Appearance & Reality > The Lord Jesus Christ > Truly rich
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MESSAGE: AR149
Preached: 23 Oct 94 ▪ Edited: 29 Oct 10
Introduction | The teaching of the Lord Jesus | What does the Lord Jesus require of us? | Wise use of material riches has a positive dimension | Practical outworking in our attitude towards material wealth | Concluding remarks
We have seen in earlier messages that a person who is rich and doing well in the eyes of the world may not be truly rich. He may be poor because he is not rich towards God, and so, not rich in the eyes of the Lord. He is not rich from the perspective of eternity. We see this very clearly in the parables that the Lord Jesus told about “the rich but poor fool” and “the rich man and Lazarus”.
The one who is poor and is not doing well from the worldly perspective may be truly rich and faring well. The perfect example of this is the Lord Jesus. Other examples are Lazarus and the poor widow who contributed two small copper coins.
In this message, I want to concentrate on the relationship between material riches and true riches, spiritual health and eternal well-being.
When we consider spiritual issues such as growth in moral and spiritual stature, spiritual health or eternal well-being, we tend to think of areas like prayer, reading of the Scriptures, fellowship with God and among the brethren. We may not pay sufficient attention to this area of material riches because we may not be conscious of its significance and bearing on spiritual growth and our eternal well-being.
The Lord Jesus often discussed and taught about the relationship between true discipleship and material wealth, and the attitude one should have towards material wealth, as these bear on our relationship with God and on our spiritual health and eternal well-being.
This comes through clearly when we consider the rich man and Lazarus. The lifestyle of the rich man reflected his attitudes, which affected how God looked at him, and that had implications on his eternal well-being. Likewise, the “rich but poor fool” was not rich towards God because of his bad attitude in this area of material wealth and God pronounced him a fool.
Let’s look at the teaching of the Lord Jesus in the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16:8-13 on this issue.
Luke 16:8-13
8 “And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.
9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.
10 “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.
11 “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?
12 “And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?
13 “No servant 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 cannot serve God and wealth.”
The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly, “for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light”. This is, in fact, one of the key issues that the Lord Jesus wants to communicate through this parable – the shrewdness of the unrighteous manager in comparison to the foolishness of believers.
The Lord Jesus says: “Make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings”. The Lord Jesus highlights the issue of our attitude towards material things. Believers often do not live in a manner consistent with the fact that they are God’s children. This can be seen in our approach and attitude towards material wealth. We do not make use of it wisely, in a way that contributes to our eternal well-being.
There is a close relationship between our eternal well-being and the way we approach this issue of material wealth.
The Lord Jesus says in verse 10: “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much”. This statement was made immediately after His comment on how we ought to make use of material wealth. How we make use of it reveals the quality of our faithfulness to God.
We may think that we are faithful in areas such as prayer, reading of the Scriptures, fellowship with the brethren, attending church meetings and so on. But are we faithful in the area of material wealth? If we are not, it could be a reflection of something within us that is not right. We may not be as faithful as we think we are.
The Lord Jesus asks in verse 11: “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?” The contrast here is between unrighteous wealth and true wealth – that which abides, that which pertains to the kingdom of God.
Our attitude and response towards material wealth reveal the true quality of our lives and affect the way the Lord views us. It can affect the freedom God has to use our lives now and what He can entrust to us in eternity.
The Lord Jesus makes it clear in verse 13: “No servant can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and wealth”. Material wealth can be of use and can be well-utilised. But it must not become our master. It must not have a hold on us. If it does, it will impair our relationship with God and our service for Him.
Let’s look at Matthew 6:19-24 which reinforces this point.
Matthew 6:19-24
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.
23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
In verses 19-20, the Lord Jesus contrasts storing up treasures on earth with storing up treasures in heaven. If we store up for ourselves treasures on earth, we will not be able to properly store up for ourselves treasures in heaven.
The Lord Jesus says in verse 21: “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. What the Lord Jesus is concerned about is our heart. Our heart will concentrate on where our treasure is, and that will have a bearing on our eternal well-being, and the outcome of our lives for eternity.
In verses 22 and 23, the Lord Jesus refers to the lamp of the body. Here, He is talking about spiritual insight and perception. He says: “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
Clarity of spiritual insight is very important. It is relevant for every aspect of our lives. It is helpful to see that the Lord Jesus talks about this in the context of treasures on earth and treasures in heaven. This is because the Lord Jesus wants us to know the importance of seeing clearly the issues concerning our attitude towards material wealth and the implications on our treasures in heaven. He emphasises that no one can serve two masters – he will hate one and love the other.
