Wealth Management in God's Realm

Read--Luke 15: 16-21

Of all the contrasts that Jesus draws between this world and God's realm, none are sharper than those that are centered on wealth. In fact, throughout the Gospels Jesus teaches more on the topic of wealth than just about anything else. The common title of this parable from Luke 15, "The Parable of the Rich Fool" gives us a clue of the potential contrasts that Jesus is going to be drawing in the parable.

There are, in reality, two different contrasts that Jesus makes here in these verses. The first contrast has to do with a defintion of wealth. Human understanding of wealth usually centers around money and possessions--both of which the "rich fool" had; he also had high-yielding fields. He was loaded and everybody could see it! He was filthy rich in the eyes of the world. Yet, in the eyes of God, he was fool. In fact, in the eyes of God, he was dirt poor.

His poverty was a result of the way in he used the wealth he had. Read through the parable again. Notice how many times the man says "I" or "my"? It is all about him. His wealth is all about him and, in his opinion, is at his disposal to do with as he chooses. This flies in the face of the notion that we are blessed so that we might bless others. When wealth is used to serve our own interests or desires, spiritual poverty ensues.

How do we become rich toward God then? The key lies in the ancient Greek, the word translated as rich is a verb. From that, we understand that being rich toward God lies in action--how we direct and use the wealth that we have, whether it be material or intangible. Being rich toward God involves us using what we have so that others might be similarily blessed.

As Jesus first turned toward to Jerusalem and his eventual crucifixion, he did so with an invitation, "let all who wish to be my disciples deny themselves." In other words, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT US. Instead, it is about denying ourselves, so that we might be rich toward God, even at the cost of poverty toward the world.
In a world of greed and self-indulgence, O God, grant that we might not be so consumed by the world that we risk poverty before you. Save us from self-interest and plant us a heart that is willing deny the self for the glory of God. We pray in Jesus' name, AMEN.