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RATS! WHAT DO I DO WITH THE WEALTH I HAVE?

by Ong Kok Bin

According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, the rat leads a pack of eleven other creatures, each having its own significance and influence on world and individual affairs when it is its turn to come on stage.

And 2008 is the year of the rat!

Thus, by one account, the U.S. elections in November 2008 is not going to be determined by any of the candidates' policy platforms, oratorical skills, or sky-in-the-pie-promises, or voter-preferences, but by the humble creature of the rat.

By another account, those born in rat years are 'quick-witted, clever, charming, sharp and funny'. They have 'excellent taste', make 'good friends', and are 'generous and loyal'. But on the downside (depending on which way you are looking) the 'rats' can be 'motivated by money' and 'be greedy'.

Which brings us to our discussion at hand: Rats! What Do I Do with the Wealth I Have? The title of this article presupposes two things: (1) the 'I' is a Christian who has wealth, and (2) he has a consternation about his Christian faith and his wealth. In other words, he is uneasy with being a wealthy Christian given what he has read from the scriptures.

The Christian who is wealthy (and conscientious about his faith) has good reasons to have misgivings about his position, especially when he comes to the Gospels; for the Gospels appear to give an unfavourable pan against the rich. Let us take the Gospel of Luke, for example. In chapter 6, Jesus is teaching his disciples (in what is now known to us as the 'Sermon on the Plain'). In this Sermon, Jesus pronounces four blessings and four woes. Of note, the first woe is against the rich: "Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort" (v. 24). In contrast, the first blessing is upon the material poor (cf. 'the poor in spirit' in Matthew 5:3): "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (v. 20b).

If the rich are feeling wormy right now, then they need to brace themselves for this:

A rich ruler came to Jesus, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus replied, "You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, ...'"

"All these I have kept since I was a boy," the rich ruler answered.

"You still lack one thing," Jesus responded. "Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven."

At this, the self-assured rich man turned into melting ice. He went away 'very sad, because he was a man of great wealth'.

Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Those who were around Jesus and heard him, asked with big open eyes: "Who then can be saved?" (See Luke 18:18-30.)

Then, there are the parables told by Jesus, which cast a damning verdict on the wealthy. In Luke 12:16ff., there is the Parable of the Rich Fool. In this parable, a certain rich man was blessed with a super bountiful harvest. The rich man boasted to himself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."

Jesus had God saying this to the rich man: "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you."

In Luke 16:19ff., there is another parable in which a rich man is portrayed as being insensitive and unresponsive to the needs of a poor beggar sitting outside his gate. In time to come, both died. However, the circumstances of their after-lives were the very opposite of their earthly lives. The beggar who constantly suffered and 'received bad things' on earth was now in 'Abraham's bosom' and 'comforted'. On the other hand, the rich man who was used to luxury was 'in torment'.

Was Jesus against wealth and the wealthy? One might be prompted to ask. In fact, the early church struggled much over this issue. The teachings of Jesus and his own impoverished lifestye (typified by his statement: "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head" (Mt. 8:20)) had caused much debate among the early Christians: Could the rich be saved?

A careful study of the Gospels will reveal that Jesus was not against wealth and the wealthy per se. Instead, he was trying to correct a human distortion towards wealth - the pride of wealth and the security that it apparently provides. Jesus was wanting for those who are rich to learn to put their trust in God instead of on their material possessions. He was wanting them to share their riches with the less fortunate instead of hoarding all to themselves.

The apostle Paul in his writings, have, on occasions, taken up the issues connected with money and possessions. His expressions on these issues have afforded the conscientious Christian get a handle on wealth.

Thus, for example, in his first letter to his good friend and fellow worker, the young Timothy, Paul provides the Christian with spiritual guidance on what to do with wealth as well as the pursuit of wealth. We see this in 1 Timothy 6:6-10 and 17-19. There, Paul addresses three classes of Christians: (1) those who have wealth (vv. 17-19), (2) those who seek to have wealth (vv. 9-10) and (3) those who have no wealth (vv. 6-8).

For those who have wealth, 'who are rich in this present world' as Paul puts it, he has both negative and positive advice for them. Negatively, the rich are 'not to be arrogant'. Neither are they 'to put their hope in wealth'. The reason proffered is that wealth 'is so uncertain' (v. 17). Positively, they are 'to put their hope in God, who richly provides'. Then, they are 'to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share' (vv. 17c-18). By so doing, they actually store for themselves riches 'in the coming age' and thus have a firm hold on the true life, which is life in heaven.

As for those who seek to have wealth, 'people who want to get rich', (vv. 9-10) the apostle has a stern warning for them. He warns them about temptations and traps. The figure of a trap conjures in the mind a snare in which when one falls into it, one is unable to pull oneself out. There is absolutely no escape. More likely than not, those who seek to have wealth have unhealthy notions that generate 'foolish and harmful desires'. In their ambition to be rich, they are willing to resort to all means to obtain their goal, whether ethical or unethical. The means do not matter. What count are the dollars in the end. It is no wonder that Paul should cite a most well-known proverb of his time: "The love of money is a (better, the) root of all kinds of evil". Worse, among people who have professed faith in Christ, they are more than willing to give up their faith for money. In so doing, they have 'pierced themselves with many griefs'.

For those who have no wealth, Paul gives them this principle: "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (vv. 6-8). True riches, so says Paul, is religious piety coupled with contentment. 'Contentment' may be a pariah word in today's material world. But for the Christian, the sooner he learns the word and assimilates it into his life-stream, the sooner he will learn that Spirit-endowed gift of joy. Joy is not to 'eat, drink and be merry'. Joy comes from contentment when one's basic needs are met. As Paul would have it, "If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that; for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it."

Paul's own life was characterized by piety and contentment. We know his religious zeal, but what is not so well known is his less than ambitious attitude towards his own physical needs. As a missionary always on the move, Paul could not afford to gather any earthly possessions around him. He had to travel light. But in so doing, he often exposed himself to the vicissitudes of life. How did he manage with the ups and downs? He wrote to the Philippians: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" (Phil. 4:12).

What do I do with the wealth I have? Share it. Be generous with it. Do good deeds.

But what if I do not have wealth? Be content and do not seek the wealth that is not yours.

Articles
1. A Tale of Freedoms
2. Rats! What Do I Do with the Wealth I Have?

The Da Vinci Code, Gnosticism and
the Gospel of Judas
1. The Da Vinci Code: A Christian Response
2. The Nag Hammadi Documents and Gnosticism
3. The Gospel of Judas
4. The Gospel of Judas - A Retake
5. Teachings in the Gospel of Judas Compared (Part 1)
6. Teachings in the Gospel of Judas Compared (Part 2)
7. Teachings in the Gospel of Judas Compared (Part 3)
8. Canonicity and the Gospel of Judas

Archive
The Romans Series
1. Being the Community of God’s People
2. Ethno-Religious Tensions
3. The Power and the Wrath of God
4. Justification by Faith
5. Justification Brings Blessings
6. While We Were Still Sinners
7. Died to Sin
8. Slaves to Righteousness
9. The Difference of the Spirit
10. The Israel Problem
11. The Gentile Problem
12. Community Living
13. Community Unity
14. Community Ethics
15. Loving the Enemy Ethic
16. Extra-Community Ethics
17. The Weak and the Strong
18. Community Formation
19. Paul, the Minister
20. Gems in Greetings

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