What does Jesus think about money?  Does he want us to be rich?  Does he want us to be poor?  Is money evil?  Is money a sign of God’s favor?

Jesus gives his perspective on wealth in successive accounts in the Gospels.

First, a man asks Jesus to tell his brother to share the family inheritance with him.  Jesus replies, “Be careful!  You need to be on guard against greed of every kind;  for true life is not determined by what a person has, even when he has far more than he needs.”  Luke 12:13-15.

Jesus then drove home this point with the parable of the rich fool, concluding,  “This is how it will turn out for those who stored up treasure for themselves but are not rich toward God.”  

Jesus then instructed his disciples even further, talking to them about worrying about earthly things.  Using the birds of the air and the flowers of the field as illustrations, Jesus points out how His Father takes care of His creation.  His point, “Make the kingdom of God your central concern, and God will provide whatever you may need.”

Jesus concludes, “The purse that holds your treasure should be your heavenly purse…  The important point is that wherever you store your treasure, that is where your heart will be.

The priority we place on money…  what we are willing to do to get it, what we do with it when we have it, how we view other people who do or don’t have it…  reveals the condition of our heart.  God is less concerned with the size of our bank account than He is with the size of our heart.

What does my perspective on money reveal about my heart?

The priority we place on money also reveals the condition of our faith.  Who, or possibly what, are we placing our faith in?  Is our confidence, our faith, in the size of our bank account or the size of our God?

What does my perspective on money reveal about my faith?

Father, may your heart continue to shape my heart towards money.   I want to be rich toward You, putting You and Your kingdom first, and by doing so, storing up treasure in heaven.