15. Money and Materialism
Perhaps no area in our life in the Truth is more
sensitive than our attitude toward money, and what it can buy, in our
materialistic society. Here certainly is one of those areas where it is very
wrong for any believer to judge the motives or conduct of his fellows. But, at
the same time, here especially is an area of life where each believer must
examine his or her own attitudes and actions. It is in this spirit, and with a
desire only to help and not to legislate or coerce, that the following is
offered.
While caring for oneself and one’s family
is an obligation of the Truth (1 Tim. 5:8; 2 Thes. 3:8-12), there is also a need
not to over-emphasize the importance of money and possessions. The “now
syndrome”, so much a part of modern expectations and demands, is in
conflict with the call of discipleship (2 Tim. 2:3,4; Matt. 6:24-34; Prov.
30:7-9). “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his
possessions” (Luke 12:15). The headlong pursuit after cars, well-furnished
houses, and an array of sports equipment and amusement devices does not, in
itself, guarantee happiness. “If only I had...such-and-such, and
so-and-so...things would be so much better” is a view of the world which
underlies the appeal of lotteries, TV give-away programs and advertisements. It
is a mistake to think that the more one has, the better things will be. What is
required is a determination to live within one’s income and to have the
right perspective on this world’s goods. No less a prophet than Elisha was
furnished with only a bed, lamp, table, and chair!
“Buy now, pay later” may be the
attitude of the world whose citizenship is very much a part of this system of
things, but the attitude of those whose citizenship is in heaven is very
different:
“Godliness with contentment is great
gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry
nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they
that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and
hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of
money is the root of all evil: which while some have coveted after, they have
erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1
Tim. 6:6-10).
Tithing
There are numerous religious communities whose
members “tithe”, that is, devote 10% of their income to the service
of their church. The question inevitably arises: Should we be doing the same?
Are we doing as much? And, would we not be in a much stronger position in our
witness to our faith if we did tithe? (As a matter of fact, some in our own
community do tithe.)
The English words “tithe” or
“tithes” occur only eight times in the New Testament, and not at all
in a context which suggests that tithing was an obligation upon New Testament
believers. To sum up the New Testament usage: The orthodox Jews paid tithes of
trivial things while neglecting weightier matters, and were condemned by Jesus
for doing so (Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42). The Pharisee of Jesus’ parable
boasted of his tithing without receiving any blessing from the Lord for doing so
(Luke 18:12). Abraham acknowledged his subordination to Melchizedek by giving
him 10% of his spoils (Heb. 7:6,8,9).
There is in fact no New Testament doctrine that
speaks of the obligation of Christians to tithe their incomes, in the
Lord’s service.
In the apostolic period, there were certainly men
who could well have used all their time in the service of the gospel, and there
may have been some who actually did so. The Lord Jesus has certainly established
the right that “they that preach the gospel shall live of the
gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14). But Paul used this privilege very little because he
desired to avoid any indebtedness to men who might misuse their patronage. The
funds for such maintenance as was accepted, as well as for the relief of the
poor, plainly came from voluntary contributions the extent of which was not
imposed from outside. If from time to time it was very generous, it could also
be very tight-fisted; its amount rested entirely with the giver (Acts 2:44,45;
4:32-37; 5:1-11; 11:27-30; 1 Cor. 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 9:1-15).
No one has the right to demand that all members
of the ecclesia should tithe; but, equally, no one has the right to criticize
the decision of individuals to do so if they choose. Our basic principle should
be that, though such-and-such is no longer demanded by law, the true believer
from the fulness of his heart should do at least as well, or even
better.
Two Kinds of Treasure
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures on
earth” (Matt. 6:19),
but...
“Lay up treasures in heaven” (v.
20),
for...
“Where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also” (v. 21).
This is perhaps the most comprehensive and
searching of all the commands of Christ, because it deals with the whole
direction and motivation and purpose of life. Broadly defined, “treasures
on earth” means anything related to this present mortal
life.
