Talking about Money with Jesus: Part 3

Radical Generosity

All of us thought about money this week. It’s very likely that you had conversations with someone this week about money and perhaps even conflicts over money.

Some of our strongest emotions connect to money, both negative and positive emotions—such as fear and anxiety, or happiness and fulfillment.  Money is a significant life issue. 

The main reason that I preach about money is because the scriptures reference money over and over. Jesus spoke about money more than just about anything else. Why would Jesus do that?

Jesus’ words make it clear that there’s a deep connection between our spiritual lives and our relationship with money. You can’t help but conclude that there can be no significant spiritual growth until you put your money and your attitude towards it in God’s hands.

Unlike anything else, money vies to replace God in a person’s life. As we saw over these weeks from Jesus words, “You cannot love God and money.”

That means that the stakes are high when dealing with this subject. Our attitude towards and our relationship with money is a matter of eternal significance.

Most often when Jesus refers to rich people, they are not the heroes of the story. We see that God’s secret weapon to breaking the power that money has over us is generosity.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

In this parable, Jesus is invited to the home of a prominent Pharisee. As Luke describes the scene, this is not a simple dinner party for a bunch of friends as we might experience.

In the Roman world there was a patronage system in place. The term “patronage”refers to a form of social ordering where wealthy patrons would extend their help to a lower-class client. In return, that client would offer their loyalty and obedience.

When a patron would put on a dinner it offered clients an opportunity for advancement. The dinner was the primary way that a lower-class person could enhance their social status.

The closer you were to a wealthy patron the more social status you enjoyed and the greater your chance for advancement. With advancement came greater opportunities and financial status. 

So, a banquet was for networking, for making deals, for establishing your place in society. As Jesus is observing the guests, he notices how they are jockeying for position.

Jesus addresses the need for humility. And, often when this passage is considered in a sermon, the preacher will emphasize the inclusiveness of the gospel.  The kingdom of God is a feast to which all are invited. Through Jesus, all can come. He came to establish a kingdom where status and social position come down.

I also want us to see the radical generosity that Jesus is calling for in this passage. In verse 12 Jesus turns to the host and what he says is astonishing. Here they are at a dinner with people jockeying for position and Jesus’ words to the host are a rebuke.

“When you give a luncheon or dinner do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbours.” Here’s who you should invite to a banquet: “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” 

We need to pause here to understand what Jesus is saying. Is this a blanket statement for all people for all circumstances? The obvious answer is no. 

Jesus is not prohibiting family gatherings or evenings out with friends.

Here Jesus is making a point with an idiom. Idioms are not meant to be taken literally. They are meant to get your attention. Like when Jesus taught on the danger of lust he says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.”

The reason Jesus gives is that a dinner with friends and relatives in the patronage system was motivated by social and economic advancement. This is not generosity. You’ll be repaid and that’s all the reward you’ll get. 

When you put on a banquet for those who will be of no advantage to your social or economic status, God sees and will reward you.

Part of the reward is that though the poor can’t repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Verse 14 is a restating of the message that Jesus consistently conveys; what you give away you’ll be able to enjoy in eternity.

If we get what Jesus is saying through this idiom it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that what you give that will enhance the physical and spiritual wellbeing of people should be more than what you spend on enhancing your financial and social status in this life.

Jesus turns their and our cultural norm on its head. We see spending money on ourselves as a priority and generosity as a nice thing to do if I’ve got some money left over.

We imagine that if I put on a banquet for people who will never be able to benefit me it means that I’ll be poorer. And in the natural it looks that way. 

Jesus says here that repayment is coming. You might not see repayment in this life, but you will enjoy it in the life to come. The way of God’s kingdom is generosity.

I think it’s noteworthy that Jesus was speaking to people who subscribed to the Old Testament law of tithing. They gave a tenth of their increase to God.  Generosity began after they had already given their tithe.

Can you see how Jesus’ words are an astounding standard for generosity? If it makes you uncomfortable, you’re not alone. To prioritize generosity over maintaining my status and financial wellbeing doesn’t come naturally. 

The Parable of the Great Banquet

In the second parable a man prepared a banquet and invited his friends. The host has everything ready but no guests come. The host is angry and sends his servants out to bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.

