*Originally this was going to be included as part of my sermon on 2 Kings 4:1-7, but for various reasons, I excised it and turned it into a blog post. This post is best read, therefore, as a supplement to my sermon on 2 Kings 4:1-7 (a recording of which can be found here).
Many believers in America today are claiming that the recent transfer of power in American politics constitutes a victory for Christians, a sign that our nation is moving closer to God.
But friends, if the Bible is our guiding norm, spelling out exactly what God values and wills, then what the American government is doing right now is not biblical, and let me tell you why.
Let’s briefly consider just three areas: (1) food provision and healthcare for the vulnerable, (2) policies toward immigrants and refugees, and (3) federal loan assistance or forgiveness.
As many of you know, Medicaid is a public health insurance program providing affordable or free coverage to low-income children, pregnant women, seniors, people with disabilities, and other qualifying adults.
The most recent bill that was passed, however, proposes cuts to Medicaid, reducing the federal government’s administrative cost-sharing from 50% to 25% for states.
Another similar program is SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food that is essential to their health.
The most recent bill similarly includes cuts to SNAP, with a cost-neutrality provision that prevents future benefit increases due to changes in our understanding of what constitutes a “thrifty” diet.
Not only this, but the bill also introduces multiple provisions across Medicaid and SNAP that tighten eligibility and increase program oversight making it difficult for existing and new individuals to both access and maintain these programs.
Now, as we know, multiple texts in Scripture command Israel to care for the least of these… (see sermon) including widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor, which largely describe those on Medicaid or SNAP.
Decreasing federal support for such programs and making it harder for vulnerable people to receive such benefits, stands at odds with the Bible’s vision, if you ask me.
Now, what about foreigners. What does the Bible say about them? Well, as you probably know, in numerous places Scripture commands the fair treatment of foreigners and migrants in ancient Israel, emphasizing justice, especially for those not native-born.
The only place in Scripture where Israel is commanded to rid the land of foreigners is in Joshua, which has to do with Canaanite idolatry, i.e., pagan-ness, not foreignness…
Today, however, many of our nation’s policies are moving in the opposite direction: treating immigrants with suspicion, denying them asylum, and even separating families at the border.
Rather than welcoming the stranger in our midst, we’re spending billions of dollars building walls and expanding our Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) sector.
Lastly, what about lending and borrowing? The Bible says that such practices should be merciful, not profit-driven, especially for those in desperate need.
In recent months, however, the federal government has made several moves to roll back things like student loan assistance or debt forgiveness, by either halting new enrollments in certain payment plans, limiting those who qualify for relief, or cutting staff who oversee such programs.
These changes especially impact low-income borrowers and those in vulnerable positions.
Instead of releasing them from financial bondage then, our nation seems to be “tightening the screws.”
Now, even if the election went the other way, friends, I’d be making a similar point.
If Democrats were in power, we might mention the idolization of human sexuality, the depravity of abortion as birth-control, or the pride of utopian visions of human government and progress.
That isn’t exactly “Biblical” either (in the sense of “clearly aligned with the holistic vision of Scripture”)!
My point is that neither the Republican party nor the Democratic party is any less corrupt than the other. Both parties are driven by fallen human beings, in need of the grace and love of Jesus Christ.
Where this relates to our passage for this morning (2 Kings 4:1-7), is that America as a nation today, with its widespread corruption and immorality, seems quite similar to the Israel of Elisha’s day: an Israel in which creditors, rather than caring for the widow and orphan, threaten to take away a widow’s children as slaves to repay a debt.
Given such cultural sin, the time was ripe for Elisha to care for this widow. And given the cultural sins of our nation, the time is similarly ripe for us to embody the heart of Jesus in our world today.
Jonah Bissell
Teaching Pastor