Here is the verse:
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Given the current market turmoil, there has been an unprecedented amount of economic anxiety, not seen in the last 20 plus years or so. One week we started out with 5 investment banks (independent) I think we are down to one (Goldman’s I think). Everybody is rushing around trying to make their investments secure, many are losing much of what they had. The Mortgage crisis caused the Government to intervene with the Freddie’s and a welfare plan (it is funny how welfare is fine for the rich but not the poor) in the amount of 85 Billion for AIG is one of the biggest interventions since the Chrysler crisis a few years back.
It is funny that Jesus tells His disciples this. Before I paste the verse into here, I really want to know, do we take Jesus seriously, or better yet do we think Jesus takes us seriously? Do we? Are those red words to be taken literally or figuratively, are we to have some subjective hermeneutic that takes some of Jesus words literally and others as mild suggestions or best practice? I struggle with this so I ain’t tossing stones, I just wonder if the turning of the cheek, or the walk the extra mile, or to give without asking in return, are imperatives or suggestions. Okay back to the verse:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Is this a command or a suggestion? When Jesus says “do not be anxious” what exactly does these phrase mean? Is it emphatic? Given our current economic downturn “how then shall we respond”? Like the pagan with no hope for anything past this life? Or should we have the peace of God that Paul talks about?
But back to the 401K issue. I have a bone to pick with Crown Financial. It is a hermeneutical bone. As I read their material, and had the utter displeasure of going through this at my church, I noticed one thing very quickly. They avoided some verses like a plague. Things such as 2 Corinthians 8-9, Acts 4, and especially Matthew 6 (the part of storing up) were avoided. Let me ask when Jesus says “don’t store up” what exactly does He mean? Does He mean store up retirement but nothing else? Or store up enough to cover your kids college tuition because that would be wise then don’t store up anymore? Does He mean store up enough for you do all the things you want, then don’t store up?
I am not attempting to be legalistic but I also don’t want to ignore my Master. What exactly does Jesus mean? I ask because of this. Dr. Black talks quite a bit about the work in Ethiopia, many other brothers and sisters are trying to get clean drinking water and vaccinations to third world countries, while we in America don’t even worry about stuff like that, we store up more than they even have access to. So while we are planning to retire early, they die at alarming rates. Is this the Gospel that we proclaim? Lets see the words of James:
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Technology is a curse and a blessing depends on how you look at it. We get emails there are thousands of organizations and they send emails, have websites are on radio programs and they are showing the grave needs of many and we say “go in peace” while we store up for our “future” (it is funny that we say Jesus is our future, until it comes to this area of our lives). We say “I must keep my retirement account at a level that is coherent with “my” goals”. While many won’t eat tomorrow.
So I am not writing this because I have it together. I haven’t emptied my bank account, but I do see the early church meeting the needs of each other in an incomparable economy. To be honest I am scared to give like they do, or to cash in my funds to feed the poor and I wonder if James is asking me the question “can your faith save you”? I don’t know but what I do know their faith turned an Empire upside down and they were sacrificers, we have passed the buck to our government and we are storers. Just some food for thought.
Yeah, we are asking a lot of the same questions brother.
He who doesn’t take care of his own household is worse than an infidel and has denied the faith.
That’s how I think about (1) savings, (2) life insurance, and (3) college savings. However, none of this negates the sacrificial giving that I lead my family to offer.
SB,
Come on bro! Are you going to use that verse in that context. If so I am forced to examine it closer. Lets look at what Paul says:
3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
1. Paul is dealing with provision for widows.
2. Paul is requiring that the immediate care of these widows be their direct decendents.
3. The “household” that Paul is talking about here is that of widows. He isn’t even referring to those who are his wife and children because that is a given.
Finally I am not negating either of these, but let me ask you a question. Is it right to have “college funds” while we see other Christians die of dirty drinking water while we can help. Not only that what the level of savings. Maybe enough to buy groceries, or fix the car, or to ensure that we have enough to pay this months rent/mortgage. But let me ask this. What if Jesus says give it away? What will your response be?
I’m not sure that the “relatives and household members” in verse 8 refers only to widows.
1. We certainly should not allow providing for our family to hinder us from being generous stewards. We support our congregation’s particular efforts in Kenya (orphans and agricultural land) and Burundian refugees. No need for a dichotamy.
2. Savings is not as much of an issue for me as life insurance. If a man dies with no provision for his wife and kids, that is biblical and naturally lame.
3. Of course, if I didn’t see provision for my family as a biblical teaching, I would not see it as a Christian husband/father responsibility.
By the way, I’m not anxious. I just do these things as a steward. Further, I do think Christianity in America is corrupted by materialism, consumerism, and outright greed. However, I can reject Eddie & Creflo, while still providing for my wife and kids in case I die tomorrow.
I don’t want my wife sad and broke.
There is no command to give all our wealth to the poor. We are to give as we have purposed in our own hearts and not grudginly or of neccessity for God loves a cheerful giver. I think this really is an individual conviction based on many factors. Sow bountifully and you will reap boutifullly, sow sparingly any you will reap sparingly (very subjective). If you are convicted that paying $10 for a shirt is too much and you could have just bought a tee shirt for a $1 and used the rest of the money to help with the poor, then that’s what you are convicted with. Or what about a brand new $8000 Kia that someone may buy. Some would be convinced that that is extremely cheap for a car. However, another may be convinced that you shouldn’t spend no more than $2000 dollars on a reliable car and give the rest of the money to charity. Still someone else may believe owning a car is a waste of money to begin with. And that instead of buying any kind of car you should spend your money helping someone get clean drinking water.
I believe to go against your convictions is sin to you. As we all know, as we continue to grow in Christ and change in our understandings of scripture, our convictions are likely to change as well. Let everyone be convinced in their own minds.-Rom 14
Jon Paden
SB,
1. I am elated
2. I agree
3. I agree again.
Just a tension for me brother, especially given Crown Financial who says we should be maxing out our 401K’s and IRA and College Funds and use the bible to endorse such views. I believe the bible stands in opposition to that.
Jon,
1. There is a commandment not to store up treasure and there is a command to give to the poor and the widow and to meet the needs of other believers. I never said all. Can you show me that in any of my post?
2. I agree and disagree with the convictions part. I want you to handle to text for me in their context and we can discuss:
James 2
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
1 John 3
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
Can you exposit those verses for me in light of your “conviction” statement Jon? Thanks.
We must be careful not to take things to the extreme and out of context. If one were to literally not store up any wealth for themselves then there goes any savings of any kind. If we are take IJohn 3:16-17 to the extreme than how can we have money to live any type of moderate lifestyle. For there will always be poor among us. Through the advancement of TV we are made aware that their are hundreds of millions of people who are either starving, homeless, naked, etc. Do you have any money stashed away for emergiences, savings, college tutition? Then how dare you not abide by IJohn 3:17. My point with convictions is that there is no definite benchmark for everyone to abide by in their giving. Some argued that the woman who used the expensive oil on Jesus could have sold the oil and given it to the poor. Jesus responded that you will always have the poor among you. Even if the US Gov were to give 500 billion dollars to feed the poor, there would still be millions of people still facing starvation. Every time you get a check from your corporate job would it even be resonible to give all excess away to some of the many that you know are in dire need. When Jesus talks about not storing up treasures for yourself He was dealing with those who place their priority in seeking for earthly riches instead of making it a priority to seek righteousness and thus storing up spirtual riches which are far more important and lasting.
Jon Paden
[...] by Ron on September 24, 2008 Here is a good post from A Better Covenant on money and discipleship. Thoughtful comments are to be found at the end of [...]