The natural way is to accumulate
“treasures” of many different kinds. “Mammon” (v. 24)
includes riches, material possessions, and pleasures. This desire to lay up
treasures...this acquisitiveness (a nice word for simple greed!).... is so
universally taken for granted that it is almost heresy to question it. It is the
foundation assumption of almost all advertising. Even many
“believers” consider it “foolish” and
“impractical” even to try to imitate Christ in this respect, and
they quote such passages as 1 Tim. 5:8 and Eccl. 9:10 with more than usual
vigor, to help set “the proper balance”!
How much impact does this command of Christ have
upon us? Whether we consider job promotions, or “consumer goods”, or
“the good life”, how many times have any of us made the conscious
decision: “No! I will go no further. I have more than I really need
already. I will not pamper myself!” Probably, for most of us, not nearly
often enough. It is in our natures (and simply learning “the Truth”
does not change our natures) to want “treasures” both in heaven and
on earth, to seek both salvation and present advantage. It is so easy to forget
that Christ specifically said we cannot have both: ”Ye cannot serve God
and mammon” (Matt. 6:24).
God wants us to be different from the world, with
our minds on very different things. Of course, most of us must work, in one way
or another, to provide for necessities. Certainly Jesus worked at a trade until
the time came for his special mission. And Paul, as he moved about the
ecclesias, found work from place to place so as not to be a burden to the
believers. But for them these daily affairs had importance only insofar as they
were related to eternal things. “Seek ye first the kingdom” (v. 33)
was the rule of Christ’s life, and of Paul’s life. Is it the rule of
our lives?
“Do not be anxious about your life, what
you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put
on” (verse 25).
It is a revolutionary concept, totally foreign to
our natural inclinations. But Jesus does not bid us obey him without reasons. He
gives, in fact, seven good reasons why this philosophy makes
sense:
(1) Verse 25: Life itself is more important than
those things that sustain it. If our lives come from God and are held in His
hand, then certainly, when we do our part faithfully in the “great
adventure” of dedication and service, the lesser matters will be taken
care of.
(2) Verse 26: The birds do not make frantic
provision. They do not worry or scheme or plan. And you, Jesus says, are much
more important than they are (10:29-31).
(3) Verse 27: “Which of you by being
anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?”
(4) Verses 28-30: If God takes such care for the
flowers that will soon shrivel in the heat, will He not provide much better for
you, His children, made in His image?
(5) Verse 32a: The nations that do not know God
worry and hoard riches. Surely you will not be like them!
(6) Verse 32b: Your Heavenly Father knows what
you need. He will not forget.
(7) Verse 34: “One day at a time”:
The world is such an evil place that we need as much of our mental resources as
can be spared to face the spiritual trials of today. To borrow worries from next
week is to overburden our capabilities and risk failure in spiritual
pursuits.
“For Thou art my
God”
We recognize that the “world”, even
the nominally “Christian” world, does not heed Christ’s
advice. But do we do any better, or are we swept up and molded into conformity
with the world around us? This is an age dedicated to getting more and yet more
money, in order to spend it on more and yet more selfishness: fine houses, fine
foods, expensive trips, and the worship (yes, it is “idolatry”
— Col. 3:5!) of car and garden and, last but not least, our own adorned,
deodorized, tanned, and groomed selves! It is an age when millions succumb to
the enticements of “health spas” and “country clubs”, to
exercise, and diet, and build the new and improved “You”. One cannot
help but draw the analogy to Isaiah’s ironic description of the idolator
— who seeks out a tree trunk and cuts and shapes and polishes it into a
natural beauty, finally to fall down and worship it:
“Deliver me, for thou art my god”
(Isa. 44:14-17).
Different? Or the Same?