It’s a not-so-subtle dig against the Pharisees. God had invited them to his banquet, but they had busied themselves to the point that they didn’t want a relationship with God. Their refusal to come to God’s great banquet didn’t cancel the banquet. It got filled up with people who they regarded as unimportant.

The kingdom of God is for those who would never make it in on their own merit. The banquet host has paid the way for me to get in.

Notice in verse 16 that it’s a great banquet. The word for great is “megas.” It’s not a potluck. It’s all bought and paid for me to enjoy.

What’s the point and what’s the connection to the earlier parable? I am reminded of the passage in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. In those two chapters Paul is appealing to the church in Corinth to be generous in providing for the church in Jerusalem that was going through famine.

Paul’s team was collecting funds for famine relief. In these chapters Paul references the churches in Macedonia who, amid their own severe trial, which Paul describes as “extreme poverty,” welled up in rich generosity.

He goes on to describe their generosity in 8:3 saying, “…they gave as much as they were able and even beyond their ability.” They had nothing and they still found a way to demonstrate generosity. 

As Paul describes their radical generosity, he identifies their motivation. In 2 Corinthians 9:8 he writes, “For you know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

There are two things to note:

• Jesus models radical generosity. He gives up the riches and the privilege of heaven to come to earth and then to literally spend his life for my sake so that I’d have a seat at God’s banquet table of grace. He purchases my salvation so that I can come into the riches of salvation: abundant life now and an eternity with God. He models generosity.

• His grace is the basis for my generosity towards others. Our motivation for generosity is not compulsion. It’s not because someone twists my arm hard enough. 

Here’s the motivation for generosity: 

Having experienced God’s extravagant grace, I’m free to cheerfully give, as an expression of my gratitude to God and my trust in God, that as I give, He’ll put more in my hands to give away.

  — Notes from Pastor Marvin Wojda’s sermons on March 26th and 27th, 2022.

CLICK HERE to watch the full service on YouTube.

Talking about Money with Jesus: Part 2

When it comes to Jesus’ teaching on money, it’s often in parables. Luke, more than the other gospel writers, records Jesus’ words on this subject. 

Money occupies a lot of our thoughts. So many hopes, fears, dreams, and conflicts are connected to money. Jesus speaks to our attitudes about and our use of money and possessions. 

There are a few common themes that run through Jesus’ teaching on this subject. Some of these themes are: a) guard your heart against loving money because money is a demanding master, b) money must be seen from an eternal perspective, and c) using money only for yourself is short sighted and foolish.

As we come to the parable in Luke 12: 13–26, we’ll see those themes articulated. In this passage we’ll look at:

• Jesus’ context

• Jesus’ warning 

• Jesus’ perspective

Jesus’ Context

Luke sets the stage in verse 1. There are many thousands who had gathered to be around Jesus. In verse 13 a man steps out of the crowd and breaks into the conversation Jesus is having with his disciples. 

The man is in a dispute with his brother about dividing up their estate. In Jewish culture the oldest brother oversaw the family’s money when the father died. This younger brother is wanting his share. Why is he coming to Jesus to resolve the matter? 

He refers to Jesus as “teacher” as a title of honour. Jesus is recognized as having authority and in Jewish culture conflicts could be brought to a teacher or rabbi for resolution.

The man asks Jesus to “tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus gives the man a hard “no” and gives him a warning.

I wonder as well if this man appealed to Jesus because Jesus had a lot to say about money. The man had a money problem, and he turned to a teacher who spoke often about money. 

Jesus then (in verse 16) tells the parable about the wealthy man. If you’re a follower of Jesus this message is particularly for you. But then those who are interested get to listen in to what Jesus is teaching his disciples.

His teaching on money is motivated by the desire that his hearers would be free from the tyranny of having money and possessions rule their life. It’s always about being free from worry and anxiety over money. 

The Warning

Look at verse 15; “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

These two brothers thought that their conflict was over money. Jesus was able to identify the issue that was the root of the problem. Conflicts over money reveal what’s in the heart.

If Jesus would have agreed to arbitrate or mediate it would not solve the problem of greed that lay at the root of their conflict.

When he says “watch out” it can carry the idea of “staring at” something. Don’t avert your attention. When greed is identified, don’t ignore it. 

The challenge with that is that greed is difficult to detect in oneself. It’s usually easier to see it in others.

