The stronger get to dominate the weaker. That’s the way of the world. Power gives permission. Might makes right. Unless the weaker can organize themselves to create a new, equally powerful, base.
In the church, money plays the same role. Those with money feel themselves entitled to get their way. Riches give permission. Money makes right.
Unless… Jesus gets his way.
Today I don’t have any words of wisdom of my own to share. Thought I’d share some of my favorite wisdom from the book of Proverbs:
“Two things I ask of you, O LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much
and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.”
(Proverbs 30:7-9)
Have a great day!
pan·a·ce·a (pān’ə-sē’ə) n. A remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties; a cure-all
I found it. The solution for everything. It’s right here in Ecclesiastes:
“A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.” (Ecclesiastes 10:19)
That’s right. Money is the answer for everything. Life is that simple. Seek money. Get money. All problems will be gone.
Or do you think that maybe, just maybe, wisdom literature needs to be read in a special way? Yes, that includes Ecclesiastes.
Wisdom literature needs to be read as such. We can’t merely take everything literally and think that we’re going to hear the message it has for us. We saw that when discussing alcohol. The misreading of Proverbs has led to many misconceptions about Christians and alcohol. In the same way, many yank verses out of context from Ecclesiastes to try and say, “Here’s what the Bible says.” It’s not enough to say, “The Bible says…” We need to get to “The Bible teaches…”
[Nick Gill wrote this week about difficulties in reading Proverbs, touching on some of these same ideas.]
As I continue to present some thoughts on Ecclesiastes, we’ll need to keep these ideas in mind. Wisdom literature needs to be read as the special literature that it is.
For a while I’ve joked about Publishers Clearinghouse being my retirement plan. It was a joke, yet I daydreamed at times about what I would do if I actually won a bunch of money.
Then I realized the other day that coming into a bunch of money wouldn’t do me well spiritually. I need that uncertainty about tomorrow, that unsureness about just how everything will get taken care of. It builds my dependence on God, keeps me from thinking that I can do it all myself. I’m not saying that that’s true for everyone, but I’ve found it to be true for me. Throughout my adult life, I’ve gone through times where I didn’t know where the money would come from… and it came. I’ve also gone through some times when I thought, “OK, we’ve finally saved up some money.” And something has come along to wipe out that amount.
It takes me a while, but hopefully I’m learning the lesson. I’ve prayed the prayer from Proverbs that God would let me be neither rich nor poor. And he has faithfully answered that prayer. Now it’s up to me to continue to trust in him.
(Photo by Miroslav Sárička, www.sxc.hu)
I still remember the blasting caps poster. It was second or third grade, and there was a poster on our classroom wall warning us of the dangers of blasting caps. For months my blasting cap awareness was heightened. Every day as I walked home from school, I would look for blasting caps, not wanting to unwittingly expose myself to the danger.
I wonder now why I’ve never seen a similar poster, but with money on it. Maybe I should ask why I’ve never made such a poster. Think about some of the things that the Bible says about money:
“And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
(Matt. 19:23-26)
Having riches can make it harder for me to enter the kingdom of God. It can create an additional hurdle for me and for my family.
“And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
(Mark 4:18-19)
Riches deceive and choke out faith. Yes, I know there are exceptions to that, as there are to most rules, yet our Lord himself warned us about the deceitfulness of riches and their effect on our lives. I can’t help but think our desire to find exceptions is part of the deceitfulness!
“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
(1Tim. 6:6-10)
Those who want to get rich fall into temptation. Paul says it pretty straight. Riches are a dangerous trap, a mortal one.
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
(Heb. 13:5)
Looking to money means looking away from God. God has promised not to forsake us. When we spend all of time focused on accumulating for ourselves, we are doubting his promises.
“Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”
(Prov. 30:8-9)
I love this prayer. “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” May I learn to pray the same in my own life.
“No servant 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.” The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”
(Luke 16:13-15)
The Pharisees scoffed, just as part of me scoffs. Trust in God. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Inside, part of me says, “Yeah, right.” Then Jesus’ words ring in my ears: “What is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” In other words, if I’m doing the things that the world would say, “Yes, that’s a good plan. That’s good common sense,” I’m probably doing something that God doesn’t like. When I seek home ownership, college education for my kids, financial security for retirement, am I going after the things the world exalts? Am I going after things that God detests?
Am I playing with a new kind of blasting caps? Maybe somebody should make me a poster.