Do we have the right to money?

“Can a man be poor if he is free from want, if he does not covet the belongings of others, if he is rich in the possession of God? Rather, he is poor who possesses much but still craves for more.” — Tertullian

In the passage where the New Testament says that every one must work, it gives as a reason ‘in order that he may have something to give to those in need’. Charity—giving to the poor—is an essential part of Christian morality: in the frightening parable of the sheep and the goats it seems to be the point on which everything turns. Some people nowadays say that charity ought to be unnecessary and that instead of giving to the poor we ought to be producing a society in which there were no poor to give to. They may be quite right in saying that we ought to produce this kind of society. But if anyone thinks that, as a consequence, you can stop giving in the meantime, then he has parted company with all Christian morality. I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charities expenditure excludes them. I am speaking now of charities’ in the common way. Particular cases of distress among your own relatives, friends, neighbours or employees, which God, as it were, forces upon your notice, may demand much more: even to the crippling and endangering of your own position. For many of us the great obstacle to charity lies not in our luxurious living or desire for more money, but in our fear—fear of insecurity. This must often be recognised as a temptation. Sometimes our pride also hinders our charity; we are tempted to spend more than we ought on the showy forms of generosity (tipping, hospitality) and less than we ought on those who really need our help. C.S. Lewis

How different our standard is from Christ's. We ask how much a man gives. Christ asks how much he keeps. - Andrew Murray

We have to earn it, inherit it, win it or steal it.  Work is the means for contributing to society, finding fulfilment, and meeting material needs so we can provide for our families.  

Hard working farmers have more
    than enough food;
    daydreamers are nothing more
    than stupid fools. - Proverbs 12:11 

 No matter how much you want,
    laziness won’t help a bit,
    but hard work will reward you
    with more than enough. - Proverbs 13:4

  Hard work is worthwhile, but empty talk    will make you poor. - Proverbs 14:23

Try your best to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work hard, just as we taught you to do.  Then you will be respected by people who are not followers of the Lord, and you won’t have to depend on anyone. - 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

We also gave you the rule that if you don’t work, you don’t eat.- 2 Thessalonians 3:10

Our people should learn to spend their time doing something useful and worthwhile. - Titus 3:14

We have skills we should develop in order to do our work well. As followers of Christ, we see our employer as God.

Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master.  In fact, the Lord Christ is the one you are really serving, and you know that he will reward you.- Colossians 3:23-24

Employees are to work hard and well, realising that even if their employer doesn't reward them, God will.  Employers are to pay decent wages. Christian businesses should set fair prices and use honest scales. As followers of Christ we tell the truth - the whole truth - when we sell a car, house, product or service.  We know that God is watching and will hold us accountable for how we conduct our business.

Panic

On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while.  Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns. - 1 Peter 1:6-7

Who brings financial struggles to our ministries?

Givers who seek earthly rewards, whether in the form of material things or recognition, get their temporal reward but lose their eternal one.

When you give to the poor, don’t blow a loud horn. That’s what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise. I can assure you that they already have their reward. - Matthew 6:2

 The manipulation of flattery does not work. Flattery never serves the interests of the person we are flattering - it serves only our interests.

We are not to do things for those who can benefit us, but for those who cannot - and then God Himself will reward us in heaven.




 

Face up to the poor

If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard. - Proverbs 21:13

 Is not this the fast that I choose:
    to loose the bonds of injustice,
    to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
    and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
    and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator^[a] shall go before you,
    the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
    you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you,
    the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness    and your gloom be like the noonday. - Isaiah 58:6-10

Giving to the poor seems to be able to improve one's prayer life.

Some seem to think that giving to a good cause is what matters and doing so is a sign of great motives.

If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast,^[a] but do not have love, I gain nothing. - 1 Corinthians 13:3

May God one day say of us what He said to King Josiah --

 He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
    then it was well.
Is not this to know me?
    says the Lord. - Jeremiah 22:16

Indiscriminate distributions to the poor

When it comes to the Old Testament concept of "gleaning" we find a healthy perspective here.  Provided they were able, the poor did the work themselves - and thereby were neither robbed of their dignity nor made irresponsible by a system requiring no work. The special tithe taken at the end of every third year went to the poor, including the Levites, travellers, the fatherless, and widows.  It did not include able-bodied adults who simply preferred not to work.

