Jesus on Wealth

Thesis

Jesus had much to say about wealth, materialism, and money. His teachings consistently warn against the dangers of wealth accumulation and call us to simplicity, generosity, and trust in God. These teachings form the foundation for our movement’s anti-materialism principle and our call to reject wealth accumulation as a life goal.

Why Jesus’ Teachings on Wealth Matter

Wealth and materialism are major obstacles to following Jesus. Jesus’ teachings on wealth are not suggestions—they are clear warnings and calls to a different way of life. Understanding and applying these teachings is essential for following Jesus.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.” - Matthew 6:24

Key Teachings

1. You Cannot Serve Both God and Money

Scripture:

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.” - Matthew 6:24

What Jesus Teaches:

We must choose: God or money
We cannot serve both
Money will compete with God for our loyalty
We must reject wealth accumulation as a life goal

Action Steps:

Examine: What are you serving—God or money?
Choose: Make a clear choice to serve God
Simplify: Reduce your attachment to money and possessions
Give: Use money to serve God and others

See Also: Reject Materialism, Action

2. Don’t Store Up Treasures on Earth

Scripture:

“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” - Matthew 6:19-21

What Jesus Teaches:

Earthly treasures are temporary and insecure
We should invest in eternal things
Our treasure reveals our heart
We must shift our focus from earthly to heavenly treasure

Action Steps:

Evaluate: Where is your treasure? What does it reveal about your heart?
Shift: Invest in relationships, service, and God’s Kingdom
Simplify: Reduce earthly possessions
Give: Use resources to build God’s Kingdom

See Also: Reject Materialism, Action

3. Don’t Be Anxious About Material Needs

Scripture:

“Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:25-33

What Jesus Teaches:

Don’t worry about material needs
Trust God to provide
Seek God’s Kingdom first
Material things will be provided as we seek the Kingdom

Action Steps:

Trust: Trust God for your needs
Seek: Put God’s Kingdom first
Simplify: Reduce anxiety about material things
Give: Share resources generously

See Also: Reject Materialism, Action

4. The Rich Young Ruler

Scripture:

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions. Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Most certainly I say to you, a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.’” - Matthew 19:21-24

What Jesus Teaches:

Wealth can be an obstacle to following Jesus
We may need to give up wealth to follow Jesus
It’s difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom
We must be willing to give up everything

Action Steps:

Examine: Is wealth an obstacle for you?
Simplify: Consider giving up excess wealth
Give: Use wealth to serve others
Follow: Put following Jesus above wealth

See Also: Reject Materialism, Action

5. The Parable of the Rich Fool

Scripture:

“He said to them, ‘Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.’ He spoke a parable to them, saying, ‘The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly. He reasoned within himself, saying, “What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?” He said, “This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. I will tell my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’” But God said to him, “You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?” So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’” - Luke 12:15-21

What Jesus Teaches:

Life is not about accumulating possessions
Wealth accumulation is foolish
We should be rich toward God, not ourselves
We cannot take wealth with us

Action Steps:

Reject: Reject wealth accumulation as a goal
Simplify: Live simply
Give: Be rich toward God and others
Focus: Focus on eternal things

See Also: Reject Materialism, Action

6. Woe to the Rich

Scripture:

“But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation. Woe to you, you who are full now! For you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now! For you will mourn and weep.” - Luke 6:24-25

What Jesus Teaches:

Being rich is a warning, not a blessing
The rich have already received their reward
There is a reversal coming
We should not seek to be rich

Action Steps:

Reject: Reject the goal of becoming rich
Simplify: Live simply
Give: Use wealth to serve others
Focus: Focus on God’s Kingdom

See Also: Reject Materialism, Action

7. The Widow’s Offering

Scripture:

“He looked up and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury. He saw a certain poor widow putting in two small brass coins. He said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for these all gave offerings of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.’” - Luke 21:1-4

What Jesus Teaches:

It’s not about how much you give, but how much you sacrifice
The poor can be more generous than the rich
Generosity is measured by sacrifice, not amount
We should give sacrificially

Action Steps:

Give: Give sacrificially, not just from abundance
Simplify: Live simply so you can give more
Model: Follow the widow’s example
Trust: Trust God when you give sacrificially

See Also: Reject Materialism, Action

Key Principles

1. Wealth Competes with God

Wealth and money will compete with God for our loyalty. We must choose one or the other.

Action: Choose God. Reject wealth accumulation as a life goal.

2. Wealth is Temporary

Earthly wealth is temporary and insecure. We should invest in eternal things.

Action: Shift your focus from earthly to heavenly treasure.

3. Trust God for Needs

We don’t need to worry about material needs. God will provide as we seek his Kingdom.

Action: Trust God. Seek his Kingdom first.

4. Wealth Can Be an Obstacle

Wealth can prevent us from following Jesus. We must be willing to give it up.

Action: Examine if wealth is an obstacle. Be willing to simplify.

5. Generosity Over Accumulation

We should be generous, not accumulators. Give sacrificially.

Action: Give generously. Live simply so you can give more.

Practical Application

Personal Action

This Week:

Examine your relationship with money and possessions
Identify areas where you’re serving money instead of God
Take one step to simplify your life
Give sacrificially to someone in need

This Month:

Create a plan to simplify your life
Increase your giving
Reduce your attachment to possessions
Trust God for your needs

Ongoing:

Reject wealth accumulation as a life goal
Live simply and generously
Trust God for your needs
Use resources to serve others

See Also: Reject Materialism, Action

Community Action

Build Community Around Simplicity:

Join others who are living simply
Share resources
Support each other in rejecting materialism
Practice generosity together

See Also: Community, Community

Policy Action

Advocate for Policies That Address Wealth Inequality:

Support policies that reduce wealth concentration
Work for economic justice
Address predatory lending
Support debt relief programs

Connection to Our Movement

Jesus’ teachings on wealth are central to our movement:

Anti-Materialism - This is one of our core principles
Reject Wealth Accumulation - We reject it as a life goal
Simplicity - We live simply
Generosity - We give generously
Trust - We trust God for our needs

See Also: Reject Materialism, Action, Policy