The NIV uses the word greed. Older translations use the word “covetousness.”   The two are very similar but the nuances are helpful. Covetousness sees something and wants what it sees. That moves to needing it, and finally to “I deserve it.” 

Greed is the insatiable desire for more. The word “enough” is not in greed’s vocabulary. Greed is forever discontented and therefore insatiably craving and striving for more.

Behind greed is the idea that if I have more stuff—if my bank account is bigger—then I will experience the true peace, happiness, and fulfillment I deserve. Jesus counters that lie in his warning; life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.

As the story begins, Jesus is describing someone that our culture says is “living the dream.” His business is farming, and he’s gotten wealthy. He has a problem that every business owner longs to experience: his business has grown beyond his expectations. He’s harvested more crops than he has storage capacity.

Jesus’ next words fall like a sledgehammer, “God said to him “You fool.”  Why was he a fool? 

He forgot where his wealth came from.

Notice that in verse 16 Jesus tells us how he came to enjoy a bountiful harvest; “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.”

What we have comes from God—He’s the owner and I’m the manager. In looking at the rich man’s words there is no thought of God. In fact, in verses 17–19 where Jesus reveals the man’s thoughts it’s filled with “me,” “myself,” and “I.”

It’s foolish to think that you got to where you are without God. And even more foolish to act as if you have ultimate control over your life. Jesus reinforces the foolishness of this man’s mindset by the announcement that he wouldn’t be alive by the next morning.

He viewed money as security.

He was foolish because he believed the lie that money equals security. He assumed that the more you have the more secure you are. The scriptures counter this foolish way of thinking. 

The wise man Solomon who was very wealthy writes:

• Proverbs 11:28, “Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.”

• Proverbs 23: 4–5, “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.”

• In 1 Timothy 6:17 Paul writes to young Pastor Timothy, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain…”

It’s not that money and possessions can be taken from you. It’s that they will be taken from you.

And Jesus asks the question to make the point, “Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”  We don’t know the answer to that question, but we know this—it won’t be him.

Jesus’ Perspective

Jesus’ consistent messaging around money is that how I use my money in this life has a great effect in the next life. We see it here in verse 21, “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

It's the punchline of the parable. Note here that this is not a blanket condemnation of savings and pension funds. Jesus’ indictment of this man is that he stored up for himself but was not generous toward God.

He had managed money and possessions without regard for God and for making an eternal difference. 

God is my provider.

It’s at this point that Jesus turns from speaking to these two fighting brothers and now speaks to his disciples. Jesus reminds them how God provides for birds and flowers. He feeds them even though they don’t store away food. He clothes the fields with the beauty of wildflowers. 

If God feeds insignificant nameless birds who live for a few years and are forgotten, how much more will he look after you? If you’re a follower of Jesus, you never have to spend a moment’s energy worrying about the necessities of life. 

For those who belong to a Heavenly Father who knows what we need and when we need it, worry is inappropriate and unnecessary.

Because we belong to our Heavenly Father, we have a different relationship with money. In verse 33 when Jesus says to sell your possessions and give to the poor, it’s because we are free to be generous. I don’t need to fear that somehow if I’m generous that God won’t provide. 

The message from this parable of the rich fool is this; what you hang on to you’ll lose. It will be destroyed and ultimately, you’ll forfeit ownership.

What you give to God will last. As we embrace this upside-down kingdom we are invited into the joy and fulfillment that Father God intends.

 — Notes from Pastor Marvin Wojda’s sermons on March 19th and 20th, 2022.

CLICK HERE to watch the sermon on YouTube.

Talking about Money with Jesus: Part 1

All of us have opinions about money. All of us believe certain things about money. Over these three blogs we’ll dive into Jesus’ teaching about money and what we’ll find is that it’s highly counter-cultural. Underlying it is the loving heart of a Heavenly Father who wants his children to live with joy and freedom.

When you see it in that light and embrace the truth of God’s word, there is freedom and blessing in this area that is often a cause for stress, anxiety, and conflict.

In Luke 16 Jesus is speaking with his disciples and he tells them a parable. 

Usually, you learn good lessons from good examples in parables. Here, it appears that Jesus is commending bad behaviour.

In Jesus’ day there were many absentee landlords who would hire a manager to run the operation. They were entrusted with the management of the business (which was usually farming.) They took care of the day to day running of the business and made sure that all the workers were cared for.