As churches lead in this area, there needs to be developed a screening process that is not impersonal or dehumanizing but that accurately determines whether a person is in need and if so why.

 Honor widows who are really widows.- 1 Timothy 5:3

The church needs to let the family take the lead and responsibility that belong to them as well.

 If a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some repayment to their parents; for this is pleasing in God’s sight.  The real widow, left alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day - I Timothy 5:4-5

 

 

Exceptions to caring for the poor?

A person may be poor because of self-indulgence.

Whoever loves pleasure will suffer want;
    whoever loves wine and oil will not be rich. - Proverbs 21:17

Someone may make a decent income but waste it on drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, expensive convenience foods, costly recreation, or gambling (including lotteries).

A person may be poor due to laziness.

 A slack hand causes poverty,
    but the hand of the diligent makes rich. - Proverbs 10:4

 The lazy person does not plow in season;
    harvest comes, and there is nothing to be found. - Proverbs 20:4

 Fools fold their hands
    and consume their own flesh. - Ecclesiastes 4:5

Ultimately, the lazy man is poor by choice.

Every act of provision to a lazy person who is poor removes the incentive to be responsible for themselves and makes them more dependent on others. Paul commands the Thessalonian church to stop taking care of the lazy and reminds them of the rule he issued when present with them.

  For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.- 2 Thessalonians 3:10

The point is not to let people starve - the point is that  people who are faced with starvation will be motivated to work and support themselves as God intended.

The appetite of workers works for them;
    their hunger urges them on. - Proverbs 16:26

Lazy and self-indulgent people do not need financial support - they need incentives to no longer be lazy and self-indulgent.

 Laziness brings on deep sleep;
    an idle person will suffer hunger. - Proverbs 19:15

  Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. - Galatians 6:7

The question is not simply, "What shall we do for the poor?" but "Which poor?" The truly poor must be helped. - thoughtfully and carefully.

Caring for the poor

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest.  You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God. - Leviticus 19:9-10

Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.  Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, “Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.” - Deuteronomy 15:10-11

 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
    and will be repaid in full. - Proverbs 19:17

Those who are generous are blessed,
    for they share their bread with the poor. - Proverbs 22:9

Those who are generous are blessed,
    for they share their bread with the poor. - Proverbs 28:27

 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
    and not to hide yourself from your own kin?  If you offer your food to the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually,
    and satisfy your needs in parched places,
    and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
    like a spring of water,
    whose waters never fail. - Isaiah 58:7, 10-11

 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
        to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
        to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” - Luke 4:18-19

Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. - John 13:29

He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid.  But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.  And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” - Luke 14:12-14

At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.  One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius.  The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers^[a] living in Judea;  this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. - Acts 11:27-30

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas.^[a] She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. - Acts 9:36

 He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God.  One afternoon at about three o’clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.”  He stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” He answered, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.- Acts 10:2-4

 They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was^[a] eager to do. - Galatians 2:4

 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. - James 1:27

 What good is it, my brothers and sisters,^[a] if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?  If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food,  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?- James 2:14-16

 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.  How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister^[a] in need and yet refuses help?  Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.  And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him - 1 John 3:16-19

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;  for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;  for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. Matthew 25:34-35, 41-42

There is a priority set to care for the needs of those who follow Christ.

 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. - Galatians 6:10

When Saul was persecuting Christians, Jesus appeared to him.

 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” - Acts 9:4

How can we eliminate poverty? The answer is, we cannot. Jesus said that the poor would always be with us. Should we give up? Of course not.

The poor need not only our provisions but also social justice.

You shall not abuse any widow or orphan.  If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry. - Exodus 22:22-23

Nor shall you be partial to the poor in a lawsuit. You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits. You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. - Exodus 23:3,6,9

 The prophets were particularly concerned about the exploitation of the poor.  James warns the church against courting and favouring the rich over the poor.