Material wealth in itself does not have enduring value in God's kingdom. However, our approach and attitude towards it reveal the spirit of discipleship and the meaning of our profession of faith in God, our submission to God, and the reality of our love and concern for others. Consequently, it has a significant bearing on our walk with God and our eternal well-being.
We may say that we love the Lord, we love our neighbours and that our perspective is the eternal perspective. But if we also love material wealth, it calls into question the meaning and reality of what we profess with our lips, our true values and the true condition of our heart.
A healthy approach to material wealth reinforces and helps us develop positive inner qualities, but if our approach is self-centred, it will harm our development and will lead to degeneration of our lives.
So let us realise that if we are unhealthy in this area of material wealth, it may indicate that the professions of our lips are just that. There may not be the reality in our hearts. We may think we really love the Lord with all our hearts, but it may be just feelings.
It is important for each one of us to prayerfully reflect over our attitude towards money and material wealth. What does it reveal about the quality of discipleship in our personal lives?
Let us now consider an important issue related to material wealth raised by our Lord. It is not easy to immediately understand its meaning, and it is even more difficult to live it out.
Let’s look at the words of the Lord Jesus to the rich ruler who wanted to know what he could do to inherit eternal life.
Luke 18:22
When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
When the man heard the reply of the Lord Jesus, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich (v. 23). A parallel passage in Mark 10:22, likely to be a reference to the same incident, states it this way: “But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property”.
Here was a man who was extremely rich, but it is quite clear that he was not truly rich for he had no treasure in heaven. He wanted to have eternal life. The Lord told him what he had to do, but he did not fulfil the condition. He went away, sad and grieved. It is sad that riches so gripped this man that he was hindered from becoming truly rich.
Why did the Lord Jesus lay down the condition, that he had to sell all he possessed and distribute it to the poor, before he could have treasure in heaven, and then to follow the Lord?
Does the Lord require this of us all? Do we have to sell all we possess and distribute to the poor before we can be His disciples, before we can enter the kingdom of God?
If this is so, how can we reconcile it with His instruction to His disciples, in the context of the parable of the shrewd manager, to “make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness”? It would be difficult to reconcile this understanding with the teaching of the Lord Jesus on the importance of our being good stewards of material riches.
The Lord Jesus did not require Zaccheus to give away all his possessions.
Luke 19:8-9
8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.”
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.
The Lord Jesus said that Zaccheus had already experienced salvation even though Zaccheus had said that he would give half, not all, of his possessions to the poor.
It is likely that the Lord Jesus instructed the rich ruler to sell all he possessed and distribute to the poor because the Lord knew he had a problem in this area. The Lord does not require it of all His followers.
Does it then mean that Luke 18:22 is not relevant to us? It is important as a general principle not to quickly dismiss instructions of the Lord that make or appear to make a demand upon us.
The reply of the Lord Jesus to the rich man underscores a very important principle which is clearly applicable to all believers. This principle is reflected in another verse in the teaching of the Lord Jesus.
Let us look at the context:
Luke 14:25-32
25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,
26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?
29 “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,
30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 “Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
The Lord Jesus is talking about discipleship. He says, in verse 33: “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions”.
It is quite clear that this verse applies to all who want to be His disciples.
The Lord wants us to give up all our own possessions and follow Him. The spirit of true discipleship includes giving up everything and following the Lord. These words may appear to have the same meaning as the words the Lord Jesus told the rich ruler in Luke 18:22: “… sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me”.
What does the Lord require of us when He says His disciples must give up all their own possessions?
We have seen that the Lord Jesus did not ask Zaccheus to sell or give away all his possessions and that the Scriptures teaches the importance of good stewardship of what we have.
There are two key aspects to the Lord’s requirement: “to give up” and “all our own possessions”.
The original text translated “give up” has the sense of saying “good bye”. It means we no longer regard any of the possessions as our own. We have given them all up.
“Give up all your own possessions” would then mean we do not regard anything we have as our own, to do as we please. Although our possessions belong to us legally, they are all consecrated to the Lord for Him to use as He pleases. We are merely His stewards. We are to manage, use and channel them to the degree we understand the Lord desires, in whatever form He sees fit. This is a reasonable and meaningful way of appreciating these words of the Lord Jesus and is consistent with the teaching of the Scriptures on this subject.
This principle is very important. We may be familiar with the concept of stewardship but it is very important that we identify with the spirit of what the Lord Jesus is trying to communicate to us.
Many Christians freely say, “I do not regard these things as my own; they are consecrated to the Lord; I am only God’s steward.” But there is often little reality of the true spirit and posture intended by the Lord when He tells us to give up all our own possessions.
