It’s been a while since I’ve looked at the Sermon on the Mount and ways that we ignore or marginalize the clear teaching of Jesus. I want to get back to that and look at the subject of wealth. In Matthew 6, Jesus says the following:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Jesus tells us clearly that our concern should not be our condition on earth, but rather our condition in heaven. People store up treasure for future security. But treasure on earth is not as secure as treasure in heaven, which cannot be taken from us.
I’ve often been confused about this bit about the eye and what it has to do with wealth. I think the best understanding has to do with the ancient idea that having a “good eye” meant someone was generous and helpful, while a “bad eye” meant someone was stingy and envious. We might say “openhanded” or “tightfisted” to mean the same. This idea is also seen in Matthew 20:15, where Jesus has told a parable in which the owner of a vineyard pays the same wage to workers who just arrived and those who have worked all day. The owner says, “Or are you envious because I am generous?” But the literal sense is “is your eye evil because I am good?” The “bad eye” of the workers meant they fell short of godly generosity.
Another sense of meaning has to do with the choice of the word for “good” which is literally “single” (as seen in the KJV). A good eye is a single eye, or to be “single-minded.” The believer with good eyes is single-minded in only caring about the concerns of God, instead of double-minded, caring about the concerns of both God and the world, which leads to the next point.
Jesus says no one can serve to masters. He makes no exceptions. No one. Both God and money hold exclusive claims over us. Neither allows a second master. Jesus said this clearly, but most of us react as if he were kidding. “You can’t serve both God and money? That can’t be true. Let me give it a try!” We seem to think we are the ones who will be the exception. Is it in any way reasonable to think this way?
It’s important to remember some other points that Jesus and his disciples made about money. In Matthew 13, Jesus told the well-known parable of the sower. You might remember that some seed fell on the path and was eaten by birds. Some fell on rocky soil, sprang up quickly but had no root and withered in the hot sun. Some fell among thorns. And finally, some fell on good soil and produced a harvest. Take heed to what Jesus said about the third type of seed: “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.” Jesus told us wealth is deceitful. Deceitful people make promises to us, and fail to deliver on them. They convince us that “this time will be different.” That is exactly what deceitful people and things do, and that is the descriptor Jesus chose to use about wealth. It will deceive you to think you can find satisfaction and security in it. That is a lie.
Jesus also spoke about wealth during an incident recorded in Luke 12. A man asked Jesus to order his brother to divide the inheritance with him. In Jesus’s reply he said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” We are to watch out and be on our guard against greed. Things we are told to watch out for are dangerous. We might consider them traps.
On the subject of traps, let’s look at one of Paul’s strongest statements about wealth. In 1 Timothy 6, he wrote:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”
Paul says that wanting to get rich is a temptation and a trap, and those who are eager for money hurt themselves and cause themselves grief. There is more we could say about the New Testament teaching on wealth. James, for instance, says, “But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business” (James 1:10-11). And later he says, “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you” (James 5:1-6). But I would like to focus on the idea of wealth as deceitful and desire to gain wealth as a trap. This idea feels so counter to the way most of us in our churches act toward money. We look up to people with money and encourage our children to become wealthy. Most of us are pretty wealthy by the standards of the world and all of history, but putting that aside, why aren’t we more concerned about those who want to become more wealthy than those around them? Do we ever warn our children about this? I don’t remember being warned. Usually, we hold out different options as “a good career” and single out wealthy people as good examples. But Jesus said it is deceitful and Paul says it is a trap. We work ourselves up over things like sending our kids to public schools where they might hear bad words or have a teacher who is gay, threats which Jesus and Paul didn’t pay much attention to, while we completely ignore the huge threat of desire for wealth, which is influencing our kids everywhere. Many preachers are constantly warning Christians about all kinds of sins and threats but are silent about the trap of greed.
And that’s just the thing about traps – they are hidden. Deceitful people lie to you. You should expect it.
Let me respond to a couple objections that I can see. First, isn’t it more important where you heart is? Maybe. I suppose the condition of the heart is the most important thing. But Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” He didn’t say, “where your heart is, there your treasure will be.” The heart follows the treasure. And besides, wouldn’t it be just in line with a deceitful person to justify a desire for wealth by claiming it’s okay as long as your heart is good?
Another objection may be made by pointing to wealthy people in the New Testament. I can think of a few. Zacchaeus was wealthy, and meeting Jesus prompted him to give away much of his wealth. The rich young ruler was told by Jesus to give up his wealth and he refused. The women in Luke 8 who followed Jesus also gave of their means to support the community of disciples. Joseph of Arimathea provided a tomb for Jesus. In Acts 4, Barnabas and others sold their property to meet the needs of the other believers. Most likely, several leaders of New Testament house churches were wealthy enough to have a large home and open it to be used by the church. So, we see a number of people who were wealthy, came to faith in Christ, and generously gave from their wealth to provide for the needs of poor people and/or other believers. What we don’t see are believers who then set out to become wealthy.
So, the lesson in all of this is the following: There is no way you can serve both God and money. It is a lie to think that you can, and desire for wealth is a trap. If you are a believer in Jesus and already wealthy, then use that wealth for the benefit of poor people and for legitimate ministry purposes. If you are a believer and not wealthy, don’t try to become wealthy. It’s a trap.
HIS WORDS, HIS WORKS, HIS WAYS 