The subject of money has always been a bit of a hot potato in the Christian world, with some thinking that all Christians should be as poor as church mice.
But that is not the case and an argument my father often put forward. He remembered his childhood lessons about Jesus well and one, in particular, he would often tell his children.
He would say people often quote St Paul and claim that “Money is the root of all evil.”
But then he would point out that what St Paul actually said, in a letter to Timothy, was; ‘it is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil’;
What Paul was saying (and my father had been taught and accepted) was that an unhealthy attachment to wealth will not lead to spiritual fulfilment.
Because wealth, as well as various other passions, can become the driving force in a person’s life and detract from acquiring other more important Christian virtues.
The Rich Young Ruler : Mark 10:17-27
This young man claimed to have followed all the commandments his entire life and wanted to know what more he should do to experience life eternal.
Jesus must have suspected the man hadn’t really fulfilled all the commandments – as we all stumble at times.
But he told the young man to sell everything he owned, give the money to the poor, and then follow him.
The man then walked away unhappily from Jesus, because what he owned was worth a lot and this was the most important thing in the world to him.
The problem, you see, was not the wealth itself, but his attachment to it.
This was an important part of Christ’s teaching, but it wasn’t that he didn’t like rich people, it was the attitude they sometimes had toward money that was the issue when it had become too important in their lives.
In essence, Jesus was alluding to the first commandment in the Old Testament –‘ you shall have no other Gods but me’.
But I must say it does seem a bit strong to ask someone to sell up everything they have and give all the money away, but Jesus seemed to sense that this man’s wealth was more important to him than God, and so put him to the test.
Because the young ruler simply walked away without even trying to argue his case, we can presume revealed that Jesus had assessed him correctly.
Zacchaeus (Luke 19:8-10)
Another rich man Zacchaeus, who was a wealthy Chief Tax Collector (one of the most hated people in those times), took quite a different approach to the teachings of Jesus.
Zacchaeus demonstrated he was changed by the things Jesus taught in a way the rich young ruler could not.
He told Jesus, “I will give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have cheated anyone, then I will return to them four times as much”
Jesus was better pleased with this response than he was with the young rulers, as he told Zacchaeus he, and his household, were saved.
Most presume that Zacchaeus was still wealthy after changing his previous avaricious ways, but his attitude and heart had completely changed regarding money.
So we can see that it is possible to be wealthy and still be accepted by Jesus, both then and today
Who are the rich today?
In the UK we could perhaps say the royal family, landed gentry, business entrepreneurs, and various premier sports people.
OK, we have no idea what their attitude to money and faith is, other than The Late Queen, who was an exceptionally wealthy woman, but also, despite her wealth, a prime example of faithfulness to the Church and its teachings.
I believe The Queen fully understood the message Jesus was conveying regarding wealth, and it was to avoid the temptation to trust in one’s own endeavours, rather than strive for eternal grace.
How about us today?
We might say, that I am not wealthy at all compared to the royal family or famous footballers.
But perhaps we can understand wealth in other ways in addition to financial.
Perhaps we can be wealthy in our natural abilities and individual talents, such as leading and teaching skills, and artistic or musical ability.
Also, in our spiritual gifts such as; wisdom, faith, discernment, service, hospitality, and encouragement.
Perhaps Jesus was implying that all the God-given things in our lives should be enjoyed in the right perspective and shared with others, in particular those that lack something we are rich in.
The thing is, because of being human, we all have an Achilles heel – we all have our strengths and weaknesses – and sometimes like with the young ruler (who had been gifted the talent for generating financial wealth) our strength can also be our greatest weakness.
This begs the question, do we have a balance in our lives where our relationship with God is central, and includes a healthy respect for the good things we have?
But also an understanding that it is by God’s grace that we have such fine things.
And are we sharing our gifts, whatever they might be, with those who are lacking in an area in which we are rich, or blessed in?
We have all done it, of course, I know I have sought treasures in the wrong places – mea culpa.
The list is endless, but includes, for example; our power in the workplace, the financial value of our homes, our status in the community.
In my experience, I discovered seeking fulfilment in worldly places was often combined with unrealistic expectations, and generally seemed to lead to unfulfilling dead ends.
But eventually, I came to realise that real wealth is not kept in the bank, or in the value of my home, how successful I was in the workplace, or the quality of clothes I wear.
And, although I fully accept that I am far from perfect, I do try now to experience my treasures through the many blessings in my life and in the things, I love the most;
Such as being surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation; living within a close and safe community; my good friends and loved ones; my health and my strength;
So the essence of my message is to count our God-given blessings and share them generously and freely with others.
Because when Jesus said, words to the effect of;
‘You will receive much more than you give in this life when you do the things I teach you.’
He wasn’t talking about money, he was talking about receiving spiritual treasures that money cannot buy – such as peace of mind, hope and joy, as we become more like him.
Philippians 2
I started with a quote from St Paul, about the trap of the love of money,
I would like to finish with another quote of Paul’s from his letter to the Philippians in which he spoke of how we can become more Christlike…
Paul told the Philippians;
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.
Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
Then as we practise these ways taught by St Paul,
we will begin to experience real treasures unfolding in our lives today,
and our characters will develop as we gradually become more like Jesus, our Great High Priest.
Amen
