructing their liberation.
Can you think of other things that have followed this same evolutionary path? I love that this week’s reading shows Jesus liberating a woman in an act of transgression against the oppressive norms of his own context. He values the woman’s liberation as paramount. It reminds me of a passage in Peter’s epistle:
Above all, love each other. (1 Peter 4:8)
Above all.
Provocative Black intellectual and philosophy professor at Union Theological Seminary Dr. Cornel West has often said, “Justice is what love looks like in public.” In situations where there’s a scale of competing values, we must esteem how we choose to exercise justice (the public expression of love) above all else.
Our reading this week is about the tension between a person’s liberation and the way a religious institution (the Sabbath) was interpreted to oppose that liberation. The Christian faith tradition also has a long history of using its interpretations of our sacred texts to stand in the way of people’s liberation from injustice. Christianity has always had a dual witness regarding oppression: some advancing it, some fighting it. From the first generation in Acts to today. Some Christians have, Bibles in their hand, opposed the abolition of slavery here in the U.S., or women’s liberation from patriarchy, and the LGBTQ community’s work toward a more equitable society. Liberation and justice are deeply intertwined concepts, each depending on the other to be fully realized. Liberation speaks to the process of freeing individuals and communities from systems of oppression—whether political, economic, racial, gender-based, or religious. Justice, meanwhile, ensures that this freedom is not only achieved but sustained through structures that affirm everyone’s dignity and rights.
Historically, liberation movements have risen in response to injustice. I’m thinking of the Civil Rights Movement, Indigenous resistance to colonialism, the fight for women’s rights, and more. Each of these efforts began with a deep yearning for freedom but ultimately sought a more just society—one in which the systems that produced inequality were dismantled and replaced with equitable alternatives.
Justice is not simply the punishment of wrongdoing; it is the active creation of conditions where wrongs are less likely to occur. It involves redistribution of resources, access to education and healthcare, protection of rights, and the amplification of marginalized voices. Justice requires us to confront power and privilege, especially when they are used to exclude or dehumanize.
Liberation without justice can be fleeting. If a people are freed from one form of domination only to be subjected to another, their liberation is sham. Similarly, justice without liberation is a lie. You cannot have true justice while people remain trapped in systems that deny their full humanity.
Spiritual and philosophical traditions around the world affirm the essential link between liberation and justice, Christianity with its complicated oppressive history among them. The call to “let the oppressed go free” is not merely a metaphor; it is a summons to act in solidarity with the poor and the excluded. Our gospel must unequivocally state that justice is love made public and embodied in social, economic, and political transformation.
True liberation and justice require more than empathy. They demand action. They challenge us to listen deeply, to learn from those on the margins, and to use our resources and influence in ways that help us all reimagine a better world. It is not enough to hope or pray for a just society; we must build it, piece by piece, policy by policy, relationship by relationship.
In this sense, liberation and justice are ongoing journeys. They are the work of communities committed to healing, truth-telling, and the shared belief that another world is possible and a just, compassionate world that is a safe home for all is worth fighting for.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. How does your practice of Christianity lead you to support justice and liberation, rather than stand against it? Share and discuss with your goup.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
Thank you for listening to The Social Jesus Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast please take a moment to like and subscribe and if the podcast platform you’re using offers this option, please leave us a positive review. This helps others find our podcast as well.
You can watch our YouTube show each week called “Just Talking”. Each week, Todd Leonard and I take a moment to talk about the gospel lectionary reading for the upcoming weekend. We’ll be talking about each reading in the context of love, inclusion, and social justice. Our hope is that our talking will be just talking (as in justice) and that during our brief conversations each week you’ll be inspired to also do more than just talking. If you teach from the lectionary each week, or if you’re just looking for some thoughts on the Jesus story from a more progressive perspective within the context of social justice, check it out, you might like it. You can find JustTalking each week on YouTube at youtube.com/@herbandtoddjusttalking.
