What did Jesus teach about money?
BREAKDOWN
Jesus' teachings on money are comprehensive and radical, challenging the prevailing attitudes of both His time and ours. He consistently emphasized that money itself is not evil, but the love of it, and the trust placed in it, can become a spiritual snare. A central theme is the incompatibility of serving both God and "mammon," as stated in Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13: "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." This 'mammon' (Μαμωνᾷς) refers to wealth or material possessions, personified as a rival master to God, highlighting the spiritual danger of misplaced priorities. Jesus taught a radical detachment from worldly wealth, encouraging His followers to seek "first God's Kingdom and his righteousness," promising that all other necessary things would be provided (Matthew 6:33). He warned against covetousness, illustrating this with the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21), whose life was abruptly ended just as he planned to store up vast riches, revealing the futility of earthly accumulation without eternal perspective. Furthermore, Jesus taught about stewardship, generosity, and the eternal implications of how one uses their resources. The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) illustrates the responsibility of managing resources, not just financial, for God's glory and the advancement of His Kingdom. He also advocated for radical generosity and care for the poor, instructing the rich young ruler to sell all he had and give to the poor to gain treasure in heaven (Matthew 19:16-22). This was not a universal command but underscored the unique obstacle wealth posed to this individual's spiritual life. Jesus praised the widow's mite (Mark 12:41-44), valuing the sacrificial nature of her giving over the large sums given by the wealthy. Ultimately, Jesus' teaching posits that true security and treasure are found not in earthly possessions but in a relationship with God and investments in His eternal Kingdom.
KEY TERMS
mammon
A term referring to wealth or material possessions, often personified by Jesus as a rival master to God.
covetousness
An excessive or inordinate desire for wealth or possessions, which Jesus identified as a spiritual danger.
stewardship
The concept that believers are managers of God's resources, not owners, and are accountable for how they use them.
parable of the rich fool
A story told by Jesus illustrating the futility of earthly accumulation without an eternal perspective and the danger of placing security in wealth.
widow's mite
A story where Jesus commends a poor widow for her sacrificial giving, demonstrating that the value of a gift is in the heart and sacrifice behind it, not its monetary amount.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Matthew 6:24
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.
Luke 16:13
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 can’t serve both God and Mammon.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Luke 12:13-21
One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" He said to them, "Beware! Keep yourselves from all 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 brought forth plentifully. 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.
Matthew 25:14-30
“For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey. Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. Likewise he who got the two gained another two. But he who received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. Now after a long time the lord of those servants came and balanced accounts with them. He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who received the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter. I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’ But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter? You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away. Throw out the worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 19:16-22
Behold, one came to him and said, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” He said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “You shall not murder.’ ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not give false testimony.’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ And, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” The young man said to him, “All these things I have observed from my youth. What do I still lack?” 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 the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had great possessions.
Mark 12:41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much. A poor widow came, and she cast in two small brass coins, which make a quadrans. He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are casting into the treasury, for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.”
INTERLINEAR ANALYSIS
Interlinear Greek
Matthew 6:24ORIGINAL LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
Μαμωνᾷς
mammon
DefinitionWealth, money, material possessions, often personified as a false god or object of worship.
πλεονεξία
covetousness
DefinitionA greedy desire to have more, avarice, covetousness.
θησαυρός
treasure
DefinitionA storage place, treasury, or that which is stored up; treasure, riches.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The economic landscape of 1st century Judea and Galilee was characterized by a hierarchical social structure with significant wealth disparity. Roman occupation imposed heavy taxation, and a substantial portion of the population lived in poverty. The economy was agrarian, with much wealth concentrated in the hands of the landowning elite, temple authorities, and tax collectors. Money, primarily in the form of Roman, Greek, and local Jewish coinage, was essential for commerce and taxation. Usury (lending money at interest) was practiced, though often condemned within Jewish law. Jesus' teachings often challenged the prevailing cultural norms that valued material wealth and status, instead elevating humility, generosity, and care for the marginalized. His parables frequently drew on common economic scenarios, such as farming, debt, and master-servant relationships, to make His points relatable to a diverse audience, from the wealthy to the destitute.
THEOLOGICAL INSIGHT
Jesus' teachings on money fundamentally reorient human priorities from earthly accumulation to eternal stewardship. He dismantles the notion that material wealth is a sign of divine favor or a source of ultimate security, instead exposing it as a potential idolatry and a significant obstacle to entering the Kingdom of God. His call to radical generosity, detachment, and reliance on God challenges believers to view all possessions as resources entrusted by God, to be used for His purposes, particularly in caring for the poor and advancing righteousness. The theological implication is that one's disposition toward money reveals their true master and the locus of their trust and hope.
COMMENTARY SYNTHESIS
Matthew Henry (Christian)
On Matthew 6:24, Henry emphasizes that the choice between God and Mammon is exclusive; one cannot truly serve both. He states that 'Mammon' here signifies the things of this world as an object of trust and service, not merely money but the whole complex of worldly pursuits and values.
Rashi (Jewish)
While Rashi's direct commentaries are on the Hebrew Bible, the underlying principle concerning wealth in Judaism often revolves around its proper use for good deeds (Tzedakah) and support of the community. The concept of 'mammon' as a rival to God resonates with Jewish warnings against idolatry and placing trust in anything other than God, a theme prominent in the Prophets and Wisdom literature concerning the dangers of material indulgence leading away from God's covenant.
Augustine of Hippo (Christian)
Augustine, in his 'Sermon on the Mount,' delves into the dangers of earthly treasure, explaining that 'where your treasure is, there your heart will be also' (Matthew 6:21). He teaches that our affections inevitably follow what we value most, and if that is earthly wealth, our hearts become bound to the perishable, hindering our ascent to God.
Clement of Alexandria (Early Church Father)
In 'Who is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?', Clement addresses the rich young ruler's encounter with Jesus. He argues that Jesus' command to 'sell all' was not a literal universal injunction but an exhortation to detach oneself from the inordinate love of wealth and to use one's possessions for the good of others, demonstrating that it is the passion for money, not money itself, that is condemned.
John Calvin (Christian)
Calvin, in his 'Commentaries,' underscores Jesus' emphasis on true righteousness, contrasting it sharply with a superficial piety often associated with wealth. He argues that the pursuit of earthly riches distracts from true spiritual devotion, asserting that God demands wholehearted service, which is incompatible with the divided loyalty that Mammon inevitably seeks.