 I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy,    and executes justice for the poor. - Psalm 140:12

I need to determine a salary that I need to live on, then give back to God every dime He entrusts to me beyond that, so every day I work and earn income is a day that will help the poor and reach the lost.

Teaching the poor to give

2 Corinthians chapter 8 and 9 are the longest passages on giving in the Bible and it starts by focusing on the Macedonians who lived in extreme poverty, yet who gave simply according to their means but they did give beyond their ability. 

God blesses giving and when we hang on to what is His, it's never in our best interest - the poor are not hurt by giving, they are helped by giving.

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. - Malachi 3:10

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.  Luke 6:38

If we do not teach people about giving, we deprive them of what God would have provided if they had learned to become givers.

Doctrine of Reverse

Luke 16 tells us the story of a rich man and a poor man (Lazarus).  The rich man dressed well, lived in luxury, and was apparently healthy.  Lazarus was a beggar, diseased, dirty and ---

... lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. - Luke 16:21

If asked, "Who would you rather be, the rich man or Lazarus?" you would presumably reply, "The rich man."

We aren't told that this rich man was dishonest or irreligious or that he was worse than your average person.  We do know that he didn't use his god-provided wealth to care for another man in need.

Both men die.  Lazarus goes to heaven and the rich man goes to hell. When the rich man begs Abraham from across the gulf to send Lazarus to relieve his suffering ---

“Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish." - Luke 16:25

 Now that you have heard the rest of the story, who would you rather be, the rich man or Lazarus?  Abraham has made the point - after death, it's too late too switch.

This parable teaches that in eternity many of us will find ourselves in opposite conditions from our current situation on earth.

In the song she composed in anticipation of Christ's birth, Mary said ---

He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands. - Luke 1:53

Jesus said ---

“God blesses you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours. What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow." - Luke 6:20,25

The poor in spirit,those who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and are persecuted will be relieved and fulfilled and have a great reward in heaven.  Those praised in this world will not be highly regarded in the next, and vice versa.  those who are exalted in this life will often be humbled in the next; those who are humbled here on earth will be exalted in heaven.

Those who are poor in this world will often be rich in the next, and those who are rich in this world will often be poor in the next.  The poor are reassured that the hoarding and oppressing rich will one day be punished and the honest poor will be relieved.  In Revelation 18:7, a voice from heaven says ---

She glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so match it now with torment and sorrow ..." - Revelation 18:7

Someday this upside-down world will be turned right side up.  If we are wise, we will spend our brief lives on earth positioning ourselves for the turn.






Reversal Doctrine

Money: Litmus test of character

It's an index of our spiritual life.  Our stewardship of our money and possessions becomes the story of our lives. 

Because we all will eventually give an account of our lives to God, one day everyone must answer these questions -- Where did it all go?  What did I spend it on? What has been accomplished for eternity through my use of all this wealth?

In the account of the poor widow, Mark writes --

Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. - Mark 12:41

Jesus was deliberately watching to observe what people were giving.  He was close enough to see that some people put in large amounts and close enough even to see two tiny coins in a shrivelled old hand and to identify them as cooper.

Jesus was interested enough in what people were giving to make an object lesson for His disciples.

This passage should make all of us who suppose that what we do with our money is our own business feel terribly uncomfortable.  Perhaps you can hear Jesus using your handling of finances as an object lesson.






Money, Possessions and Eternity

Role of financial counselor

In Mark 12 we meet a poor widow.  She put two tiny copper coins in the temple offering box. Jesus was watching her - did He question the woman's wisdom?  Did He say she should have been more sensible than to surrender her only remaining resources?  He gave her an unqualified commendation --

“I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions.  For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.” - Mark 12:43-44

In Luke 12 we meet a rich man.  We're not told that he gained his wealth dishonestly or that he wasn't religious.   So what did God have to say to this man?

‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”   Luke 12:20-21

Who are featured more frequently in Christian magazines and talk shows -- poor widows or rich fools?  Today, don't we have a scarcity of poor widows and a surplus of rich fools?