Please Like, Subscribe, hit the Notification button, and leave us a comment.
And if you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 2 Episode 34: Christianity, Liberation and Justice
Luke 13:10-17
“Our reading this week is about the tension between a person’s liberation and the way a religious institution (the Sabbath) was interpreted to oppose that liberation. The Christian faith tradition also has a long history of using its interpretations of our sacred texts to stand in the way of people’s liberation from injustice. Christianity has always had a dual witness regarding oppression: some advancing it, some fighting it. From the first generation in Acts to today. Some Christians have, Bibles in their hand, opposed the abolition of slavery here in the U.S., or women’s liberation from patriarchy, and the LGBTQ community’s work toward a more equitable society. Spiritual and philosophical traditions around the world affirm the essential link between liberation and justice, Christianity with its complicated oppressive history among them. The call to “let the oppressed go free” is not merely a metaphor; it is a summons to act in solidarity with the poor and the excluded. Our gospel must unequivocally state that justice is love made public and embodied in social, economic, and political transformation.”
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/christianity-liberation-and-justice
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
Are you getting all of RHM’s Free Resources?
Free Sign Up Here
When Justice Means Division
We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who supports the work of Renewed Heart Ministries. Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue our mission of love, justice, and compassion—even in a time when ministries like ours are being called to do more with less.
Your support means the world to us. Whether we’re speaking into the broader society or engaging within our faith communities, we remain committed to advocating for a world that is inclusive, just, and safe for all. Your partnership helps keep that vision alive.
From all of us at Renewed Heart Ministries, thank you. We are so deeply grateful for you—and we couldn’t do this work without you.
If you’d like to join them in supporting our work, please go to renewedheartministries.com and click on “Donate.”
Image created by Canva
When Justice Means Division
Herb Montgomery | August 15, 2025
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of Luke:
“I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided:
father against son
and son against father,
mother against daughter
and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? (Luke 12:49-56, NRSV)
This week’s reading describes Jesus in Luke’s gospel as the cause of division. This is, at best, problematic for Christian communities that prioritize unity above all else. Every community has a priority of values, a scale where some things matter more than others. This passage challenges those who place unity above justice, protecting the vulnerable, and standing up for those are being harmed. These communities pit unity against division as if division or conflict even over things that matter is the worst fate that could befall their community. These types of communities tend to be conflict-avoidant, using rhetoric such as “Don’t rock the boat.”
Prioritizing unity above justice shapes communities to emphasize peace, harmony, and shared identity over the often disruptive process of confronting and correcting injustice. It appeals to the desire to maintain relationships and foster a sense of togetherness, especially within faith traditions. Proponents argue that disunity can fracture community, but don’t recognize that what fractures community is the injustice some are forced to be silent about. They caution that a relentless focus on justice, especially when perceived as adversarial, may alienate individuals, polarize communities, or create division as if harmony is what is most needed.
However, unity without justice is always a fragile and superficial peace—one built on silence, marginalization, and the status quo. When people prioritize unity to the point of avoiding uncomfortable truths, it often means asking the oppressed to carry the burden of cohesion while the structures that harm them remain intact. Such unity demands quietness from those whose voices most need to be heard. It risks becoming complicit, where harmony is preserved only for those in positions of comfort.
The challenge, then, is to understand that we cannot build real unity on the denial of justice. Authentic unity emerges not from avoiding conflict but from walking through it together. It is forged in the hard work of truth-telling, repentance, reparations and transformation. Unity and justice are not necessarily enemies; they can be companions. But the order matters. Justice creates the conditions for lasting unity, not the other way around. When we seek unity without first addressing what divides us, we merely delay deeper fractures. We only kick the problem down the road, hoping the matter simply goes away. Placing unity above justice may feel safe and noble, but ultimately, it undermines both unity and justice. A better path is to pursue a justice that repairs, restores, and reconciles, and a unity that is not afraid of truth. Only then can we have a peace that endures.
