Jesus and Money
Why Did Jesus Talk So Much About the Dangers of Wealth?
Mar 18
3 min read
0
9
0
I recently added a new page to this website that compiles all the passages from the Gospels dealing with money, organized into 11 different topics. Unsurprisingly, the three topics with the most passages are Generosity and Giving, The Dangers of Wealth, and The Poor. Close behind are Stewardship and Having an Eternal Perspective. It’s clear that Jesus had a lot to say about generosity, caring for the poor, and proper stewardship. But what stands out to me is how much he warned about the dangers of wealth. Why was this such a central theme in his teachings?
For example, Jesus told his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23). The disciples were astonished by this. Why would he be so negative about wealth? After all, weren’t the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—all wealthy? Why didn’t Jesus also discuss the potential benefits of wealth or how it could be used for good? Instead, we hear statements like, “Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort” (Luke 6:24) and “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). These are hard teachings, and they’re not exactly designed to attract followers.
I think the answer lies in what Jesus was trying to accomplish. His warnings about wealth were akin to a parent’s warning to a child about the dangers of a hot stove. Suppose you’re cooking in the kitchen, and your small child walks in. What is the first thing you’ll tell them? Naturally, you’ll warn them not to touch the stove because it’s hot and could burn them. You’re not going to start by explaining all the wonderful things a stove can do, like cooking food. Those benefits are obvious to you, but to a small child who’s unaware of the danger, the warning takes priority.
Similarly, Jesus didn’t need to explain the benefits of money—everyone already understands those. Money was as essential in Jesus’ time as it is today. Even the disciples had money, and they had a treasurer (ironically, Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus). Luke 8:1-3 tells us how Jesus’ ministry was supported financially:
“Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.”
Money is a tool—a necessary one—but it’s also dangerous. Jesus’ warnings were not meant to discourage people from having money but to protect them from the ways wealth can deceive and corrupt. In the parable of the soils, he warned that riches can “choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). The danger is not the possession of wealth itself but the grip it can have on our hearts, leading us away from God and our true purpose.
Jesus’ focus on the dangers of wealth was not to demonize it but to teach us how to keep it in proper perspective. Money has the power to distract, deceive, and dominate. We can’t live without it, but we must be vigilant to ensure it doesn’t choke out our usefulness to God’s kingdom. That is the warning we all need to hear.
