Jesus: Money and Possessions
I have always found it a little bit
difficult to say exactly when I became a Christian. There is no atheist phase of my life to report, but I know there was a short period in my life when I moved from
going along to things by default to actively choosing to follow Jesus. Christ
Church, Chilwell, my home parish, was a large and lively church with a big
children’s work, and I had gone along with friends since about the age of 7. It
was around the age of 14 or 15 that it moved from something I just did to
something more. For me faith came before very much actual churchgoing, and it
was the person of Jesus that captured my attention.
For a lot of people, the
compelling aspects of Jesus’ story are in the tragedy and triumph of his
passion, or in the compassion he shows to those in need of forgiveness, healing
or deliverance from evil. Of course, those weren’t (and aren’t) unimportant to
me, but they weren’t the hook that caught me.
I was attracted by the way that Jesus had a
radically different set of values. He rejected materialism and greed, and he
undermined those who misused and abused power. He championed the poor and was a
constant reminder to the ‘haves’ about their responsibilities for the ‘have
nots’. I have, of course, consistently failed to live up to his teachings on all of these
questions, and yet that aspect of Jesus’ teaching continues to excite me and
challenge me. He questions my spending, my saving, my giving, my consuming, my
possessing and my attitude to the environment and the world around me. This
aspect of Jesus has also been where I have derived some of my political
instincts from (although others might arrive at different conclusions!)
It has never felt like Jesus is finger-pointing
and condemning me, but he is always asking me what it means to be a Christian
living in a world that is based on a very different set of ideals. How do I
live in a world that is based on getting, consuming and never being content
with what you have.
I want to take a look at few parts of Jesus’
story that have provided that challenge.
It was a revelation to me when I found
out that Jesus had a lot more to say about money, wealth and possessions than
he ever did about sex. The Gospels are littered with sayings, parables and
conversations which are either directly about money and possessions, or use
financial or economic images and ideas. It’s been estimated that about 1/3 of the
teaching in Luke’s Gospel could be regarded in that way.
So, let’s go on a little tour of Luke to
see what he records:
Setting the Scene
Even before Jesus is born, Mary is singing
about the rich: “he has filled the hungry
with good things and the rich he sent away empty.” (Lk 1:53), which gives us a preview of what
priorities and values are going to be the hallmark of this child’s life.
Once Jesus begins his ministry, he is
challenged immediately in his temptation by the devil about his priorities (Luke 4:5-8) “if you, then, will worship me,
it will all be yours.” Jesus rejects earthly power, wealth and status to be
faithful to his calling. And when he gets to the synagogue, he makes it clear:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor..” (Luke 4:18)
which is something he reiterates a little further on in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is
the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20). Jesus
is already generating disapproval for what he is saying – he’s rejected in
Nazareth, and when he calls a tax-collector to follow him, the Pharisees are grumbling
(Luke 5:30).
So we can see that in Jesus’ early
statements and actions, he is pointing to a new set of priorities.
Some examples of his teaching
1. The parable of the Rich Fool (Luke
12:13-21)
OK. So you do well in this world, pile
up your possessions and feel proud of yourself. Then what? In this passage, God
calls a rich man who builds bigger barns a fool, as his stockpile will be worth
nothing to him when he dies.
Jesus goes on to say that we should not
be anxious about our material needs (12:22-31), but store up treasure in heaven
(Luke 12:32-34) - in other words sharing the Gospel and putting his teaching
into practise. As he says in a verse that sums up much of what we find in the rest of Luke's gospel, “for where
your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
2. Money is like a rival God. (Luke
16:13)
When people talk about idols, they sometimes
mean statues in temples. More often in our own culture, people are being
referred to – ‘pop idol’ and ‘fashion icon’ are both examples of a religious
word being used to describe someone in the public eye.
Of course, in the world we live in, virtually
everything seems to be decided by money and many people see the acquisition of money
as their only purpose in life. Election promises are usually couched in how much better-off we will be - meaning financially, not well-being or contentment.
In contrast, Jesus is clear that the idol we
should really be concerned about is in our pocket. This is summed up in Luke
16:13, where Jesus says “You cannot serve God and money”. It’s worth noting
that the word “money” in many English translations of the Bible is actually a
translation of the word “mammon” in the original. It is thought that this actually means
material possessions and wealth. Jesus asks his followers to choose which will
be their master (Lord, kyrios) – God
or wealth.
3) Jesus Wants To Set People Free From
Mammon
It may seem a contradiction, but in a
world so sold out to money, many people wish they could escape. Some have a
hankering to leave what used to be called the rat race and do something else;
some wish they could just drop out, whilst others want to find a way of being
content. The problem is that people who don't know God have nothing else to
trust but material possessions, yet Mammon is not a kind master.
Luke shows us examples of how people
respond to the choice Jesus presents us with - whether God or Mammon will be
their master.
First, the rich young man (Luke
18:18-30). He obviously has a hunger for something else. “good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”. He is
clearly very devout and religious, even by the standards of his day – keeping
the commandments. But when Jesus asks him to sell all he has, give it to the
poor and follow him, he couldn't let go of his possessions. Although it offered
treasure in heaven and the freedom of knowing Jesus, he turned away, sad.
Mammon had too tight a grip.
We can contrast this with the encounter Jesus has with Zacchaeus (Lk 19:1-10). He’s
not just any old tax-collector, he’s a chief tax-collector. Tax collectors had
a reputation for extortion. They took the money the Romans demanded, and also took a
cut for themselves. John the Baptist hints at that back in chapter 3 when tax
collectors come to be baptised. “Teacher,
what shall we do?” And he said to them “Collect no more than you are authorised
to do.” (Luke 3:12-13). Here, Jesus breaks into Zacchaeus’ life by inviting
himself round. He accepts his hospitality and takes him seriously. The greedy
tax-collector sees a new chance in Jesus, and his attitude to money (mammon) is
transformed.
Finally, the story of the poor widow's
offering (Lk 21:1-4). It’s important to remember, this woman would almost
certainly have already given her tithe. This is a freewill offering. But the
point is that out of her devotion and commitment to God, she freely gives all
she has. Jesus points to the value of that, over and above those who can
comfortably give much bigger sums, without making the same personal sacrifice.
He can see that she has not chosen Mammon.
Out of all the gospels, Luke
particularly highlights these issues. Following Jesus is not just a theoretical
exercise, or just about whether we turn up for certain religious rituals. It’s
about a change of priorities. The Bible is clear that we are stewards, not
owners of this world. We are accountable for how we use the resources at our
disposal. We have received much from our generous God, and that comes to fruition
when it inspires us to generosity too.