Often through the years when I have found myself experiencing pushback from those telling me to prioritize unity over speaking out for what is right and for those being harmed, I have found comfort in Dr. Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. It’s a letter I return to almost annually in my own justice work with faith communities today. King’s words in 1963 remain relevant and challenging in my life, encouraging me when I’m faced with my fear of speaking out and when I’m tempted to embrace what King names a “negative peace.”
I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
He later calls the agents seeking positive peace “nonviolent gadflies”:
“Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail
Being a nonviolent gadfly reminds me of Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Being a peacemaker is not the same as being a peacekeeper. Peacekeepers are primarily motivated to keep King’s “negative peace”, one where no one is rocking the boat and where injustice continues to be unaddressed. But as Frederick Douglass reminded us, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” Demands from those experiencing injustice disrupt the peace while they seek to establish a positive peace rooted in justice. Zechariah 8:12 teaches that “there shall be a sowing of peace.” Peace is something sown. The seed of peace is distributive justice. Justice grows and produces the fruit of peace. Peace, then, shouldn’t be the primary goal. It’s the secondary result of establishing a just, compassionate, safe environment for all. And to plant that initial seed of justice, to push the analogy a little further, the ground for that seed must be broken up, tilled, turned over, and disrupted.
The hard-packed ground of misogyny and patriarchy, the hard-packed ground of racism and White supremacy, the hard-packed ground of White Christian nationalism, the hard-packed ground of homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia must be broken up, and that process always involves disruption and conflict. But the ultimate goal is always a justice that produces peace. This is what it means to be a peacemaker!
With our hands on the plow, peacemakers are preparing our social soil for the seed of justice. We know that when watered by others justice will produce a peace where everyone has enough not simply to survive but also to thrive. Peacemakers, even when disrupting the hard-packed social soil, are still working toward a world matching Micah 4:4’s description where every person will “sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid.”
What does this kind of peacemaking look like? Representative John Lewis tweeted in June 2018, “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
Note those three words: good, necessary, trouble. It’s good, necessary trouble that Jesus himself was getting into in our reading this week. It was this kind of trouble that he modeled for his followers to get into too.
Lastly, Jesus confronts his listeners’ inability to discern what was happening around them at this moment. This also is fitting given our present context. In the face of growing authoritarianism and the dismantling of democratic norms in the U.S., silence is not an option for peacemakers. Voter suppression and reorganization, disinformation, attacks on laws that provide protection for the marginalized in our society, and political violence threaten the very foundation of a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone where everyone’s voice is heard. Standing up now means defending the safety of the vulnerable and marginalized, holding leaders accountable, and protecting the rights of all—especially the most vulnerable. It means rejecting fascist rhetoric and resisting efforts to centralize power through fear and retaliation. Democracy, justice, peace are not self-sustaining in any society; they depend on the courage and commitment of everyday people to speak out and take a stand, even when, as our reading this week reminds us, those choices initially cause division.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. How are you or your group engaging the work of peace and justice presently? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
Thank you for listening to The Social Jesus Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast please take a moment to like and subscribe and if the podcast platform you’re using offers this option, please leave us a positive review. This helps others find our podcast as well.
You can watch our YouTube show each week called “Just Talking”. Each week, Todd Leonard and I take a moment to talk about the gospel lectionary reading for the upcoming weekend. We’ll be talking about each reading in the context of love, inclusion, and social justice. Our hope is that our talking will be just talking (as in justice) and that during our brief conversations each week you’ll be inspired to also do more than just talking. If you teach from the lectionary each week, or if you’re just looking for some thoughts on the Jesus story from a more progressive perspective within the context of social justice, check it out, you might like it. You can find JustTalking each week on YouTube at youtube.com/@herbandtoddjusttalking.
Please Like, Subscribe, hit the Notification button, and leave us a comment.
And if you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of “Just Talking” Now Online!