Some of us have more difficulty in the area of material wealth than others. But generally, it is not easy to have the kind of spirit and attitude towards material riches that the Lord Jesus speaks of.
This kind of attitude and spirit required by the Lord Jesus is part of the wider issue of consecration and true discipleship. The Lord makes this statement in the context of the issue of discipleship. He also says: “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” and “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple”.
The Lord Jesus makes it clear that if we want to be His disciples, we have to consecrate our lives to Him and submit to Him in every aspect of our lives. He must become primary in our lives. Our whole approach to life must drastically change. Our earthly relationships take on a different light. Our love for parents, spouse, children, would seem like hate when compared to the love we should have for the Lord.
When we think about “self-life”, we often think of expressions that are obviously negative or repulsive, but it can include areas which are not obviously unacceptable, such as our concerns for others, and our desire to serve God.
Self-life basically proceeds from the self. The starting point of such an approach is: how we view and seek to do things according to our own wisdom and thinking, and in our own strength.
The starting point, however, ought to be our relationship with God and doing all things in fellowship with Him. The whole approach to life – the way we view our own lives, our attitude towards others, our love for them and our desire to grow – must not be based on our own thinking and effort. We must seek to understand how God desires us to view the various issues of life and how He wants us to live our lives.
As in every other area of life, our approach to material wealth must not be according to our own thinking, inclinations or desires. We cannot regard them as our possessions, to use or dispose off as we see fit. They must be given up, consecrated to the Lord, to be used in wise stewardship.
Our attitude towards material wealth can reveal to us how real our profession of faith is. If we say we are submitted to the Lord but we are not truly obedient to Him in the area of material wealth, it shows there is deficiency in our submission to the lordship of Christ.
The spirit of true discipleship includes the preparedness to literally give up all and follow the Lord when the Lord requires it of us. Let us look at Matthew 4:18-22 when the Lord called Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow Him.
Matthew 4:18-22
18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.
22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
The Lord called Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow Him, and they immediately left all and followed Him. They left their boats, their nets, their means of livelihood and also, in the case of James and John, their father. Their response to the Lord's call is a manifestation of the spirit of true discipleship.
If we enter into the reality of true consecration of every aspect of our lives, we will have true freedom in the area of material wealth and in every other area.
The issue that I want to concentrate upon is the kind of spirit that the Lord requires of us. He may require us to literally leave everything to follow Him, or He may not. But He would require all His disciples to have the spirit of giving up all their own possessions and following Him.
The Lord Jesus highlighted and spoke much about the issue of material wealth because it is an issue that confronts all believers and there are many pitfalls. Believers can easily be ensnared, distracted and hindered in their walk with God because of failure to “give up all our own possessions”. However, a wholesome appreciation of the teaching of the Lord Jesus on this subject must include a consideration of its positive dimension.
Luke 16:9
“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.
The Lord Jesus says we can make friends for ourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness. Although it is “unrighteous wealth”, we can make use of it in a positive way. It can have positive eternal significance if we use it wisely, because, “when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings”.
If we maintain the spirit of true discipleship in the way we exercise stewardship of “unrighteous wealth”, it can contribute to the development of our character and the nurturing of the qualities of the inner man. We learn to refrain from self-indulgence and be concerned for the needs of others and the Lord's work. We learn and grow in the process. At the same time, the needs of others are met and there is contribution to the advancement of God's kingdom.
We know that in many parts of the world there is still a significant need for the Scriptures, good Christian literature, and the support of faithful Christian workers. There is also the need for suitable equipment in advancing the Lord’s work. So, material wealth can be used positively. It can have a positive dimension.
Do not think that just because we are not well-off materially, this area has little or no relevance to us. If we think this way, we may then miss out on the joy and blessedness of giving.
Remember the poor widow who contributed the two small copper coins. It is very likely she was the poorest among all those who were giving. But she did not neglect her part. And the Lord Jesus tells us that she contributed more than all the rest. What she contributed was more significant to God than all the others.
The significance of our contribution in giving is not measured by how much we give, but by the meaning within our hearts and wisdom in stewardship according to God's guidance.
Each one of us must prayerfully consider how we can be good stewards of all that the Lord has entrusted to our care – that which is within our control and influence.
Let us not compare with others and let us not just leave it to others to give to God’s work. I want to stress this important truth: each one of us can contribute significantly in giving. None of us should neglect this area. Each one of us can and should experience the joy and blessedness of giving.
