Jesus' Sermon on the Mount 5

Money (6:1-4, 6:19-21, 6:24)

"The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."

In Old Testament times, people thought being rich and having nice clothes and big houses was a sign of God's favor. But Jesus said just the opposite: being rich can actually distract us from our duties to God and other people (Matthew 19:23-24,Luke 12:15). Rather than putting our trust in the uncertainty of money, we must put our trust in God:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (NRSV, Matthew 6:19-21)

Being obsessed with collecting wealth is a sin similar to the idol worship prohibited by the First Commandment (Exodus 20:2-6, Colossians 3:5):

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (NIV, Matthew 6:24)
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (NRSV, 1 Timothy 6:10)

Those of us who are blessed with wealth beyond our needs have a responsibility to share with the less fortunate (Proverbs 14:21, Isaiah 58:10-11, Matthew 25:31-46, 1 John 3:17). A sincere concern for other people is much more important than whether we are able to give a small or large amount to charity (Matthew 6:1-4, Luke 21:1-4). There is nothing wrong with enjoying life and having the things we reasonably need. But we must remember that service to God and other people is more important than collecting wealth.