Lectionary Readings in the context of Love, Inclusion, & Social Justice
Season 3, Episode 24: Luke 12.49-56. Lectionary C, Proper 15
When Justice Means Division
Each week, we’ll discuss the gospel lectionary reading for the upcoming weekend in the context of love, inclusion, and justice. We hope that our talking will be “just” talking (as in justice) and that we’ll be inspired to do more than “just talking” during our brief conversations each week.
If you teach from the lectionary each week, or if you’re just looking for some thoughts on the Jesus story from a more progressive perspective within the context of social justice, check it out.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 2 Episode 33: When Justice Means Division
Luke 12:49-56
“The challenge, then, is to understand that we cannot build real unity on the denial of justice. Authentic unity emerges not from avoiding conflict but from walking through it together. It is forged in the hard work of truth-telling, repentance, reparations and transformation. Unity and justice are not necessarily enemies; they can be companions. But the order matters. Justice creates the conditions for lasting unity, not the other way around. When we seek unity without first addressing what divides us, we merely delay deeper fractures. We only kick the problem down the road, hoping the matter simply goes away. Placing unity above justice may feel safe and noble, but ultimately, it undermines both unity and justice. A better path is to pursue a justice that repairs, restores, and reconciles, and a unity that is not afraid of truth. Only then can we have a peace that endures . . . Peace is something sown. The seed of peace is distributive justice. Justice grows and produces the fruit of peace. Peace, then, shouldn’t be the primary goal. It’s the secondary result of establishing a just, compassionate, safe environment for all. And to plant that initial seed of justice, to push the analogy a little further, the ground for that seed must be broken up, tilled, turned over, and disrupted.”
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/when-justice-means-division
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
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Bending Our World’s Arc Toward Justice
We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who supports the work of Renewed Heart Ministries. Your generosity makes it possible for us to continue our mission of love, justice, and compassion—even in a time when ministries like ours are being called to do more with less.
Your support means the world to us. Whether we’re speaking into the broader society or engaging within our faith communities, we remain committed to advocating for a world that is inclusive, just, and safe for all. Your partnership helps keep that vision alive.
From all of us at Renewed Heart Ministries, thank you. We are so deeply grateful for you—and we couldn’t do this work without you.
If you’d like to join them in supporting our work, please go to renewedheartministries.com and click on “Donate.”
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Bending Our World’s Arc Toward Justice
Herb Montgomery | August 8, 2025
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of Luke:
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” (Luke 12:32-40, NRSV)
Luke 12 is one of my favorite chapters in the gospels. It spells out how Luke understood Jesus’ economic vision for a human society under the reign of God. It’s a world where everyone has enough to thrive and no one is hoarding more than they need while others have needs that their community is not meeting. The original audiences would have thought of the Torah’s stories of the ancient Israelites receiving enough manna each day in the wilderness.
