O House of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?" Thus did the word of God, voiced by the prophet Ezekiel, indicate the great difference between the perfect justice established by divine law and imperfect human ways and means.
The apparent unequal distribution of that which is deemed indispensable to human happiness, freedom, and comfort is cause for much distress to mankind today. To come to the understanding of a better and more equitable apportionment of good is an ideal towards which humanity is slowly advancing. That such an achievement is most desirable is unquestionable when one sees the misery, unhappiness, poverty, and crime prevalent in a world of plenty. With the hope of remedying this state of affairs much is being said today relative to a more equalized distribution of wealth, and many plans and theories are being put forth to show how it is believed this may be accomplished.
The desire for a division of human possessions is not a new one, for the Bible records that a certain man came to Christ Jesus with the plea that he speak to his brother to divide his inherited wealth with him. Jesus saw underlying this request the false belief of covetousness—a violation of the tenth commandment of the Decalogue—and rebuked it with the reply, "Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?" Illustrating the perfect equity of God's goodness, he later gave the parable of the prodigal son. Among the many helpful lessons which may be learned from this parable is this, that a mere division of material riches will not solve the problem of continued prosperity and happiness for mankind. The prodigal, seeing nothing beyond materiality, demanded what he deemed his right by reason of his sonship, but soon found it wasted and himself in want. The account states, however, that "when he came to himself" he humbly approached his father and found his status of sonship unchanged. The equal sharing of God's bounty by all men was further exemplified by the father's reply to the elder brother, "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine."
