What Did Jesus Teach About Money? What Does The Bible Say About Money?

The Bible, just like Jesus, has a lot to say about money. What can we learn from Jesus and from Scripture about money?

Woe to the Rich

Jesus always said things that were contrary to the ways of the world and looking at the ways of the world and that these ways of the world are not working very well, we need to seriously consider what Jesus taught about money. For one thing He said “He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:53). That seems just the opposite of the way the world seems to think. Jesus had a different attitude about money than most of us have saying “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?…O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them” (Matt 6:25, 31, 32). The “pagans” are those who are not born again and they seem to think that the world revolves around things like wealth and possessions but the fact is that instead of owning possessions, the possessions can own them. What the world seeks is not what they should be seeking as once again Jesus says “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt 6:33, 34).

Money or God?

The church in the 1^st century shared what they had with those who didn’t have as we read in Acts 4:32, 34; “No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had…There were no needy persons among them.”  There is a contest in the human passions between God and between money and Jesus flatly says “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions” (Luke 14:33)? The young rich ruler came to Jesus to see how he might receive eternal life but he falsely believed that he had kept all the commandments (Luke 18:18, 21a) so Jesus tells him “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving (Luke 18:22-23a) and he went away “very sad, for he was extremely rich” (Luke 18:23b).

There’s Nothing Wrong with Wealth

Some of Jesus’ greatest supporters helped Him by their wealth so Jesus was not condemning those who had money but those which money had them. Luke 8:1-3 records that “Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.” Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus both had wealth and Joseph even allowed Jesus to be buried in the tomb for which had made for himself (Luke 23:50-53). Many of the patriarchs were rich like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob so wealth in itself is not evil but as the Bible says “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim 6:10a) but it isn’t the root of “all” evil as some people assume. If not for money, there would be no missionary work, no evangelism, no support of the church’s work for the homeless, no prison ministries and nursing home ministries but it is because some have that “craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (1 Tim 6:10b).

Pursing Wealth

It seems that we all think we have arrived in life if we have a nice home, a nice car, plenty of money in the bank, and all of our bills paid off or paid before the money runs out at the end of the month but money can be its own worst enemy. Proverbs 15:27 says “The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live” and “even though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them” (Psalm 62:10). This is why Jesus said “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matt 6:19) rather “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt 6:20). To know where you heart really is Jesus said it is “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:21). Trying to serve two masters is impossible because “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matt 6:24). Solomon wrote “People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep” (Eccl 5:12).

Conclusion

Your money can’t but another minute, it can’t buy you happiness, or it can’t buy you a clean heart or a clear conscience. You can say “I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’  But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’  So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 2:18b-21). Isaiah asks “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food” (Isaiah 55:2) “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul” (Mark 8:36-37)? The answer to that rhetorical question is nothing!

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book  Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon.