God Wants Us All to Be Rich

Posted by Katie Carroll on Sep 23, 2011 in Justice, Spirituality | 3 comments

I must have been 6 or 7 when I first realized that most people are far more interested in making money than in serving God. Sure, we talk a good game about how our faith is the most important part of our lives, but if we added up the hours we spend working, sleeping, and watching TV and set those against the (maybe) hour a week we spend at Mass on Sunday, we’d get a different picture. It would make a fairly damning pie chart. You could make the same comparisons with the other two legs of the stewardship stool—talent and treasure.

This nearly universal fact is bad enough; it gets worse each time we create some elaborate reason why it’s OK to splurge on a little something for ourselves while children die in poverty by the thousands each day. But lately, it seems we’ve decided to go all in in this cosmic poker game. Not only is it OK for us to focus on making money, we tell ourselves and anyone who will listen. It’s a moral imperative. We have a duty to, um, support the economy and, er, create jobs and, uh, set a good example for the useless poor. It’s the American Way!

It’s not God’s way. The Bible contains more than 300 verses about the poor and our duty toward them. And, contrary to what the local purveyor of the prosperity gospel may tell you, Jesus has some harsh words for the wealthy:

“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” (Mark 10:25).

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort” (Luke 6:24).

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Matthew 6:19).

“No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!” (Matthew 6:24)

If you want to follow the example of certain televangelists or congressmen from Louisiana, that’s your perogative. If you want to follow the example of Jesus, here’s his prescription:

“Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22).

I’ll grant you, that’s a pretty tall order. How about if we all just stop pretending that wealth and morality go together and agree that if God is siding with the poor maybe we should, too?

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Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles, freedigitalphotos.net.

About the Author

Katie Carroll

Kathleen M. Carroll is the managing editor for the book department at Franciscan Media. She loves reading, gardening, animals, babies, baby animals, and extreme recycling. She is the stay-away-from-home mother to four really good-looking children. And no, she will not read your manuscript.

Anonymous

Thanks for this, Katie. Great post. I think it’s important to point out that while being wealthy isn’t inherently a sin, to whom much is given, much is expected. I don’t think striving to make money is a bad thing, especially if one plans on giving back–donating to charity, financially supporting good institutions that need our help, etc. Without the financial support of millions of Americans, these institutions wouldn’t be able to function and make positive changes in society. Another interesting point is that those who are financially able might be more able to spend more time exercising the “talent” portion of stewardship–creating charities, volunteering while the rest of us have to work, running non-profits, etc. I don’t think money in and of itself is a bad thing–money in the hands of bad people is the bad thing. Money’s dangerous, though–it can very easily draw people to greed and sin. The scriptures you quote illustrate this.
- JimW
  
  Unfortunately, many achieve wealth on the backs of the middle and poor classes. The possibility that some of this might be returned as ‘charity’ is hardly a justification. The ever increasing inequity between the social classes in the US is a root problem that should not be masked by feel-good hand-outs or the many non-profits who seek to rescue the down trodden.
  - Anonymous
    
    I don’t classify charitable giving as a “feel good” handout. To suggest such is insulting to anyone who’s ever tried to make a positive difference in the world. People’s motives are between them and God. As for how people achieve their wealth–that’s also between them and God. I’m not here to police the world; I want to make it a better place.