Socialism of Christ
Austin Bierbower
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SOCIALISM OF CHRIST
CHAPTER I
GOVERNMENT BY THE POOR
Like all other great world movements, Christianity was at first largely political and socialistic, and depended on this character for its propagation. The common people in the time of Christ, as at present in Paris and Berlin, were dissatisfied in their misery, and looked for some revolution to relieve them. The disaffection of poverty against wealth, of labor against capital, of commonalty against aristocracy, of subject against ruler, and of slave against master was general throughout the Roman Empire. The lower classes as a body, demanded deliverance from their wrongs and better chances in the over-crowded avenues to wealth and happiness. Re-distribution of property, the abolition of individual possessions, the community of goods and other wild projects were espoused with intense interest. Remnants of the old Roman agrarianism, of Lacedemonian and Cretan communism or of Essenic co-operation appeared in nearly all the issues of the day. Any new agitation, accordingly, which, like Christianity, seemed to contemplate these objects, attracted the people, and was, in turn, moulded by them to a politico-social interest.
At the same time, there was a large republican element—men of theoretical and ideal turn —who dreamed of absolute equality, justice and general good will; and who, accordingly, demanded the overthrow of kings, nobility, priests, privileges and distinctions of blood, and perhaps even anticipated the return of the ancient Roman Republic itself confederate and cosmopolitan. There was also a nation of discontented Jews, in whose country and race Christ was born, who, being dissatisfied in their subjection, looked for a deliverance from the Roman yoke, and like the Irish and Poles of to-day, wanted back their ancient kingdom and glory. All these classes naturally espoused with zeal a movement which, like the promised kingdom of Christ, looked toward such a consummation.
Such being the desires of the people, Christ, when He first declared His views, and His cause when launched on the public, were interpreted in this interest, and expected to further these ends; so that to the common people in their misery Christ appeared as a Savior, to the ideal Republicans as a Deliverer, and to the monarchical Jews as a King; and to them all His new community, or republic, or kingdom seemed like a guaranty of their political ideals.
I propose, in this essay, to present the social and political aspects of Christ's teachings and of early Christianity, as drawn from the Gospels and from contemporaneous sources.
In pursuance of this object I observe, first, that Jesus proposed, in a general way, to establish a "kingdom," and announced that this was the chief object of His mission. He proposed expressly to establish a new kingdom, in contradistinction to the old, or existing kingdoms; a kingdom which should be in the interest of the people—of the poor, the lower classes, the weak, the sorrowing, the unfortunate,—and which should be a kingdom of righteousness, or justice, as opposed to the existing ones of injustice—a kingdom in which there should be no oppression, inequalities or wrongs, but where all should be equal and happy.
He taught His followers to pray and work for this kingdom. The burden of their common prayer was, "Thy kingdom come;" and they understood themselves as working for a kingdom in all that they did for Christ. He gave much of His attention to explaining this new kingdom, and to getting the people ready for it. The King therein, He said, was to be God, and it was to be a kingdom in which no man was to be above another, a theocracy in which there was to be allegiance to none and authority over none, a community in which all should be relieved of their wants, and be happy.
With apparent disloyalty and hostility to existing authorities, Jesus taught the people that they belonged to this new kingdom, and that it was their duty to enter into it. The Lord's Prayer, which was the key-note of His ministry, and fraught with all the significance of His mission, was, from beginning to end, capable of being interpreted as a political utterance in this sense.
For, turning the people away from existing monarchs and patrespatriae, He taught them in this prayer to say, "Our Father (and king) which art in Heaven (not on earth). Hallowed be thy name (not Caesar's). Thy kingdom come, (not the Roman or provincial). Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven (mark, on earth) etc. For thine is the kingdom, (not Caesar's, or Herod's) the power, and the glory, (all the royal attributes) forever and ever. Amen." (So let it be, Viva il regno!)
This prayer, I say, which was put in everybody's mouth as a propagating formula, can be construed to embody everything political and revolutionary; for what is not political in the strictest sense, is interpretable as socialistic; namely the three petitions, "Give us this day our daily bread;" "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors;" and "Deliver us from evil." For the first of these petitions, "Give us this day our daily bread," is the old undying and most characteristic of all socialistic cries, and anticipated the commune, of which I shall hereafter speak when, in Christ's new kingdom, it was expected that food would be distributed to all, and daily as they might have need. The second, scarcely less socialistic petition, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," had possible reference to the future holding of goods in common, of which also I shall presently speak; when no man should have money, or right to any, and no man should need any, but when all debts should be wiped out because the property should belong to all. And the petition, "Deliver us from evil," or from existing miseries, was a prayer for what they sought as the ultimate object of their whole movement—the salvation of the unfortunate from the misfortunes of society.