In this story the owner got word that his manager was wasting his possessions. The owner calls in the manager and lets him know that after the audit he’ll no longer have a job.

The manager begins to scheme and plan for his future, and he comes up with a clever plan. He goes to his master’s debtors—likely tenants who rented land—and he makes them a great offer. To the one who owed 900 gallons of olive oil, he reduced it to half. To the one who owes 1000 bushels of wheat, he knocked off 20%. 

He knew that he would soon be without a job, and he was looking after his future by making some friends, so that down the road he could collect on the favours. 

You’d think that the owner would be furious but in verse 8 the owner commends the dishonest manager. Notice that he commends him for his shrewdness. The dictionary defines “shrewd” as “having sharp powers of judgement” or “to be astute.” 

He was intensely practical and forward looking. What he did, though wrong, was very creative. So that we’re clear, Jesus is not saying that it’s alright to cheat if you’re creative about it. 

I want us to see three things that we learn about money:

1. We are managers of money that is not ours.

2. Using money to make friends is smart.

3. How you use money reveals what’s in your heart.

1. We are managers of money that is not ours.

Jesus’ reference to owners and managers is: when it comes to money, time, energies, etc. I am not the owner. I’m a manager who has been entrusted with the owner’s resources. 

The consistent message of the scriptures is that God owns everything. Whatever I have in my hands belongs to Him, and it comes with the responsibility to manage it on behalf of the owner. 

When it comes to money and possessions, Jesus’ radical teaching is to “stop acting as if it’s yours.” I can hear the objection: “It’s my money. I earned it. It’s mine to do with as I please.”

Let me push back with this: it all comes from God. Our very breath comes from Him. All I have comes from the hand of Creator God.

In 1 Chronicles 29 King David prays a powerful prayer, “Everything in heaven andearth is yours. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things, in your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.” David understood where wealth came from. He understood that everything belongs to God. 

There are all kinds of implications to this truth:

• When the car breaks down or a possession is damaged—if its mine, it can be devastating. If it’s God’s car, it’s His problem that I get to manage with His wisdom and His provision. 

• If God is my source, then I can be content with what He chooses to provide. If it all depends on me, I’m overwhelmed, and I won’t be able to sleep at night worrying about how I’m going to make it.

• If God is my source, then I can live in the joy, peace, and security that my Heavenly Father knows what’s best for me and will give me what I need when I need it.

2.  Using money to make friends is smart.

I know this sounds strange but understand the point Jesus is making. Jesus is not advising us to buy friendship. In verse 9 he says to use worldly wealth to gain friends. The reason is “so that when it is gone you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

The dishonest manager, when confronted with the reality that his money was going to be gone, did what he needed to do to have a good future. He was thinking ahead. 

In verse 9 Jesus takes the idea of our future and says that when we think of money, we need to think beyond this life and keep eternity in view. 

Obviously, we need a certain amount of stuff to live—a place to live, clothes, food—but one day all will be taken from us. Nothing in this world lasts, with one notable exception: people.

Jesus is making the point that when you use money to enhance and cement friendships that make an eternal difference in people’s lives, you’ll be able to enjoy your money long after this life is over. 

Regardless of how much God entrusts you with, be wise. Use it in such a way that you’ll be welcomed by many, many friends when you enter eternity. We use money to love people and to make an eternal difference in lives.

There are a few other implications to consider:

• Never make money at the expense of people.

• Invest in people.

• We use money to connect people to the word of God.

3. Guard your heart.

From verse 14 we see that Jesus is teaching within ear shot of the Pharisees. It says, “The Pharisees, who loved money heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.” In the verse immediately before, Jesus has said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one anddespise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Jesus gets at the insidious power behind money. Money wants to be a competing god in my life. Jesus didn’t say you shouldn’t serve God and money, He said you can’t. It’s not possible. 

Jesus’ call was to have an honest, unvarnished assessment of the condition of one’s heart. To help do that, I ask questions like:

• What place does money have in my life?

• Am I trusting in it?

• Is it my security?

• Am I constantly looking to money to satisfy?

• Who am I living for?

• What am I investing in? 

A master demands allegiance. So why should it be God and not money? Because in giving myself wholeheartedly to Him, everything else makes sense for time and for eternity.

  — Notes from Pastor Marvin Wojda’s sermons on March 12th and 13th, 2022.

CLICK HERE to watch the sermon on YouTube.