Money must not become an idol

Materialism and money are perhaps the idols worshipped most in the world today, as was the case in the days of Jesus. Materialism will hinder us from being real disciples of Jesus Christ. To rule or be ruled! That is what it is all about.

Because money and material things are so necessary for our lives on earth it is easy to be ruled by them and to have a wrong attitude to our property. It is easy for those who are rich to be proud of their riches (1 John 2:16) and not to see their need for God. (Mark 10:23-27) The poor, too, can easily become prey to covetousness and envy. Avarice and greed can embitter everyone’s lives. So Jesus gives us clear teaching about what we must avoid in relation to money.

Money must not be lord or an idol in our life!

Jesus says that where our treasure is there will our hearts be and so he tells us to store up treasures in heaven and not on earth (Matt.6:19-21). We must choose which lord we will serve:

“No-one can serve two masters. 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 both God and money.” (Matt.6:24)

Jesus was very radical with people who were trapped by money as the rich young ruler was. Jesus looked at him and loved him and wanted to save him from the stranglehold of materialism. He said to him,

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. (Matt:19:21,22)

Jesus did not demand that all who wanted to be his disciples should sell all they had and give to the poor, but this young man was so bound by his riches that they hindered him in being wholehearted for God. Jesus put his finger on the sensitive point in the man’s life in order to help him be free. Unfortunately, he was so bound by his money that he did not follow Jesus but chose to have money as his master.

The Bible tells of another man who had an encounter with Jesus and who responded differently to his teaching. That was Zacchaeus, the tax collector who had cheated many people and won his riches illegally. When he came into a right relationship to Jesus he also got the right relationship to money:

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” (Luke 19:8,9)

No-one who wants to follow Jesus can be ruled by money, he cannot have money as an idol. Jesus demands that we deny ourselves and surrender control over all that we own so that, even in money matters, Jesus is our Lord.

Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:27)

In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33)

Love of money is a root of all kinds of evil!

Money is dangerous because one can so easily love it and worship it. The desire for money makes people blind to real values and leads to sin and immorality. Some people will do anything for money and the love of money controls them.

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (1 Tim.6:9-11)

Money can choke the spiritual life.

In the parable of the sower Jesus says that people’s hearts can be unsusceptible to God’s word and the eternal truths because of a person’s wrong attitude to money. Jesus shows us that this applies to both poor and rich. The worries of this life which the poor have can strangle the spiritual life, but the deceitful wealth of the rich has the same effect!

The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. (Matt.13:22)

It is clear that the Christians in Laodicea were caught in materialism’s net. They were rich and had more than enough and this made them lukewarm in their faith. Because of this they were in danger of being completely rejected by the Lord:

So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.(Rev.3:16,17)

So this command comes to us again:

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Heb.13:5,6)

Exercise:

Have you ever been ruled by money? How?

How have you dealt with a materialistic lifestyle after your conversion?

Continue to memorise and add this Bible verse:

Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labour and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. (Eph. 4:28)