Thus, therefore, in general, Christ proposed to establish a kingdom; and, like men in all such projects, He was necessarily radical and revolutionary. He proposed to establish a kingdom in the interest of those not in authority, or of the 'outs;" a kingdom favoring the ruled as against the rulers, whether civil or ecclesiastical, and favoring the individual or citizen, as against the states, laws, kings, nobility, priests and land and property owners.
For the realization of this kingdom there was contemplated all that it implies, and first a general revolution. This revolution, as already intimated, was to be in the interest of the people— an overturning of the present state for a new one, an elevating of a new class instead of the old—a revolution in which the high should be brought low and the low high, the first last and the last first.
The opening utterances of the Gospel—the Beatitudes in the sermon on the Mount—were, as recorded by Luke, a comprehensive statement of this idea. "Blessed," says Christ, "be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now, for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and shall separate you from their company, (aristocratic circles and higher classes,) and shall reproach you, (as they generally do the poor,) and count out your name as evil, (low) for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy, for behold your reward is great in Heaven (the new kingdom). But woe unto you that are rich, for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full, for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you,"—in short woe unto you that are now in the ascendancy, or in sympathy with such, for you and your cause shall be abased; and, Blessed are ye who are in the unfortunate and nether ranks, for ye shall be brought uppermost by the coming revolution.
A complete reversal of conditions is to be the result of Christ's
work, a reversal which will give those a chance who have hitherto had none. "The axe," He says, "is laid at the root of the tree," and the reversal is to be radical and comprehensive. "Not one stone shall be left upon another," in the social fabric "that shall not be thrown down;" and, in the remodeling of society which is to follow the rejected stone—the common people—shall be made the head of the corner.
As prophetic of the mission of Christ the announcement is made at His birth: "Behold this child which is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel;" and again, "For unto you is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel;" in other words, a light to lighten the peoples of all countries, and the especial glory of the people of Israel. "Prepare ye," says His messenger in contemplation of this, " Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make His path straight; let the high places be made low, and the valleys be exalted. And all flesh—and not the better circumstanced only—shall see the salvation of God. Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." "God hath chosen the weak things of the world to ' put to naught those that are mighty," and the weak shall yet rise up to stand in the place of their oppressors. The rich and the great who have hitherto had the management of the world, having proved faithless to their trust, are to be despoiled, and the inheritance given to others. "They have eaten and" drunken, "says Christ, " and beaten my servants," the people; and now He proposes to inaugurate a new regime without them.
The parable of the marriage supper illustrates this; showing how God had called up successively the different classes to conduct the interests of humanity, until, on experiencing the faithlessness of all the rest, He comes at last to the people. The King, He tells us, made a feast for His Son. He invited the noble guests—the rich, the polite, the officials—but they, having separate interests of their own, would not come. He then sent for the people—to the lanes and highways and hedges. The former, He tells us, who had tried to rule the world, were not worthy; and now He was about to give the government over to the poor. "He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts; He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and exalted them of low degree; He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath turned away empty." "Blessed," says Christ, in view of this democratic consummation, " are the eyes which see the things that ye see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."
His followers generally expected, as I shall hereafter more fully show, elevation in exchange for their former degradation. Throughout Christ's entire career, during which there was much talk of a "kingdom," the question ever recurred as to who should be greatest in this kingdom, or who should have the chief offices and positions of honor. Everything, in short, indicates that it was this prospect of elevation that actuated many in espousing the cause of Christ. A worldly rather than a spiritual kingdom was contemplated by them; and the kingdom of Heaven was expected to be in this world rather than in another, and to be distant in time rather than space.
