Faith & Finance Economics of the Nativity With Jerry Bowyer
That’s from the Christmas Story in Luke, Chapter 2. The angels announce the coming of the Savior to a group of shepherds. It sounds simple enough … but there’s more to the story. Jerry Bowyer joins us to talk about it.
Our guest, Jerry Bowyer, is the author of The Maker Versus the Takers: What Jesus Really Said About Social Justice and Economics. It’s loaded with amazing insights about Jesus' time on earth from an economic perspective.
Angels carried probably the most important message in history … why deliver it to shepherds? Weren’t they social outcasts?
- Shepherds were under social outcasts because they couldn’t keep their sheep from going into their neighbors yard and eat the grass - thereby committing theft against your neighbor.
- The Temple system ran on sheep. They used a lot of sheep for the sacrifices. So there was a country set aside for sheep to be raised. This was near Jerusalem.
- Jesus, the Lamb of God, was born in the city where lambs for the Temple system were bred.
- So God’s master plan included finance.
We know a little more about Mary than we do Joseph at this point. Does she have an economic philosophy?
- Mary’s song, Magnificat, has words concerning economics about the rich being torn down and set away empty, and the poor being filled.
- Mary visits Elizabeth in Judea, a little higher society. Elizabeth subordinates herself to Mary, this is a reversal of status.
- Jesus uses parts of the Magnifcat in one of His sermons
- Mary was exposed to multiple languages, and had some intellectual teaching/learning.
How did the birth of Jesus threaten the ruling temple class in Jerusalem?
- Herod understands that the birth of Jesus will unset everything and bring justice to the world, and as a tyrant, he was disturbed with this idea.
- Jesus will ruin many people’s livelihoods, etc moneychangers in the Temple.
In Matthew, Chapter 2, the Magi come to worship the baby Jesus and give him very expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. What was timely about that?
- The Magi brought Jesus things that would be brought to the Temple.
ON TODAY’S PROGRAM, ROB ANSWERS LISTENER QUESTIONS:
- Anna bought a 2014 Buick. She is currently not making enough money to keep up with the payments and still owe $20,000 and the car is not worth that. She wants to know the options that would be available.
- Evelyn just sold their home and need to rent for 6 months before buying another home. How should they invest this money from the home sale in the meantime?
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