What did Jesus teach about money?
BREAKDOWN
Jesus' teachings on money were transformative and counter-cultural, challenging the prevailing attitudes of both his Jewish contemporaries and the Roman world. He consistently framed money not as inherently evil, but as a neutral resource and a profound test of one's allegiance and priorities. Central to his teaching was the concept that one cannot serve two masters: "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 God and Mammon" (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Here, 'Mammon' represents wealth personified as a rival deity, demanding ultimate loyalty. Jesus exhorted his followers to lay up "treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21), shifting the focus from perishable earthly riches to eternal spiritual rewards. This teaching emphasized detachment from material possessions and an investment in righteous living and God's kingdom. Furthermore, Jesus taught radical generosity and stewardship. He frequently praised those who gave sacrificially, such as the poor widow who gave her two small brass coins (Mark 12:41-44). His encounter with the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-26) dramatically illustrates the difficulty wealth can pose to entering the Kingdom of God, not because wealth is a sin, but because attachment to it often supplants devotion to God. Jesus called for a redistribution of wealth through almsgiving, encouraging his disciples to "Sell that which you have, and give gifts of mercy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys" (Luke 12:33). He also acknowledged civil obligations, advising to "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s" (Mark 12:17), distinguishing between civic duties and ultimate spiritual allegiances. The parables of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-13) further underscore the principle of responsible stewardship, urging followers to use their resources wisely and productively for God's purposes, recognizing that all possessions ultimately belong to Him.
KEY TERMS
Mammon
A term of Aramaic origin signifying wealth or material possessions, often personified as a rival deity to God.
treasures in heaven
A concept referring to spiritual rewards and eternal blessings that result from righteous living and devotion to God, contrasting with temporary earthly wealth.
Rich Young Ruler
An individual in the Gospels who approached Jesus seeking eternal life but was unwilling to part with his extensive wealth to follow Jesus fully.
stewardship
The principle of managing resources (including money, time, and talents) that belong to God, with accountability for their wise and productive use.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Matthew 6:19-21
Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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 God and Mammon.
Matthew 19:16-26
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 still do I lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell that which 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 sad, for he was one who had great possessions. Jesus said to his disciples, “Most certainly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.” When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 25:14-30
“For it is like a man who was going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to each according to his ability. Then he immediately took his journey. 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 got 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 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 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 unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Mark 12:17
Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They marveled greatly at him.
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.”
Luke 12:15
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.”
Luke 12:33
Sell that which you have, and give gifts of mercy. Make for yourselves purses which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn’t fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys.
Luke 16:1-13
He also said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. He called him, and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give an account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ “The manager said within himself, ‘What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management from me? I don’t have strength to dig. I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.’ “Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my lord?’ He said, ‘One hundred barrels of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘One hundred cors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ “His lord commended the unrighteous manager because he had done shrewdly, for the children of this world are in their own generation wiser than the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents. He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is unrighteous in a very little is also unrighteous in much. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 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 God and Mammon.”
INTERLINEAR ANALYSIS
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
μαμωνᾶς
Mammon
Definitionwealth, money, material possessions
θησαυρός
treasure
Definitiona place for keeping valuables, a stored up treasure, a chest, a treasury
οἰκονόμος
stewardship
Definitiona manager of a household or estate, a steward
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
During Jesus' time, the region of Judea and Galilee was under Roman occupation, which brought a complex economic system. Roman taxation was pervasive, including land taxes, poll taxes, and customs duties, often collected by Jewish tax collectors (publicans) who were despised by their own people for collaborating with the Romans and for their often exploitative practices. This created significant economic disparities, with a wealthy elite (often Sadducees, Herodians, or those aligned with Rome) and a vast majority living in poverty or subsistence. The Jewish religious system also involved tithes to the Temple and charitable giving (tzedakah) to support the poor and the priestly class. Jesus' teachings on money, therefore, resonated powerfully within a society grappling with foreign oppression, economic hardship, and religious obligations. His critique of wealth was not an abstract philosophical point but a direct challenge to the socio-economic realities and the spiritual pitfalls they presented, emphasizing that true security and treasure lay not in material accumulation, but in God's kingdom and righteous living.
THEOLOGICAL INSIGHT
The theological core of Jesus' teaching on money is that it functions as an ultimate test of worship and allegiance. Money, or 'Mammon,' becomes an idol when it is sought, trusted, or loved above God. Jesus consistently challenged the common human tendency to find security and identity in material wealth, redirecting disciples to understand that all possessions are ultimately God-given and are to be used in His service for the advancement of His Kingdom, particularly through radical generosity and care for the poor. The love of money is indeed portrayed as a root of evil, capable of choking out spiritual growth and hindering entry into God's eternal purposes, as articulated in 1 Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
COMMENTARY SYNTHESIS
Rashi (commentary on Torah) (Jewish)
While Rashi did not comment directly on the Gospels, his extensive commentaries on the Torah reflect the robust Jewish tradition regarding wealth. He frequently emphasizes the commandments regarding tithing (Ma'aser), charity (Tzedakah), and caring for the poor (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), viewing wealth as a divine blessing that comes with stringent responsibilities for its proper use to support the community and those in need, rather than for selfish accumulation.
Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) (Early Christian)
The Didache, an early Christian manual, underscores the importance of giving to the poor and warns against greed. It states, "Do not hesitate to give, nor grumble when giving; for you will know who is the good rewarder" (Didache 4.6), echoing Jesus' call for generosity and trust in God's provision. It also instructs against partiality in giving, advocating for giving to all in need.
John Calvin (Institutes of the Christian Religion) (Christian)
Calvin saw wealth as a gift from God, to be used for His glory and the good of humanity. He stressed the principle of Christian stewardship, arguing that believers are merely managers of God's resources and must use them responsibly, not for luxury or selfish pleasure, but for necessary provisions, hospitality, and particularly, the relief of the poor. He emphasized that the heart's disposition towards wealth is key: it must never become an idol.
Augustine of Hippo (Sermons) (Christian)
Augustine often preached on the dangers of avarice and the spiritual benefits of almsgiving. He taught that earthly possessions are transient and that true riches are found in God. He advised his congregation to 'use the world, but do not be caught by the world' (Sermon 138), meaning that material things can be utilized for good but should not enslave the heart, aligning with Jesus' teaching on laying up treasures in heaven.
Matthew Henry (Commentary on the Whole Bible) (Christian)
Henry consistently interprets Jesus' teachings on money as a call to prioritize eternal values over temporal gains. Regarding the Rich Young Ruler, he comments on the 'sad choice' made when wealth is preferred over Christ, illustrating that money often becomes an idol that prevents complete surrender to God. He emphasizes that true happiness and security are found in God alone, not in material abundance.