This appearing to be the general object and aim of the Christian movement, the agitation was essentially popular —a movement of the people in the interest of the people—of the poor, the sorrowing and, in short, of les miserables. "When Jesus saw the multitude" we are told, "He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd." He meant, He said, to gather these up and give them a chance. " Come unto me, " He accordingly cries, "all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you (instead of that of the old society) and learn of me, for I (even the King and Ruler Himself)am meek and lowly in mind, and ye shall find rest for your souls." We have seen that while it was prophesied that He would "scatter the proud in the imagination of their hearts," and "put down the mighty from their seat," it was added that He would "exalt them of low degree," and that, while without sym- pathy,Hewould "turn the rich away empty," He would "fill the hungry with good things." The angel, or messenger who announced His coming, spoke of Him as one bringing something good for the people. "Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.'- " Glory to God in the highest," is the general ejaculation of ancient Christianity, "peace on earth, good will to men ! " Christ is foretold as "a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of the people of Israel." "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me," He says, in contemplation of His future career, ''because He hath annointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted; to preach deliverance to the captive, and receiving of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." Christ quotes this from Isaiah, and then says: "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."
The Beatitudes, as reported by Matthew, are nothing but an enunciation of the same idea. Whereas the rich and great have heretofore monopolized the control and happiness of the world, it is now to be another class that istodothis. " Blessed," He says, "arethepoor in spirit (the intellectually weak), for theirs (and not the able men's) is the kingdom of Heaven, (that is, this new kingdom in contemplation). Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness, (and not after wealth and power), for they shall be filled." For there appears to be no reference here to spiritual, but only to temporal advantages:—"they shall inherit the earth; " " they shall be comforted; " "they shall be filled." " Blessed,"
Socialism of Christ—1
He continues, "are the merciful," and "the pure in heart,"—characters very different from those who, under the old conditions of society, were calculated to gain the mastery of the world— bloodthirsty though heroic men who ruled by force. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they (and not the warriors, as hitherto) shall be called the Sons of God," (the Divi or Deified, as the old heroes and emperors, like Hercules and Augustus, used to be). "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven," (in other words, The persecuted shall become the possessors of power). "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven."
In short, all these Beatitudes were a group of promises to the world, that the weaker, submissive, and non-resistant element, should rise to conquer and rule in society; that moral instead of physical and intellectual force should prevail; that women, children and invalids, instead of strong men, should be the enviable ones; and that martyrdom, tears and sorrow, instead of gratification and vitality, should be the future elements of power; a thought which is elsewhere expressed in the words "God hath chosen the weak things of the earth to confound the strong and the mighty," and which we have fulfilled in subsequent events when the Cross rose over the Roman eagle and the lion of Carthage; and when the Mater dolorosa and the sorrowing Magdalene became the goddesses of the Roman Empire.
Everywhere this idea is set forth that the under and distressed classes are to have the power. "The poor have the gospel preached to them, " or "There is good news for the poor." The ministers and agents of this new kingdom were taken from among fishermen, tax gatherers and other laboring and menial classes. Christ appeared Himself as a carpenter, or carpenter's son, and employed nobody of any social preten- tions in His work, nor did He make any such pre- tentions Himself. He called Himself the "Son of Man," and was delighted to be known as the representative of humanity, and the champion of the people. Though others called him the Son of God, He does not appear to have appropriated this title Himself.
Throughout all the ministry of Jesus, accordingly, there was a tenderness for the poor and a concern for their wants. He defended them against the creditor, the landlord, the oppressor of the widow and fa
therless, and tried to turn the hearts of such classes to a regard for them. "Give to him that ask- eth," He says, "And from him that would borrow turn not away;" "Pure religion," according to His system, "is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction." He encourages the giving of alms, and the relieving of distress wherever found.
The grand distinction in His mind between those who are fit for His kingdom and those who are not fit, is that the former regard helpfully the sufferers in want, and the latter do not. "I was hungry," He says—and by I He explains that He means every member of humanity—"I was hungry, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me." 'For," He adds, "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of my brethren, ye have done it unto me." "Whosoever," He continues, "shall give to one of my disciples a cup of cold water in my name, he shall have his reward."
He came, He says, 'to save the lost;" and is "not willing that one of His little ones shall perish;': meaning thereby the people, whom He took specially under His care. When the hungry and fainting multitude crowded around Him, and "the disciples said, 'Send them away that they may go and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat,' He answered, 'Giveye them to eat,'"for "He was moved with compassion on them." He shows this humanitarian tenderness especially in His feeling for children, who represented to Him humanity in its helpless and passive state, as against the great overgrown oppressors in wealth and wickedness. "Whoso receiveth a little child," He says, "receiveth me." "Whoso shall receive one of such children in my name receiveth me."
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