This passage begins with the pleasure of God in creating a society like this and inviting each of us into it. Then we encounter its economic foundation. People that have more than they need will sell their superfluous possessions—in this context, farm lands stolen through predatory debt and default—and give to those their economic system had plunged into poverty. The word the NRSV uses for what they should give is “alms.” Alms used to mean money or food given to poor people. Jesus here is describing a community of resource-sharing, giving, and a commitment to making sure everyone is taken care of. It’s a community founded on a more just distribution of the wealth that had been created by the unjust economic system they already had. Scholar James Robinson describes it in his book The Gospel of Jesus: In Search of the Original Good News. We read from this book last week:
“The human dilemma is, in large part, that we are each other’s fate. We become the tool of evil that ruins another person as we look out for ourselves, having long abandoned any youthful idealism we might once have cherished. But if we each would cease and desist from pushing the other down to keep ourselves up, then the vicious cycle would be broken. Society would become mutually supportive rather than self-destructive. This is what Jesus was up to. Jesus’ message was simple, for he wanted to cut straight through to the point: trust God to look out for you by providing people who will care for you, and listen to him when he calls on you to provide for them. God is somebody you can trust, so give it a try.” (James M. Robinson, The Gospel of Jesus: In Search of the Original Good News, Kindle Edition Loc. 58)
On the next page Robinson continues:
“Put in language derived from his sayings: I am hungry because you hoard food. You are cold because I hoard clothing. Our dilemma is that we all hoard supplies in our backpacks and put our trust in our wallets! Such ‘security”’ should be replaced by God reigning, which means both what I trust God to do (to activate you to share food with me) and what I hear God telling me to do (to share clothes with you). We should not carry money while bypassing the poor or wear a backpack with extra clothes and food while ignoring the cold and hungry lying in the gutter. This is why the beggars, the hungry, the depressed are fortunate: God, that is, those in whom God rules, those who hearken to God, will care for them. The needy are called upon to trust that God’s reigning is there for them (‘Theirs is the kingdom of God”’).” (James M. Robinson, The Gospel of Jesus: In Search of the Original Good News, Kindle Edition. Loc 71)
The early Jesus followers grasped these gospel truths and sought to put them into practice:
All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. (Acts 2:44-45)
With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. (Acts 4:33-35)
Next, Luke’s Jesus shares a story about expectation and preparedness in the context of the unjust and unjustifiable practice of slavery. The original audience would have heard this story as being about restoring the reign of God, God’s just future. Today many sectors of Christians typically interpret this passage about Jesus’ second advent . But the original audience for this story would have heard this story through a different filter.
The Hebrew prophets spoke of their God as having abandoned the people as a result of societal abuses and injustices toward vulnerable people.
“I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance; I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies.” (Jeremiah 12:7)
But if their society would return to justice, their God would also return to them and their temple:
“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. (Malachi 3:1)
The underlying theme of Jesus’ story in our reading is that the coming of the kingdom, Jesus’ vision for human community, could come at any moment, so stay ready. This reminds me of the clarion call often given today to “stay woke.” Don’t allow yourself to be acculturated to injustice. Don’t let yourself become desensitized to the suffering of those being presently harmed. Don’t let inequity, corruption, and brutality become normalized.
It is interesting to me that both last week’s and this week’s readings have us praying for and being prepared for the kingdom to arrive at some unexpected time in the future. This week’s reading also uses the figure of the Son of Man. The Son of Man was a liberating agent from imperial injustice, oppression, and violence in the apocalyptic chapter of Daniel 7. Calling us to look for these events in the future is a change in the Jesus story from those passages where Jesus announces that the kingdom had arrived or that the time had come.
Given that Luke was most likely written not only after Jesus’ crucifixion but also after the Romans razed the temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E., it would be much easier to call people to be ready for the kingdom. It would be much easier to tell them that it was still coming than that it had already arrived. Honestly, 2,000 years later, not much about that has changed. But I’m reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision of the moral universe as a long arc bending toward justice. We must also remember that the arc doesn’t bend toward justice automatically. If the universe’s arc is going to bend toward justice, we’re going to have to bend it that way. And that may explain the change in the gospels’ language: the people were still in the ashes of imperial violence with Jesus’ execution and Jerusalem’s destruction.
That famous arc of justice requires deliberate and courageous efforts from those who choose to stand on the side of equity, compassion, and truth. Choosing to bend that arc toward justice is an act of hope, and also one of resistance. It means refusing to accept the world as it is and daring to imagine a world as it could be—a world where all people are treated with dignity, where systems serve the vulnerable, and where peace is rooted in justice or fairness.
