In his recent address to the United Nations, Pope Francis used the story of Zacchaeus in Luke’s Gospel as his template to support the redistribution of wealth. He called for “the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.”
“The account of Jesus and Zacchaeus teaches us that… Jesus… simply inspires him to put everything, freely yet immediately and indisputably, at the service of others.”
The Pope finished his talk with a plea to “put into practice a shared ideal of fraternity and solidarity, especially with regard to the poorest and those most excluded.” We are left with an obvious conclusion that wealth – both earned legitimately and questionably – is best for everyone when redistributed.
Sadly, some have come to view wealth as community property because of its unfortunate association with abusive greed. Conspicuous consumption, outrageous disparities in compensation, and bail-outs for criminal behavior have painted a picture of excess as an art form, which has led society to the cynical conclusion that while greed may not be good it is certainly well compensated. As Psalm 12:8 says, “The wicked strut about everywhere when vileness is held in general esteem.”
Instead of equality of opportunity we have exalted money for its own sake and detached capitalism from a moral base, which in turn has released the power of greed with few restraints. It is no longer accomplishment but accumulation that is driving the system.
But the easy solution of redistribution is a dangerous fantasy. First, it is based on the assumption that people will readily part with what they have to somehow “balance the scales.” My guess is if one were to equally divide all the available resources in the world they would revert to the hands of a relative few within 10 years.
Second, while there is no end to the creation of “global goals,” they have a sketchy record of achievement. William Easterly’s latest book, The Tyranny of Experts has put a pin in that balloon. And third, the history of attempts at redistribution illustrates the inevitable and disastrous growth of a new tyranny required to enforce and ultimately benefit from it.
Asking today’s “Zacchaeus” to give half of his wealth to the service of others might be feasible when done individually, voluntarily and joyfully out of gratitude and a supernatural change of heart, but taking an individual instance in a small village and expanding it to global policy is naïve and harmful. Certainly the story of Zacchaeus is nothing short of miraculous (judged by the reaction of his neighbors), but it is not a model for worldwide redistribution. One might just as well use the standard of the widow’s mite and call for universal poverty.
There are four stories concerning great wealth in the Gospel of Luke: Zacchaeus, the Rich Young Ruler who is challenged to give away everything, the Rich Fool who loses his soul to wealth, and the Rich Man and Lazarus where the unnamed and callous man finds himself in eternal torment. I suppose the story of a man who accumulates wealth dishonestly and then gives half of it away is the one with the best ending, and maybe that is Pope Francis’s point: Our only hope of redemption is in redistribution.
But it’s really a conversion issue, isn’t it? It is choosing gratefulness over greed and enjoyment of what one has instead of envy and resentment of what others have. It is not an enforced equality but making a place for the rich and the poor alike in our lives. To see each other without regard to fortune or misfortune will not happen through redistribution but only through the Spirit of God.