SENTINEL WATCH December 20, 2010 Issue

THE ECONOMY—AND JESUS' BUSINESS MODEL

BARBARA VINING

ALL OVER THE WORLD —in individual households, businesses, governments, and every other kind of institution—the lingering effects of a recessive economy have people wringing their hands, scratching their heads, and vigorously debating the question, "What is the best way to restore and sustain a truly healthy economy?"

The British government, for one, has set itself on a course of drastic cuts in spending in order to live within its means, so to speak. Some praise this course, "while others warn that the cuts could tip the UK's fragile economy back into recession" (CSMonitor.com, "Britain's budget cuts outline radical path toward smaller government," October 20, 2010). And the debate goes on.

As I've been praying concerning this issue, it's come to me that Christ Jesus gave us a business model that can help us improve and stabilize our individual and collective balance sheets. That may seem a bit surprising, since we don't find Jesus talking about monetary income, expenses, and budgets. Nevertheless, we do find Jesus consistently and abundantly meeting human needs. His approach, of course, was spiritual. As early as at 12 years of age, Jesus explained to his parents, "I must be about my Father's business" (Luke 2:49).