This choice is not always easy. Especially right now, when we are witnessing so many caving to injustice and bowing the knee for expediency. Choosing justice may cost us comfort, popularity, or privilege. But it is a path that gives life deeper meaning. It invites us to be co-creators of a more just and loving society. Whether we are advocating for racial equity, economic fairness, gender and LGBTQ inclusion, or environmental stewardship, each small act of justice matters. Every word spoken, every protest joined, every policy challenged adds weight to the arc’s bend. History honors those who didn’t wait for justice to arrive, but who helped carry it forward. That choice—to act—is always ours.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. How do you choose to bend our universe’s moral arc toward justice in your own life? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
As always, you can find Renewed Heart Ministries each week on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and Meta’s Threads. If you haven’t done so already, please follow us on your chosen social media platforms for our daily posts.
Thank you for listening to The Social Jesus Podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast please take a moment to like and subscribe and if the podcast platform you’re using offers this option, please leave us a positive review. This helps others find our podcast as well.
You can watch our YouTube show each week called “Just Talking”. Each week, Todd Leonard and I take a moment to talk about the gospel lectionary reading for the upcoming weekend. We’ll be talking about each reading in the context of love, inclusion, and social justice. Our hope is that our talking will be just talking (as in justice) and that during our brief conversations each week you’ll be inspired to also do more than just talking. If you teach from the lectionary each week, or if you’re just looking for some thoughts on the Jesus story from a more progressive perspective within the context of social justice, check it out, you might like it. You can find JustTalking each week on YouTube at youtube.com/@herbandtoddjusttalking.
Please Like, Subscribe, hit the Notification button, and leave us a comment.
And if you’d like to reach us here at Renewed Heart Ministries through email, you can reach us at info@renewedheartministries.com.
Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of “Just Talking” Now Online!
Lectionary Readings in the context of Love, Inclusion, & Social Justice
Season 3, Episode 23: Luke 12.32-40. Lectionary C, Proper 14
Bending Our World’s Moral Arc Toward Justice
Each week, we’ll discuss the gospel lectionary reading for the upcoming weekend in the context of love, inclusion, and justice. We hope that our talking will be “just” talking (as in justice) and that we’ll be inspired to do more than “just talking” during our brief conversations each week.
If you teach from the lectionary each week, or if you’re just looking for some thoughts on the Jesus story from a more progressive perspective within the context of social justice, check it out.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 2 Episode 32: Bending Our World’s Moral Arc Toward Justice
Luke 12:32-40
“That famous arc of justice requires deliberate and courageous efforts from those who choose to stand on the side of equity, compassion, and truth. Choosing to bend that arc toward justice is an act of hope, and also one of resistance. It means refusing to accept the world as it is and daring to imagine a world as it could be—a world where all people are treated with dignity, where systems serve the vulnerable, and where peace is rooted in justice or fairness.This choice is not always easy. Especially right now, when we are witnessing so many caving to injustice and bowing the knee for expediency. Choosing justice may cost us comfort, popularity, or privilege. But it is a path that gives life deeper meaning. It invites us to be co-creators of a more just and loving society. Whether we are advocating for racial equity, economic fairness, gender and LGBTQ inclusion, or environmental stewardship, each small act of justice matters. Every word spoken, every protest joined, every policy challenged adds weight to the arc’s bend. History honors those who didn’t wait for justice to arrive, but who helped carry it forward. That choice—to act—is always ours.”
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/bending-our-worlds-moral-arc-toward-justice
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
Are you getting all of RHM’s Free Resources?
Free Sign Up Here
The Moral Dilemma and Challenge of Wealth
We want to take this moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of our supporters for your support of Renewed Heart Ministry’s work of love, justice, and compassion. At a time when ministries like ours are being asked to achieve more with fewer resources, your support is so deeply appreciated, and we want to simply say thank you. Whether in our larger society or within our local faith communities, Renewed Heart Ministries remains committed to advocating for change, working towards a world that is inclusive, just, and safe for everyone, and being a source of love. From all of us here at Renewed Heart Ministries, thank you for your generous support.
We deeply appreciate you.
If you’d like to join them in supporting our work, please go to renewedheartministries.com and click on “Donate.”
