What is wrong with riches? The prevailing view among the Jews in Jesus’ day was that to be wealthy was a sign of God’s special favor and to be poor was a sign of God’s displeasure. The Pharisees, for example, thought this way and derided Jesus for His poverty. Although this false idea recurs at times in the history of the Christian church, Christ rejects it.
The Bibles identifies greed and the pursuit of wealth with idolatry, which is demonic. Due to the evil power associated with possessions, the desire for wealth and the chase often bring enslavement. Riches are, in perspective, an obstacle to salvation and discipleship. They give a false sense of security. Riches deceive, and they demand the total loyalty of one’s heart. The rich often live as if they do not need God. By searching for riches, the spiritual life chokes and leads to temptation and harmful desires resulting in abandonment of saving faith. All too often, those that are rich take advantage of the poor. Therefore, no Christian ought to get rich.
Selfish accumulation of material possessions is an indication that life is no longer a view from eternity’s vantage point. Selfish, greedy people no longer find their goals and fulfillment centered in God but rather in themselves and their possessions. The tragedy of Lot’s wife, for example, was her placing all her affections on an earthly city rather than a heavenly one. Striving after wealth has the seed of total alienation from God.
Riches for a Christian are faith and love that express themselves in self-denial and following Jesus. The truly rich are those who have gained freedom from the things of the world through confidence that God is their Father and that He will not forsake them. However, concerning the proper attitude toward and use of our possessions, the righteous are obligated to be faithful. Christians must not hold tightly to possessions as personal wealth or security, but they must relinquish and place their resources in the Lord’s hands for use in His kingdom, for the furtherance of Christ’s cause on earth, and the salvation and need of others. In this manner, believers who possess wealth and material goods must see themselves as no longer rich but merely as stewards of that which is God’s; and they must be generous, ready to share, and rich in good deeds. Money may be a good servant, but it is a poor master.
Why Poverty? One of the tasks that Jesus saw as His Spirit-directed mission was to preach the gospel to the poor, as mentioned in Isaiah chapter sixty-one verse one and Luke chapter six verse eighteen, respectively. The poor are the humble and the afflicted within the world who turn to God in great need and seek His help. At the same time, they are faithful to God. They look forward to His redemption from the sin, suffering, hunger, and hatred in the world. They do not seek their wealth and life in earthly things.
Deliverance from suffering, oppression, injustice, and poverty will most certainly come to God’s poor. Their relief, at least in part, must come from charitable offerings given by those among God’s people who have gained blessings with material possessions. God sees His people in poverty and declares that they are rich, as described in the first part of Revelation chapter two, verse nine. In no way can they be seen as spiritually or morally inferior.