Many of us who are biblical scholars have watched Mr. Obama’s use, or should I say abuse, of the Bible with dismay.
Who can forget when he gave a speech mocking the ceremonial law of the Old Testament then saying something to the effect of, “How can you govern by the Sermon on the Mount?”
Well, he did it again at the National Prayer Breakfast. I never understood that name since very little prayer, if any, takes place. Instead, perhaps it should be called the National Breakfast Gathering.
The president quoted the Bible to justify punishing those who have worked hard, and most of whom are very generous givers, in order to take their money and give it to many of his constituencies who are always standing outside the doors of the White House with out-stretched hands.
Mr. Obama, in justifying his misguided policy, quoted Jesus in Luke 12:48: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
No, you do not have to have a seminary degree to know that Jesus is talking about individual stewardship in an individual’s relationship with God.
For it is God who gives each person different portions of gifts, talents, and treasure to manage according to His sovereign will. It is God who entrusts people with what they have, not the government.
God is the One who will judge the faithfulness of each individual’s stewardship and blessing, or lack thereof. In Luke 12:48, Jesus, God the Son, is exhorting individuals to be faithful and give generously without regret.
Understanding this, one has to wonder if Mr. Obama has replaced God with his administration. He must believe that when he says “much is given,” he refers to what is given by the government, and “much is demanded,” as that which is demanded by the government. This is 180° opposite to the truth.
This is a very dangerous precedent. We have had egotistical presidents before, from both political spectrums, but never to my knowledge have we had one who saw himself as replacing God, or one who views his administration as acting on God’s behalf or instead of God.
Misquoting the Scripture is a common practice by some politicians to advance their cause, but this abuse of the Scripture and viewing one’s administration as the judge and executioner, not for crimes, but for personal stewardship, has reached a new low in egotism.
Mr. Obama needs to issue an immediate and urgent apology for his misuse and mangling of the Scripture.
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