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PROFIT,
PROPERTY
AND
POSSESSIVENESS
"Then
one from the crowd said to Him, 'Teacher, tell my brother
to divide the inheritance with me.' But He said to him,
'Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?'
And He said to them, 'Take heed and beware of covetousness,
for one's life does not consist in the abundance of
the things he possesses.' Then He spoke a parable to
them, saying: 'The ground of a certain rich man yielded
plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying,
"What shall I do, since I have no room to store
my crops?" 'So he said, "I will do this: I
will pull down my barns and build greater, and there
I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say
to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many
years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.'"
But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will
be required of you; then whose will those things be
which you have provided?' So is he who lays up treasure
for himself, and is not rich toward God.' Then He said
to His disciples, 'Therefore I say to you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body,
what you will put on..'"
Luke 12:13-22
One of the major objectives
of the Word of God is to lead us into fulfillment; indeed, even
profit. Acts 20:20 says, "...I kept back nothing that was helpful,
but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly..." And Isaiah
48:17, "I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you by the way you should go." These and many other
Bible references indicate that it is God's will for His people to
prosper in every way, including financially. However, Church history
seems to clash with contemporary affluence.
How do we reconcile
this seeming conflict? Does the fact that Jesus directed limitation
of possessions for the sake of mobility in evangelism argue against
"having?" (Matthew 10:9, 10). Does the traditional practice
of clergy taking an oath of poverty make a valid statement essential
to "truest holiness"? Is it proper for a sincere Christian
to have savings accounts, insurance policies, and retirement plans
and not be a victim of the covetousness this text decries? If our
"practical reasoning" conflicts with the Word of God,
one is wrong: or could it be that the Word of God is "impractical?"
Let's see if we can come to terms with some of the issues around
this sensitive and often controversial subject.
THE
PROBLEM WITH PERSONAL WEALTH
There are at least three
major problems regarding wealth, abundance, and affluence in the
life of today's Christian. First of all, they are seldom recognized
as such. A fundamental thanklessness surrounds much of our society.
And as thanklessness perverts the creature when the Creator is not
praised, so ingratitude perverts our possessions and monies when
God-given abundance is not recognized and responsibly handled (Romans
1:21-32).
Secondly, personal wealth
will never afford complete security. When we consider our personal
resources to be our primary hedge against the uncertainties of tomorrow,
we will never be satisfied that they are totally adequate (Matthew
25:14-30). The very real problem of "preparing for later years"
is introduced in this text, but some of the more complex ramifications
we face today are not addressed. The subject for Christians in today's
society is complicated and compounded by additional aspects including
the need for reassessing family relationships and caring for the
aged.
Personal wealth also
tends to lead to a loss of perspective. It is easy for someone who
has been successful to slip into the self-congratulatory mode of
thinking which says, "I have been very diligent and have amassed
this fortune out of my own wisdom, determination, and energy."
In Mark 4:18, 19, Jesus shows how the entry of Kingdom truth has
little chance of durable penetration ("becomes unfruitful")
where "the cares of this world, (and) the deceitfulness of
riches" preoccupy the mind. If my over-riding concern is how
I'm going to protect my investments or my cash liquidity, I'm not
likely to spend my energy on a maturing relationship with Jesus.
He once said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he
will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to
the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon"
(Matt. 6:24).
THE
MESSAGE OF JESUS ABOUT CONCERN OVER POSSESSIONS
The occasion of this
teaching in Luke 12, verses 13-15 is where Jesus refuses to become
an executor of an estate; He uses the squabble of brothers over
inheritance rights to teach on the problems of "covetousness,"
i.e. possessiveness. From this and the surrounding text, we can
gain some insights into different problem areas regarding personal
wealth;
1. There is a very human
tendency for all of us to forget the source of our blessings (vs.
16). Jesus introduces the "fool" who illustrates His point.
He fails to remember that everything with which he is dealing came
from "the ground." The Creator birthed his abundance;
he is but a steward or caretaker of what God has granted him.
2. There is an inclination
toward preoccupation with self (v. 17). The man's entire system
is closed inwardly--"within himself." Six "I's,"
five "my's," and two "himself's" constitute
the thrust of his total consideration. In his system of things,
possessions are for possessing. There is no thankfulness in his
heart, nor is there any talk of sharing from his bounty.
3. We see the absence
of a plan for abundance (v. 18). The waste and the shortsightedness
of this mentality is apparent. The man plans to tear down barns
to build bigger ones; and it never seems to occur to him that this
is not necessarily the last crop he will ever harvest.
4. There is a failure
to apply lifetime values (v. 19, 20). The contrast between the words
"many years" and "this night" is startling.
We must live in the light of James 4:13-15, "Come now, you
who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,
spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas
you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life?
It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes
away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall
live and do this or that."
5. A neglect of long-range
plans is apparent (v. 20, 21). This seems to be a case of a man
who not only forgot his ultimate accountability to God concerning
everything he has as well as for who he is; but he even seems to
have neglected to provide for his loved ones with a will.
The Guidelines We Observe
From This Study
The Bible does not teach
that abundance of resource is a hindrance to a God-intended order
of life. (Note: "and is not rich toward God." The problem
is in the absence of balance, not in the absence of self-inflicted
poverty.) BUT, the Bible does teach that abundance with possessiveness
does become a source of hindrance to some, stopping spiritual growth:
Luke 18:18-27; James 5:1-5; Joshua 6:17-7:26.
The Bible does not teach
against provision for family and future. (contrast v. 21 with Proverbs
13:22). BUT, the Bible does teach against the unwise accumulation
of resources subjecting them to loss and/or worthlessness (Luke12:22-32).
The
Bible does not teach that wealth is undesirable or unspiritual
(Proverbs 10:22; III John 2). BUT the Bible does teach
that our resources are to be managed under God's headship
and in His name and behalf. We are stewards of HIS bounty,
not ours; charged to distribute and/or multiply unto
larger purposes that with which He has entrusted us
(Ephesians 4:22 and text).
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Jack
Hayford Ministries
14800 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91405-2233