6 Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit.
7 For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either.
8 But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that.
9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.
Vs. 6: - Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit.
"godliness combined with contentment" - Today's devotional in "Jesus Calling" was about living victoriously as you live in deep dependence on Jesus - about not worrying or fretting about what is to come. It struck me as I read and pondered: it is about being content in Jesus. Sometimes life seems like a hard scrabble, or maybe bumper cars. As circumstances blow by us, we are buffeted - heads snapping right or left, abrupt stops with our chest slammed against the steering wheel. Jesus invites us to 'live life abundantly'. (John 10:10) He was very clear that this does not mean having lots of money and stuff. (Luke 12:15-21)
My son listened to some pretty 'interesting' music when he was a teenager. One group, ‘Sisters of Mercy’, did a song named "More". It is in the 'Techno/Industrial' genre, so it is a hard driving beat, and goes on for 8-1/2 minutes. (It's a great running song!) However, the lyrics show someone who is not content:
| Some people get by - with a little understanding. Some people get by - with a whole lot more. I don't know why you have to be so undemanding. This one thing I know. I WANT MORE. Chorus: I need all the love I can get. I need all the love I can't get, too. |
The verses are sung fairly quietly, but with intensity. The last line of the verse is a scream. The chorus is done by a choir, repeated multiple times like a worship song. One of the verses tells us you are not what you live with, but what you take. Not an uplifting spiritual song, it is someone who is not content with what they have. Being content with what you have gives you more time to focus on Jesus. Compare "I want more" with "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." (Phil. 4:6-9)
Where would you rather be: screaming "I want more", or in the peace of God that is beyond understanding? It's your choice.
"brought nothing... " - We can't take it with us, either. Lack of contentment, at least in this case, is lusting for more money and possessions. Jesus warns us about greed. See Luk. 12:15-21. The parable shows a man who is not interested in godliness. One of the political themes in the last few years was to question the wealth of rich people. The conclusion of this theme is the government should take more taxes because the rich have 'more than enough'. The rich aren't paying their 'fair share'. That's not exactly what Jesus is saying in this parable. Note there is no mention of tithing by the rich man. There is no acknowledgement that his good fortune is the result of God's grace. It is not clear that God is anti-rich, anti-wealth. He opposes the proud. See: Jam. 4:6; Deut. 8:14. He expects the rich to help those in need. It is to be a personal commitment, not leaving it to the government. I call the latter attitude Vicarious Altruism. You don’t actually have to do anything, but yet you get to feel good about yourself. Is it possible the rich man would have survived the night if he had thanked and glorified the Lord for his successful farming? Is it likely the judgment would have been mitigated had the man given thanks for the largess and decided to give to the Lord to care for those who needed? That is for us to speculate based on our understanding of God's love for the widow, the orphan, the needy, the stranger and the poor. (See: Exo. 22:22; Deut. 16:11; Zech. 7:9-10) "food and shelter" - We want too much. We expect too much. You were born with your soul and spirit as your only possessions of value. When you die, that is all you'll take with you. God wants to focus on what is important, necessary, (Luke 10:38-42) and not to fret about collecting things. See: Matt. 6:25, 31-34 "long to be rich" - These are people whose main desire is to be rich. This is more than earning a lot because they provide a better product or service. You have heard the presumptuous saying, “You can never be too rich, or too thin” used to justify excessive pride. Think of the movie "Wolf of Wall Street" , or crime lords, drug gangs, Ponzi scheme perpetrators, etc. (Okay, crime gangs are also after power and control. They are not in it for the good of others.) When the goal is money alone, God warns us that temptation, traps, senseless and harmful desires will drag us to destruction.
It would be better for the rich man to use his riches to benefit others. Not through the government, but personally, as a witness to the grace of God. Is God glorified when a person says, "God has blessed me. I am sharing that with you."? Most likely, yes. Is God glorified if a person does it in secret? (The caveat is beware of the pride of the Pharisees, "See what good I am doing, because I am so good, so much better than others.") Again, probably, yes. See: Matt. 6:19-21, 24.
In the movie "The Great Gatsby" (latest version) - the wild and mindless parties with booze and sex flowing equally, harmed many lives. Our own lustful nature draws us away to death (lust is not just about sex!).
"the love of money is the root of all evils" - Having money, being rich, is not evil, nor a sin. Avarice is more than wanting money. It is an overweening desire to get money, no matter how much you have now. Some commentaries have asked, "There is no sin that won't be committed for monetary gain." That is almost beside the point. Some people will commit sins because their hearts are as hard as stone, and money-for-sin is a perk. Some will commit crimes out of desperation, thinking they no other choice.
The 'love of money' shows a decision to turn away from a dependence on God. That is the 'root'. The declaration of independence from God puts your self on the throne of your life. "Sin is active rebellion or passive indifference to God" (See note 1) Self on the throne is deciding to do what you will in defiance of Jesus. That defiance is the source of all sin, beginning with Satan, then Adam. It is of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting that is base, wrong, and wicked. It leads to behaviors that are troublesome, injurious, pernicious, and destructive.
"strayed from the faith" - No where in the Gospels, or any of the letters is there an encouragement to take care of yourself first. In grasping for money we can forget the commands to love one another. (1 Cor. 12:25; Gal. 5:15; John 13:34; Rom. 12:10, 13:8) This not about earning because you provide a good product or a good service (remember the old saying: if you invent a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door). This is falling prey to 'lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the boastful pride of life.' (1 John 2:15, 16)
"stabbed themselves" - Basically, committing spiritual suicide. (Gal. 5:7; Col. 2:8)
***Note 1: (Campus Crusade for Christ - 'Four Spiritual Laws'.)
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