WEALTH AND MATERIALISM
The other day, the some of the media were speculating that if the people on welfare had less money they would abuse their children more. Today in the USA there seems to be a prevailing attitude that people who are poor are lazy and are more dishonest, unmoral, and just not as good as people who are richer.
This view is in total opposition to the Biblical view of mankind. Jesus said in Luke 6:20: "...Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God." and the Bible warns constantly of the deceitfulness of riches. Let's explore the subject in the Scriptures.
In the Old Testament wealth is acknowledged at times to be a blessing from God. God chose Abram and promised to bless him and make his name great. In the process, Abram became rich. Further, we are told that God blessed Isaac; and he became very rich. Solomon's wealth was seen as a sign of God's favor. Job, too, was blessed by God, and his wealth increased greatly.
These few examples do not allow us to assume that poverty is a sign of God's disfavor. Jesus' references to money in the New Testament consist mainly of stories or parables which show the dangers of wealth. In the parable of the seed and the sower Jesus warned that riches and the pursuit of pleasure may keep some from maturing in the faith.
A harsh warning against the destructive nature of wealth is sounded in the story of the rich farmer (Luke 12:16-21).
In Jesus' words, the person is a fool who labors to lay up treasures on earth rather than treasures in heaven. Of greater importance is Jesus' statement that life does not consist of one's possessions
Personal worth and success are not to be measured in terms of material wealth or possessions. This is different from the way that the world views possessions. Jesus viewed money or wealth something that can become an object of worship, a rival to God.
For this reason Jesus often asked people to turn away from their riches. To a young rich man Jesus said:
The only way to defeat the power of mammon is to give it away or at least switch from owner to steward.
For a while members of the Jerusalem church pooled their resources for the common good. To provide for the needs of those in their midst, owners of land and property sold it and gave it to the apostles. While this kind of sharing may not be a requirement, it provides a model for the responsibility that Christians have for one another.
Paul likewise warned against the power of money. One of the qualifications of a church officer is to be free from the love of money. Deacons likewise must not be "greedy for money".
Paul may be implying that people who love money will resort to all kinds of things to get it. The desire for money has a way of enslaving the person seeking it. The answer to the wrong use of money is to use it for kingdom purposes. Money can be used to enhance our relationship to God and bless others. Paul commended the liberal giving of the Macedonian Christians. Hebrews encourages us to: "Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have".
Jesus admonished us not to be anxious over material things, but to trust the Heavenly Father to care for our needs. Christians are to recognize that God's kingdom is more important than money.
Material wealth is given to human beings as a stewardship. God is the owner of all things, and we are given a portion to use. At all times we are to keep in mind that we will one day give account to God for the use of our wealth.
Materialism can even tempt Christians at times to value life in terms of the accumulation and consumption of goods, measuring success or worth in terms of wealth or possessions. Materialism leads us to justify spending on ourselves all that our income will bear.
Christians are to learn to possess money and not be possessed by it. Wealth is to be channeled into ministries that serve people and spread the gospel. The pursuit of wealth as an end in itself, or the desire for luxury and personal indulgence are evidences of materialism. Christians must take a stand against the persistent idolatry of materialism that focuses on the material stuff of this world and not God.
The words used in Scripture to describe the poor have the underlying meaning of "humble, oppressed, needy, weak, dependent." The contexts where these words are used suggest that the poor were those who had been wrongfully oppressed and impoverished; those who begged for food; or those who had no economic or social status.
Ideally, there should be no poor people among the covenant people of God because of the blessings of God and the generosity of the people toward those in need. In actuality, God's blessings did not always come to people, and the rich did not always share with the poor. To provide for the poor, God allowed them to glean the remains of the fields and vineyards and harvest the corners. If a poor person was forced into slavery, they were to be treated like a hired servant. The courts were to see that the poor received just, not favorable or unfavorable treatment.
The hope of the poor was based on their status before God. Because they were part of the people God redeemed from the slavery of Egypt, they inherited God's blessings of freedom, protection, and a portion of the land. The Psalms picture God as the refuge and deliverer of the poor. In some passages, the poor are identified as the righteous. The prophets predicted the destruction of Judah and Israel in part because of the oppression of the poor by fellow Israelites. The prophets encouraged the people to defend the poor and instructed the kings to rule with equity. God brought judgment on Sodom and on Judah because she did not care for the poor.
Jesus was particularly concerned with the poor. He preached a message of good news to the poor and told parables that encouraged generosity toward the poor. The first Christians provided for the needs of poor widows, and Paul exerted great effort to collect funds for the poor in Jerusalem.
An example of the present day attitude is found in a news discussion about abortion. They quoted statistics that showed poor women have many less abortions than rich women. They assumed this was due to lack of funding for abortions for the poor. They never even considered the idea that the morals of the poor women may be higher than those of the rich women.
The secular world gets it backward. They require more from those who have little and serve those who have much.
The truth is that, like the Bible teaches, due to the deceitfulness of riches increased wealth often leads to:
When this country was at its poorest, in the great depression, its morals and level of honesty were much higher than they are today. Regardless of how poor the women of that time were, very few would have even considered killing there unborn babies. It is a cruel fact that many who are very willing to share what they have with others have very little to share, while those with much to share are often unwilling to share anything.
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