Generous Giving : Possessions

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Possessions

By Jason Hood
with assistance from Generous Giving staff

Many people see material possessions as a means for acquiring personal happiness and contentment. Like the rich fool of Luke 12, they hoard their possessions in hopes of gaining security or “the easy life.” The New Testament’s teaching on possessions, however, proves these materialistic views to be not only wrong but also foolish. We may point out three key principles from the gospel of Luke that can reshape our use and view of possessions:

Possessions are a means of investing in eternity. God calls us to pursue “true wealth” (Luke 16:9-13) rather than focusing on earthly treasure or material needs; after all, we are merely stewards, not owners of what we have in this life. This is as true for the rich as for the poor (see Luke 12). Jesus exhorts us to be “rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21) rather than rich toward those who will benefit us, or rich toward ourselves and our kin. (In the context of Luke 12, being “rich toward God” means being generous to the poor, 12:33.)
Possessions are a barometer of kingdom commitment. The way we use our possessions after exposure to the gospel is a sure-fire indicator of whether we have responded appropriately to the good news of the kingdom or whether the kingdom has passed us by (Luke 3:7-14; 6:27-35, 38; 9:57-62; 10:7-12, 25-37; 12:13-34; 14:12-14, 33; 16:1-14, 19-31; 18:18-30; 19:1-10; 21:50-53).
Possessions are a danger. “[W]ealth itself is not evil,” but because of sin, “one cannot remain passive or neutral about it. Wealth masters if it is not mastered” (J. B. Green, The Gospel of Luke (NICNT), 229). Because possessions and money easily function as vehicles for security and joy apart from God, and because sins such as covetousness, greed, and materialism are less obvious than (for example) adultery and murder, Jesus targets the sins associated with riches more strongly than many other sins. Additionally, Jesus insists on not using wealth as a means to greater earthly wealth or status. Such approaches to wealth reflect the world’s values, not Kingdom values; they are symptomatic of our own agendas, not the agenda of the Lord. Luke 19:11-27 reminds us that we will be judged on the basis of how we use the things with which we’ve been entrusted.

According to Jesus, Luke, and the rest of the biblical writers, Christian discipleship requires diligent teaching, thoughtful study, and radical commitment on matters of possessions. This is particularly necessary for those living in the wealthiest societies in human history.

Related Passages: Genesis 1:27-31; 14:14-24; Exodus 12:35-36; 18:25-27; 35:25-36:7; Leviticus 19:9-10; 25; 27:30-33; Deuteronomy 8:11-20; 9:1-6; 14; 15:4-11; 17:14-17; Ruth 2; 1 Samuel 25; 1 Kings 3:1-15; 21; 1 Chronicles 29; 2 Chronicles 1:7-12; Nehemiah 5:1-12; Job 1; Job 42; Proverbs 13:22-23, 25; 14:21, 23-24; 15:27, 18:10-11; 20:17, 21; 21:3, 17, 20; 22:1, 2, 4; 22:16, 22-23; 28:6, 8, 11; 28:19-20, 22; 30:7-9, 13-16; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, 21-26; 3:9-13; 5:10-20; 6; Isaiah 3:14-26; 10:1-3; 61; Jeremiah 5:23-29; 22:13-19; Ezekiel 16:46-52, 18:1-18; Matthew 6:11, 19-34; 8:18-22; 10:37-42; 19:21-29; 23:23; 25:31-46; Mark 6:7-11; 10:17-30; 12:41-44; Luke 3:7-14; 4:1-8; 5:11; 8:1-4; 9:3-4; 9:57-62; 10:25-37; 12:13-34 (especially verses 15, 33-34); 14:12-14; 14:26-33; 16:1-15, 19-31; 18:22-33; 19:1-10; Acts 2:42-47, 4: 34-37; 5:1-11; 6:1-7; 7:1-5; 8:18-25; 12:12; 20:33-35; Romans 14:13-21; 15:25-28; 1 Corinthians 10:23-33; 11:17-21; 15 (especially v. 32); Galatians 2:10; 6:9-10; Ephesians 4:28, Philippians 4:10-19; Colossians 2:16-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12; 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19; Hebrews 10:34; 11:8-10, 13-16, 24-26; 13:5,16; James 3:13-4:5; James 5:1-6; 1 Peter 4:1-5, 9-10; Revelation 3:14-22; 6:15-17; 18 (cf. 17:1-6)