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The Moral Dilemma and Challenge of Wealth
Herb Montgomery | August 1, 2025
If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:
Our reading this week is from the gospel of Luke:
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:13-21)
In this passage, social location matters. Inheritance was an argument for the wealthy elites, and in Jesus’ time there was no middle class. There were wealthy elites and the poor. And in the gospel stories, Jesus emerged in Galilee as a prophet of the poor.
Consider how each synoptic gospel connects Jesus not to the wealthy but to the poor.
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor . . . (Mark 10:21)
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. (Mark 12:43)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)
the good news is proclaimed to the poor. (Matthew 11:5)
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor . . . (Matthew 19:21)
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor (Luke 4:18)
Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God. (Luke 6:20)
So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The good news is proclaimed to the poor. (Luke 7:22)
But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. (Luke 11:41)
Sell your possessions and give to the poor (Luke 12:33)
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor (Luke 14:13)
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor (Luke 18:22)
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor . . . Today salvation has come to this house (Luke 19:8-9)
He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. (Luke 21:2-3)
These texts place Jesus on the side of the poor. Jesus, as a prophet of the poor, tells a story about the meaninglessness of hoarding wealth. To what end was all this man’s wealth hoarded? James Robertson, commenting on Jesus’ teaching of wealth redistribution and resource sharing, writes:
“The human dilemma is, in large part, that we are each other’s fate. We become the tool of evil that ruins another person as we look out for ourselves, having long abandoned any youthful idealism we might once have cherished. But if we each would cease and desist from pushing the other down to keep ourselves up, then the vicious cycle would be broken. Society would become mutually supportive rather than self-destructive. This is what Jesus was up to. Jesus’ message was simple, for he wanted to cut straight through to the point: trust God to look out for you by providing people who will care for you, and listen to him when he calls on you to provide for them. God is somebody you can trust, so give it a try.” (James M. Robinson, The Gospel of Jesus: In Search of the Original Good News, Kindle Edition Loc. 58)
Robinson continues:
“Put in language derived from his sayings: I am hungry because you hoard food. You are cold because I hoard clothing. Our dilemma is that we all hoard supplies in our backpacks and put our trust in our wallets! Such ‘security’ should be replaced by God reigning, which means both what I trust God to do (to activate you to share food with me) and what I hear God telling me to do (to share clothes with you). We should not carry money while bypassing the poor or wear a backpack with extra clothes and food while ignoring the cold and hungry lying in the gutter. This is why the beggars, the hungry, the depressed are fortunate: God, that is, those in whom God rules, those who hearken to God, will care for them. The needy are called upon to trust that God’s reigning is there for them (‘Theirs is the kingdom of God”’).” (James M. Robinson, The Gospel of Jesus: In Search of the Original Good News, Kindle Edition. Loc 71)
These words give us much to think about. Robinson evaluates Jesus’ teachings by what happens in the early church when Christians tried to put them into practice. Notice the result: “There were no needy persons among them.” The early Jesus movement had accomplished the goal of these ancient stories: they eliminated poverty in their midst.
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.” (Acts 4:32-35)
Over and over again in the gospels, Jesus places hoarding one’s wealth in tension with sharing it with others:
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24)
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:13)
Being “rich toward God” doesn’t mean giving all your money to religious institutions. It means using your means to mitigate the suffering of the others with whom we share this world as our home. We live in a system today that creates both wealth and poverty. As that economic system continues, the gap between the two classes continues to expand. Wealth, when viewed through the lens of compassion and responsibility, can be very powerfully shared for advancing human dignity and well-being. In a world where inequality continues to deepen and many struggle to meet basic needs, those who have access to financial resources are uniquely called to be agents of healing and justice. Using wealth to help others is not just an act of charity—it is a moral imperative that affirms our shared humanity.
At its best, wealth can serve as a bridge between abundance and need. It can fund education for children who might otherwise go without schooling, provide clean water for communities where it is scarce, support healthcare systems, build affordable housing, and sustain efforts to address climate change and systemic poverty. These are not merely abstract goals; they represent real lives changed, futures made possible, and hope restored.