What are our ambitions, our goals in life? Are
they different from the world, or are they all too similar? Are our older folks
eager for retirement, so they can take it easy and enjoy life? Are our
middle-aged folks keen on “security”? Are our younger folks caught
up in the “timetable syndrome” — get an education, get a good
job, get married, get a house, “get ahead” — and each goal by
a certain date, or they are falling behind? And if they — the young ones
— are that way, whose example have they followed?
What sets us apart from the masses around us who
have no true hope? Is it enough that we believe differently, without living
differently? Do we preach “separateness from the world” one day a
week, and then live the other six days as though we were still very much a part
of that world? In our pious preaching, do we even manage to convince ourselves
that we are really following Christ’s example?
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon
earth.” The use of our money may be the touchstone, the truest indicator,
of our heart’s desires. Why? Because the obtaining and the using of money
makes up so great a part of our daily lives — we are always spending
money! — so that our ordinary life must be much the same in nature as our
ordinary ways of spending money. If we spend our money for purchases that appeal
to pride or pleasure, then we are demonstrating in the most practical way
possible that those characteristics have firm hold on our lives, to the
exclusion of God’s truth.
Common Objections
There are several common objections to giving
money to help the poor. What is so attractive about these objections is that
they masquerade as Scriptural, wise, and prudent — putting a “good
face” on the greed that hides behind them:
(1) “Since Jesus said, ‘The poor
you have with you always’ (John 12:8), and we cannot change the world, why
should we bother trying?”: But Jesus did not say, “Forget the
poor because they are always there.” He said, in effect, “You will
always have opportunities to help the poor.” When Jesus was present, his
followers lavished gifts upon him, and they did well. But now that he is absent,
we may forget that we can give gifts to Jesus just as well by helping his poor
brethren. Who would ignore the needs of the Master? But now he sits at the right
hand of God, and he can no longer use the cup of cold water, the food, the
clothing. But someone else can!
One of Christ’s parables was most explicit
as to the grounds of rejection at his judgment. It is enlightening to note that
the wicked were not rejected for holding some false doctrine. They were not
rejected for failing to preach the Truth. They were not even rejected for
neglecting to attend a specified number of ecclesial meetings. They were
rejected because they ignored the simple, material needs of their brethren, and
thereby they ignored Christ (Matt. 25:41-45)!
(2) “If I am not careful and prudent
(which really means “selfish”!) I may give charity to someone
who does not deserve it, or someone who does not use it properly”:
This is a common Christadelphian “worry”. And it sounds all too much
like the businessman proclaiming to the board of directors the
“virtue” of the preservation of capital. But in showing love for
others through our material gifts, we are exemplifying the character of our
Father in Heaven, who sends His rain on the just and on the unjust (Matt. 5:45).
God loves us whether we deserve it or not. He loves us even when we definitely
do not deserve it. He loves us even when we do despite to His grace and turn our
backs on His outstretched hand. He is not “careful” or
“responsibly prudent” about His gifts.
(3) “By giving away my money (or the
ecclesia’s money) I encourage others to be beggars and
irresponsible”: But then, why should I ever forgive anyone? It will
just “encourage” him to do wrong again. Or why should I give
medicine to a sick person? It might just “encourage” him to get sick
again.
(4) “It’s more important to use
our money in preaching the Truth than to give it to the needy”: This
is the only one of these four common objections to charity that can stand up to
any examination at all. It is true that to give a dying man the gospel is better
than to give him a crust of bread. But it can hardly be denied that both could
be useful!
The only response to this objection is: If you
really believe this, then do it! Do not be like the Pharisee who cried
“Corban” when reminded that others could use his material help, and
then when the need was past, kept his riches for himself
anyway!
The only other thing to be said here is that
surely there are resources lying dormant which are sufficient for sizeable
efforts on both fronts. At the absolute minimum, resources are available so that
our own spiritual “family” at home and abroad need not suffer hunger
and illness, while their “brethren” are well-off and with goods to
spare.
Christ gave everything, even life itself, for us.
What can we give him? What “price-tag” do we put on our
redemption?
“Where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also.”
