Theme: the place of wealth in the life of the Christian
As the Gospel came to us for the first time, it was said on the one hand that it was the poor who will inherit the kingdom of the heavens (Catholics) and yet those who say it lacks nothing. For our part (evangelical), it was said that Jesus comes back soon (according to the missionaries), so no need to raise terrestrial wealth. But ultimately, reality was right for these thoughts which were a disinformation for some and a bad understanding for others. But what is wealth?
Definition
Wealth is a set of material goods that a person has. It is also intelligence, capacity, health ... In ancient times, it was measured in relation to the size of herd or extent of land that an individual had. Nowadays it is not seen in the same way. Cultural variety is a wealth. For us children of God, we are rich in Christ our Lord; colos 1:26 The mystery hidden from all time and in all ages, but now revealed to his saints, 27 to whom God wanted to make known what is the glorious wealth of this mystery among the pagans, to know: Christ in you, the hope of glory. But this wealth is not to be compared to material wealth.
Material riches
For a large number of people true Christianity does not need material wealth.
The most spiritual Christian is the one who is not concerned with material questions and who loves poverty. He devoted himself to an intense prayer life, meditation and that is enough.
By a bad reading of the Word of God we think that Christian life is synonymous with material poverty. Jesus loves the poor more than the rich. It was not he who taught the following words Matthew 5: 3 happy the poor in mind; Because the kingdom of heaven is their own and Matthieu 6:24 that two masters cannot be served.
Thus Christians are encouraged to material poverty, despite the occupations (work) they have. What are we working for? Shouldn't we guarantee certain things? The poor in mind are those who realized that God is not in their lives. Everything they have or not is no longer a problem, they will seek salvation.
Has not the apostle Paul said that it is the love of money is the root of all ills?
1 Timothy 6: If we have food and clothing, that will be enough for us. 9 But those who want to enrich themselves fall into temptation, in the trap, and in many insane and pernicious desires that plunge men into ruin and perdition. 10 Because the love of money is a root of all evils; And some, being possessed, were lost far from faith, and threw themselves into many torments.
We can therefore say that the association of the Christian faith with material poverty comes from a bad reading of money and material goods. The Lord Jesus Christ used material poverty (illness, lack ...) to make them understand that spiritual poverty also exists.
Two aspects can be distinguished in the interpretation
Biblical on money: the negative aspect and the positive aspect.
The negative aspect of money
Money like Mammon
The problem comes from unequivocal consideration Matthieu 6:24: No one can serve two masters. Because, or he will hate one, and will love the other; Or he will focus on one, and will despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon. But what is Mammon's meaning?
What is Mammon against which Christ speaks? The name Mammon is of Aramaic origin.
It was given to an adored idol like the god of wealth (just like the gods of war, fertility in Egypt ...). Mammon is therefore the god of wealth, the god of money.
In Israel, Mammon meant money in its domineering and corrupting power, the badly acquired good.
Mammon is equal to God, being a divinity. Money becomes a problem not because it represents purchasing power, but because it dominator (it passes before the family, relations and even God), who seeks to control the life of the one who has it. We accept the lying of the rich and we refuse the truth of the poor.
We haven't brought anything in the world, and it is obvious that we can take nothing: if we have food and clothing, that will be enough for us. But those who want to enrich themselves fall into temptation, in the trap, and in practices prohibited by God and even the law that plunges men into ruin and perdition. Others engage in the flight, lie (use old prescriptions to ask for help everywhere, people near stations in Ouaga dock foreign faces to ask for help for fuel just by pushing their motorcycles), young girls or married women engage in prostitution because of the love of money.
It is not the purchasing power that is criticized but the love of money, by the continuation of material wealth, and the temptations that this leads to. It is impossible to love money without trying to acquire or use it at the expense of others (fraud, corruption, servility (paying employees below merit or even; others will do months without paying and returning them). The search for money obliges the competition and elimination of competitors. The search for pleasures brought by money requires the next to make it. By all means and at all costs.
But in the end, everyone is concerned: the poor for what they are missing and the rich for his treasure.
The positive aspect of money:
Money as a divine blessing
From Job it is said: there was a man in the country with a man who was named job. And this man was honest and right: he feared God, and turned away from evil. He was born to him seven sons and three daughters. He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred donkeys, and a very large number of servants. And this man was the most considerable of all the sons of the East; (Job 1: 1-3). This man despite the ordeal remained with God who returned the double. What about us?
From David he is written after his death: David son of Isai, reigned over all of Israel. The time he reigned over Israel was forty years: in Hébron he reigned seven years, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. He died in a happy old age, full of days, wealth and glory. And Solomon his son reigned in his place; 1 Chronicles 29: 26-28.
For the construction and equipment of churches and our homes, don't we need money?
When the missionaries arrived in Koudougou, there were two men who wanted to go to the Biblical school; but pushed by the spirit he said to one that he must work and support the mission while the other must answer the call by being formed. This is how one and the other were a blessing for the Church in Koudougou.
In Israel, as a nation, God promises prosperity if he lives according to the law of God. "If you obey the voice of the Lord your God, by observing and putting into practice all his commandments that I prescribe to you today, the Lord, your God, will give you superiority over all the nations of the earth. Here are all the blessings that will spread over you and that will be your sharing, when you obey the voice of the Lord, your God ... The Lord will order the blessing to be with you in your attics and in all your businesses. He will bless you in the country that the Lord, your God, gives you the Lord will fill you with goods, by multiplying the fruit of your bowels, the fruit of your herds and the fruit of your soil, in the country that the Lord has sworn to your fathers to give you. The Lord will open his good treasure, the sky, to send your country the rain in its time and to bless all the work of your hands; You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow. (Deuteronomes 28: 1-14).
In the New Testament, the ministry of our Lord Jesus is supported by the financial resources of the rich women who followed him; Luke 8: 1 then, Jesus went from city to city and from village to village, preaching and announcing the good news of the Kingdom of God. 2 The twelve were with him and a few women who had been cured of malignant minds and diseases: Marie, known as Magdala, from which seven demons had released, 3 Jeanne, wife of Chuza, intendant of Herod, Susanne, and several others, who assisted him with their property. Some will say that as it is the Lord Jesus Christ, it is normal, however my brother, my sister and the man of God represent the Lord; 2Rois4: 8-17 The mouth that eats good will not say any harm; if we act for God, he will intervene for us.
Material wealth, money, spiritual and physical health are blessings of God. Believers must understand that material wealth is a good thing. It is even a sign of God's blessing. Believers must reflect on how to work in a productive way, in order to welcome divine blessings, and how to keep them, and use them for the glory of God, for their personal enjoyment, and for altruism; Luke 16: 24 He cried: Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and sends Lazare, so that he drew his finger in water and refreshes my tongue; Because I sorely suffer in this flame. 25 Abraham replied: My child, remember that you received your property during your life, and that Lazarus had the evils during his; Now he is consoled here, and you suffer.
Some will say that if the rich is in hell they prefer to remain poor. Abraham was very rich but why he ended up with poor Lazarus. This is what he did with his money who condemns him.
Paul gave a recommendation in 1 Timothy 6: 17 recommends that the rich of the present century not be proud, and not to put their hope in uncertain wealth, but to put it in God, which gives us abundant all things so that we enjoy it. 18 Recommend them to do good, to be rich in good works, to have liberality, generosity, 19 and to make up for the future a treasure placed on a solid foundation, in order to grasp true life.
Conclusion
Money must be a servant and not a master for us. Whatever the effort we have made to acquire anything, recognize that it was the Lord who gave us life, health and the strength to be able to do it. We must certainly save it but also put it at the service of it.