And using wealth for the good of others requires more than good intentions—it also calls for intentionality, humility, and equity. True generosity listens before it gives. It involves understanding the needs of communities rather than imposing one-size-fits-all solutions. It resists the temptation to give in ways that perpetuate or preserve power imbalances. Instead, it seeks to empower, to lift up, and to restore dignity.
Faith traditions, moral philosophies, and humanitarian values all speak to the sacred responsibility that comes with wealth. Jesus taught that to love one’s neighbor means to meet their needs—not out of guilt, or duty, but out of genuine care. The Hebrew prophets cried out for justice, not just charity. Across cultures, the wise and ethical have consistently called upon those with means to see their wealth not as an end in itself, but as a resource for the greater good.
In practical terms, this might mean supporting local organizations doing transformative work, investing in sustainable enterprises that uplift communities, or simply being present and generous in the lives of neighbors, friends, and strangers. It also includes advocating for fairer systems that redistribute opportunity and reduce barriers.
In the end, wealth is not measured by how much we can accumulate, but by how much good it enables in our lives and others’. This is what it may mean to be rich toward God. It means being rich toward our fellow humans. When we use what we have to love, to serve, and to repair the world around us, we step into a deeper purpose—one that honors both the giver and the receiver.
Discussion Group Questions
1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.
2. What would sharing wealth rather than hoarding wealth look like in our society today? Share and discuss with your group.
3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone?
Thanks for checking in with us, today.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate.
My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.
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You can watch our YouTube show each week called “Just Talking”. Each week, Todd Leonard and I take a moment to talk about the gospel lectionary reading for the upcoming weekend. We’ll be talking about each reading in the context of love, inclusion, and social justice. Our hope is that our talking will be just talking (as in justice) and that during our brief conversations each week you’ll be inspired to also do more than just talking. If you teach from the lectionary each week, or if you’re just looking for some thoughts on the Jesus story from a more progressive perspective within the context of social justice, check it out, you might like it. You can find JustTalking each week on YouTube at youtube.com/@herbandtoddjusttalking.
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Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.
I love each of you dearly,
I’ll see you next week.
New Episode of “Just Talking” Now Online!
Lectionary Readings in the context of Love, Inclusion, & Social Justice
Season 3, Episode 22: Luke 12.13-21. Lectionary C, Proper 13
The Moral Dilemma and Challenge of Wealth
Each week, we’ll discuss the gospel lectionary reading for the upcoming weekend in the context of love, inclusion, and justice. We hope that our talking will be “just” talking (as in justice) and that we’ll be inspired to do more than “just talking” during our brief conversations each week.
If you teach from the lectionary each week, or if you’re just looking for some thoughts on the Jesus story from a more progressive perspective within the context of social justice, check it out.
New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast
A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice.
This week:
Season 2 Episode 31: The Moral Dilemma and Challenge of Wealth
Luke 12:13-21
“Faith traditions, moral philosophies, and humanitarian values all speak to the sacred responsibility that comes with wealth. Jesus taught that to love one’s neighbor means to meet their needs—not out of guilt, or duty, but out of genuine care. The Hebrew prophets cried out for justice, not just charity. Across cultures, the wise and ethical have consistently called upon those with means to see their wealth not as an end in itself, but as a resource for the greater good. In the end, wealth, especially gained in an economic system such as our present one, is not measured by how much we can accumulate, but by how much good it enables in our lives and others’. This is what it may mean to be rich toward God. It means being rich toward our fellow humans. When we use what we have to love, to serve, and to repair the world around us, we step into a deeper purpose—one that honors both the giver and the receiver.”
Available on all major podcast carriers and at:
https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/the-moral-dilemma-and-challenge-of-wealth
Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.
by Herb Montgomery
Available now on Amazon!
In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.
Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.
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