Money is the root of all evil. Is it really? First Timothy, chapter six, verse ten, may be the most misquoted verse in the entire Bible. Not primarily because it is so often taken out of context, though that may certainly be the case, but because rarely is it ever correctly quoted. So what actually does the Apostle Paul say in his letter to young Timothy? Rather than telling Timothy that money is evil, he says, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10a; emphasis added). So according to Paul, it’s not money that is essentially evil, but the love of money. It is the yearning to continuously have more of it that will inevitably become destructive.
That’s because, as Paul continues on to say, “some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (v. 10b). The temptation to follow wherever money leads and behave in whatever way the bigger check demands has always been as seductive as it is deceiving. And sadly, many have chosen to walk that path. So I don’t blame Christians who are hesitant to discuss the importance of thinking differently about money as well as the need for them to grow wealthy.
Money Isn’t the Problem
What is unfortunate, however, especially within Christian circles, is the tendency to lean toward one of two extremes while pivoting the other as sinful. On one hand you have what is called the prosperity gospel, which teaches that health and wealth is always God’s promise to all believers, as though well-being is evidence of God’s blessing and approval. And on the other side is the poverty gospel, suggesting that genuine followers of Christ must live in a state of impoverishment, as though being poor is a sign of one’s salvation or sanctification. Both, however, are incorrect, because neither one faithfully exhibits the gospel, nor do either side deal seriously with the biblical texts on the subject of money.
Without going into great detail of what the Bible says about money, two important things to point out is that the Bible speaks highly about wealth and prosperity, but also warns greatly about its dangers. Jesus will say that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). But in another instance he spoke highly of a rich individual named Zacchaeus, saying that “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9). In Matthew’s account of Jesus speaking strongly against the rich, he was responding to a rich young ruler who valued his own possessions more than he did God’s kingdom, and thus, proved himself unworthy. As for Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who desired to not only know Jesus, he was repentant for having cheated people of their taxes and, according to Luke, was willing to undo his wrongs by paying back four times the amount of taxes he’d stolen.
Unlike the rich young ruler who tightly clung to his wealth, money was less important to Zacchaeus than being right with God. And because so, eternal life was his. So it’s not necessarily money, in and of itself, that Jesus is against. It is rather the attitude one has towards money. Does it serve you? Or are you mastered by it? Because as far as Jesus was concerned, “You cannot serve God and money” (Matt. 6:24).
Money fundamentally is a good thing—a tempting thing indeed, but a good, nonetheless. It is needed in order for us to thrive, if not survive, in every economic system. But like anything else, money, when placed into the wrong hands, can become dangerous, possibly even deadly.
Two things then to remember about money is that it is mindless and amoral. Money has never done anyone any wrong. It can’t choose what it can or cannot be spent on, as well as who to love and whose life to ruin. It is, therefore, not money but people who wrong and cheat others because of their own greed and love of money. It is the mindful and moral individual who has the responsibility to decide how this valuable commodity will be stewarded for their benefit and the good of society.
The Good and Rich Samaritan
Jesus, in his famous parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, tells a story of a Jewish man who was greatly injured by a gang of thugs and left for dead on the roadside. Two of his own people, a priest and a Levite, passed on without giving heed. Until a Samaritan journeyed his way, and according to the text, “he had compassion” on the half-dead stranger (v. 33). “He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back’” (v. 34-35).
What is so obvious in the story only recently became clear to me, which is that the good Samaritan not only was rich in his love for his neighbor, he was wealthy in possession, and was, therefore, able to serve beyond the bare minimum. The evidence of his wealth was that he (1) was well stocked with an expensive first aid kit: bandages, oil, and wine, (2) owned an animal for transportation, (3) was able to afford a hotel room—possibly two: for him and the stranger, (4) cover whatever miscellaneous expenses on top of the 2 denarii medical cost, and (5) had the luxury to travel back and forth from city to city to cover the remaining cost.
The good Samaritan didn’t just have compassion, he had capacity. He had the resource to love his neighbor as he loved himself, treating the stranger as he himself would have wanted to be treated. Which leads me to say that when it comes to loving and serving others, compassion rarely is enough. And as much as we agree that compassion must embody action, without capacity, the extent of our actions will always be limited. That’s because our arms can only reach to others as far as the depth of our pocket. That’s not to say though that a lack of money nullifies the genuinity of our compassion or that it prevents us from truly serving wholeheartedly. Rather, it’s to affirm the simple truth that even though money isn’t everything, it most certainly broadens the gap in providing multiple options for how one’s love can be expressed.
For example, in the case of someone who’s homeless and hungry, there are three possible scenarios. You can either (1) have compassion, but end up walking away because you haven’t a dime to spare the person a meal, or (2) hand the homeless the dinner sandwich you bought with your last few dollars and starve yourself as a result, or (3) buy him a sandwich, maybe even two, with a large coke and a side of chips, even sending him off with some extra cash for tomorrow’s meal. Now which situation would you prefer? The reasonable person with compassion would almost always select the third. But if that’s you then you’re in agreement that compassion is never enough, and that money has a huge role in the way God has called us to love one another, even our enemies.
“God has called us to make money because the world needs us to have money.”
Money is an important component to us loving God and others, and the Christian should never shy from generating as much wealth as God is willing to provide. That doesn’t mean then that we can let our guards down and ignore Scripture’s warnings against the love of money and pursuit of wealth purely for selfish gain. It means that God has called us to make money because the world needs us to have money. Because by having money, we are able to better showcase the love of God by helping meet the needs of those less fortunate. If God has blessed us to thrive financially, it is for the reason that we will be a blessing to our surroundings, to be his hands in extending love and hope in times of need beyond the bare minimum.
Li Zi was born and raised in North Central Wisconsin. He is an emerging entrepreneur and aspiring educator. His interest is in the theological study of philosophy, politics, and economics, as well as the integration of faith and work.
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