In Acts 20:35, Paul, quoting the Lord Jesus, said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. If we learn how to give with the right attitude, we enter into the joy and blessedness of giving.
Let us beware, lest, instead of being blessed in this area, we stumble. Let us be good stewards so that through giving generously, we can be a blessing to others and be blessed ourselves.
Whether we have much or little materially is not the critical issue. What is critical is the quality of the spirit of discipleship in us. The question is whether we have been wise and good stewards of whatever we have.
If we have little, is it because we have squandered away what the Lord has entrusted to us? If we have much, is it because we are accumulating and hoarding for ourselves?
At the heart of it, the issue is wise management and use of material riches for the advancement of God’s kingdom. This is part of a wholesome approach to life. Understanding this area will help us to appreciate more clearly the issues of appearance and reality, the approach of the Lord Jesus, the perspective of the kingdom of God and of the fallen world.
There is a place for expenditure for our needs, such as food and clothing, and the needs of our loved ones. What we should be careful about is unnecessary or excessive expenditure, especially on things which do not contribute to service or spiritual well-being.
We need to beware of pampering ourselves or our loved ones. It is a waste of money and it is also detrimental to the spirit of discipleship and our well-being. If we are truly concerned for our loved ones, we will not want to pamper them because it will be detrimental to their lives.
With increasing affluence, the spirit of consumerism is all around us. But we must not be carried along by this spirit. Let us look to the Lord as to what He would desire of us.
However, it does not mean that if we spend little on ourselves or our loved ones, we are faring well in this area. What is critical is the reason for our spending little. The miser does not spend much either for himself or his family. We may hoard what we have, accumulating them for a sense of security, while others just want to cling on to money and possessions for themselves.
Lavish, wasteful spending on ourselves and our loved ones and ignoring the urgent needs of others and the Lord's work is not a trivial matter. Remember the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man lived lavishly, thinking all was well and fine, without realising that he was actually in a precarious position.
The Lord may not require us to give away everything we have. He may require that we give away substantial amounts of what we have, or He may want us to keep substantial amounts for the time being in order to channel them in various ways at the appropriate time. Whatever the case, we must not cling to our possessions. We must not let them have a hold on us. It is very important that we have a genuine willingness to give away whatever is appropriate for us to do so, at any time.
Let us not rationalise away wrong attitudes within our hearts. We must first resolve the real attitude and spirit that we have within us in these areas. We must learn to hold all things with open hands, not with clenched fists.
Do we really have the attitude that we do not own the material wealth that we have, and that we are merely stewards? Let us realise that we have to give an account of our stewardship in all areas, including this area of material wealth. And the best stewardship is not grudging reluctance to part with what the Lord has entrusted to us. Neither does it mean carelessly giving away everything.
Let us beware of giving little and keeping much for ourselves. It would be to our own detriment. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “Do not lay store up for yourselves treasures on earth”. We must nurture the spirit of generosity. Be generous, yet wise. Let us realise that with increasing affluence, our responsibility in the stewardship of material riches increases in significance.
What we give can mean a lot to those in need and to those doing the Lord’s work in various contexts. Our contribution can make a significant difference, especially in less developed countries where the cost of living is much lower. A small sum of money can support a Christian worker in the poorer regions of the world.
In our practical outworking of this area, we should prayerfully consider before the Lord how and in what area we can give from time to time. We need wisdom to channel what we have. It should be thoughtful giving, not careless giving.
There is a place for laying aside for future needs and a place for wise investments. But these are areas that need to be carefully considered. We need to have a healthy understanding of the issues and how each one of us can meaningfully work out in our own context. These issues will be discussed in the next message.
Let us realise that our attitude and approach towards material wealth and possessions bear a relationship with true riches, spiritual health and eternal well-being. This is an area that the Lord Jesus addresses not infrequently, and He links it directly to the issue of true discipleship and the implications for our eternal state.
We need to prayerfully ask the Lord to help us understand what He requires of us. What does He mean by giving up all our own possessions and following Him? What is the spirit of it? How can this become a reality in our hearts?
Let us ask the Lord to search our hearts and help us evaluate accurately our whole approach, attitude and practice in relation to material wealth.
Do we truly regard nothing as our own to do as we please, and everything as consecrated to the Lord to be used as He pleases? Are we truly His stewards? Or are these just familiar phrases we pay lip service to, with little reality in practical outworking?
Let us ask the Lord to help us recognise our state with regard to this area and take corrective measures wherever appropriate. Good stewardship of material wealth can have significant implications for our relationship with God and for His work.
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Appearance & Reality > The Lord Jesus Christ > Truly rich
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