There is a lot of talk about white privilege in our culture today. The thinking goes that white people (especially white males) have led a privileged life and need to release whatever ill-gotten gains they acquire so that others may succeed. Somehow if this is done the privileged party will make things more fair to those that they have been less privileged and consequently made whole once again. The discussion on the subject is definitely sincere and has merits that our culture should be willing to debate.
But Jesus speaks into this conversation in a profound way. In Matthew chapter 19 He is approached by a very religious Jew who asks the most important question: “What must I do to get eternal life?”
This simple question is the most important question any of us could possibly contemplate during our years on this planet. What is more valuable than eternity? Jesus’ answer turns the man from his worldly perspective to the divine standard and asks him, “Why do you call me good? There is only one who is good and that is the Father in heaven.” This divine standard (where we can place our trust in a Father who is supremely good) is far reaching in scope because it asks one simple question: Will you surrender yourself? Jesus was asking him if he was willing to trust Him with his very life?
Control was everything to this man. He had great wealth and when confronted with his attachment to this wealth he said no to God and yes to his wealth. But wealth is not really the main point here, it’s attachment. We don’t need to be attached to wealth to have an issue with the question that Jesus poses. It could be relationships or career or anything…
The perception in our culture is that the rich have privileges that others less fortunate do not have and that may or may not be true but there is a much more pressing question that we must answer. If Jesus were to make all things equal with the rich, not having more than they need and the poor having enough, would our world suddenly change for the better? Privilege (white or otherwise) is not an external reality that must be rectified but an internal reality by which all of us are overwhelmed.
We all are privileged and this has created a great chasm between us and God. We feel a need to hold onto our lives rather than release ourselves irrevocably to God and allowing Him to be in control. Matthew 6:33 tell us if we do this He will give us everything we need to live a successful life.
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