I was amazed to find that what Jesus says about money bears little resemblance to what Dave Ramsey and the name-it-and-claim-it prosperity crowd have to say. Read through the Gospels and it becomes obvious Jesus did not die on the cross to make us rich and self-indulgent.
We can’t get too far from money and the hold it has on our lives. Economics unfortunately drives most of our decisions, including spiritual ones. We order our lives, plan our families, and serve in our churches based primarily on economic factors.
Adam Hamilton says that in American culture we suffer from two diseases. The first is affluenza, the constant drive for bigger and better stuff. The second is credititis, the ability to buy now and pay later. The desire for stuff and the ability to get it now and pay later shape our values, our families, and our relationship with God.
I get the impression that Jesus is not as concerned about our stuff as we are. In fact, he warns us about it. The quest for stuff, even the essential stuff, distorts our priorities and gets us out of sync with the kingdom before we know it. Jesus makes it clear we can’t serve God and consumerism at the same time. It simply doesn’t work. There will always be conflict of interest if you try it.
In introducing his kingdom to the disciples, Jesus said not to collect stuff that will only be stolen or depreciated. It only takes your heart away from important things. You can’t serve two masters, Jesus said.
He even said don’t become overly concerned about the essentials, like food and clothing. This was especially appalling in a time when it took all day one day just to make sure there would be food on the table the next.
The solution? “Desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well.” Aligning priorities so that God’s kingdom is first seems to put everything else into order.
That is important because the pursuit of stuff, even the essential stuff, is a debilitating condition the Bible calls “the love of money,” better known as greed. The ancients regarded greed as one of the seven deadly sins because it eats away at the heart and destroys God’s image within. Jesus pointed out that it causes broken relationships and keeps us from loving others the way God loves them. Like thorns in the field, deceitfulness of riches and the cares of this life choke out any effectiveness and fruitfulness for God’s kingdom. We can gain the whole world, but as Jesus pointed out, what good is that if we lose our own soul?
So, how do we seek first the kingdom financially speaking? The Bible teaches proportional giving at regular intervals as the means of keeping the heart in check when it comes to finances and funding the kingdom. Abraham gave a tenth of his bounty from rescuing Lot to Melchizedek the high priest. That was before the law, so tithing is not just a “law” thing. Of course, God prescribed tithing to support the priesthood and promised blessing for keeping it. And Jesus commended the Pharisees’ tithing of mint and cumin. Paul encourages regular giving when the worshiping community come together. Gifts were received to support Paul’s ministry and to help the poor and to provide disaster relief.
Regular, systematic, proportional giving is a means of spiritual discipline that has the dual benefit of guarding our hearts from greed and funding the kingdom. Its frequency should be based on when we are paid, and the amount should be a proportion of what we make. The Bible encourages ten percent, but any percentage on a regular basis is helpful. Proportional, regular giving is a great way to desire the kingdom first.
This month we are praying about our financial participation to the life and ministry of our church. I’d like to encourage a regular, proportional giving discipline as a means of desiring first God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness.
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP)Matthew 6:19-34
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