What did Jesus teach about money?
BREAKDOWN
Jesus' teachings on money were radical and transformative, fundamentally challenging the prevailing attitudes towards wealth and possessions in His time. He did not condemn money itself, as it is a neutral tool, but He vehemently warned against the love of money, covetousness, and the idolatry of material wealth. A central theme in His teaching is **stewardship**, emphasizing that all resources belong to God, and humanity is entrusted with managing them for His purposes and the good of others. He taught that one cannot serve both God and Mammon, as recorded in 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." This highlights the inherent conflict between devotion to God and the pursuit of earthly riches as an ultimate end. Jesus frequently used parables to illustrate His points, such as the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), which underscores the responsibility to wisely invest and multiply what God has given, and the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-13), which, though complex, teaches prudent use of present resources with an eye toward future spiritual benefits and generosity. He urged His followers to lay up **treasures in Heaven** rather than on earth, as stated in 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." This instruction prioritizes eternal rewards over transient material gains, advocating for a heavenly-minded perspective on resources. Furthermore, Jesus consistently spoke about the spiritual dangers associated with wealth. His encounter with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-26) dramatically illustrates the difficulty a wealthy individual faces in prioritizing God above their possessions. When the young man was told to sell all he had and give to the poor, he went away sorrowful, unable to part with his great wealth. Jesus then famously declared in Matthew 19:24, "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 the Kingdom of God." This hyperbolic statement underscores the immense spiritual obstacle wealth can become, not because wealth is inherently evil, but because it often fosters self-reliance and pulls the heart away from God. Jesus also commended extreme generosity, as seen in the story of the widow's mites (Mark 12:41-44), where her small offering, given sacrificially, was deemed more significant than the large sums given by the rich. He taught a principle of giving to the needy (Luke 12:33-34) and sharing with others, urging His disciples to use their material possessions to express love and build up God's kingdom, rather than hoard them for self-indulgence. In essence, Jesus' teachings on money advocate for a life of detachment from material things, generous stewardship, and a singular devotion to God that sees all resources as instruments for divine purposes.
KEY TERMS
stewardship
The concept that believers are managers, not owners, of the resources God has entrusted to them.
Mammon
A term used by Jesus, originating from Aramaic, referring to wealth or material possessions, often personified as an idol.
treasures in Heaven
An idiom referring to spiritual rewards and eternal blessings that result from faithful living and generous giving, in contrast to fleeting earthly wealth.
rich young ruler
A figure from the Gospels who approached Jesus seeking eternal life but was unwilling to give up his great wealth to follow Him, illustrating the spiritual obstacle wealth can present.
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 God and Mammon.
Matthew 25:14-30
“For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants and delivered to them his goods. 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. In the same way, he who got the two talents also gained another two. But he who received the one talent 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 who received the one talent also 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 worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Luke 16:1-13
He also said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made 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, since 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 kors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ “His lord commended the unrighteous manager because he had done skillfully, for the children of this world are in their own generation wiser than the children of the 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 dwellings. 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.”
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 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 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. Jesus said to his disciples, “Most certainly I say to you, it is 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 the Kingdom of God.” 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 19:24
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 the Kingdom of God.”
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 throwing money 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 12:33-34
Sell that which you have, and give alms. 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. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
INTERLINEAR ANALYSIS
Interlinear Greek
Matthew 6:24ORIGINAL LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
μαμωνᾶς
Mammon
Definitionwealth, riches, money, property
οἰκονόμος
Stewardship
Definitionhouse manager, administrator, steward
θησαυρός
Treasure
Definitiona place for keeping treasure; a treasure, store, hoard
πλούσιος
Rich
Definitionwealthy, opulent, abundant in resources
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The economic landscape of 1st-century Judea, where Jesus taught, was marked by significant social stratification and Roman occupation. Society was broadly divided into the wealthy elite (landowners, merchants, tax farmers, and priestly aristocrats) and the vast majority who lived at subsistence levels, often as tenant farmers, laborers, or artisans. Roman taxation was heavy, encompassing land taxes, poll taxes, and customs duties, alongside Jewish Temple taxes. Publicans, or tax collectors, were often reviled for their association with Rome and their reputation for extortion. The Temple itself served as a major financial institution, with its treasury receiving donations and overseeing various economic activities. Poverty was widespread, and the Mosaic Law, while advocating for the poor through tithes, gleaning laws, and Sabbath years, was often imperfectly applied. Jesus' teachings on money, therefore, resonated deeply within a society acutely aware of economic disparities and the pressures of material existence, challenging both the oppressive practices of the rich and the complacent attitudes of those who neglected the poor. His parables and direct admonitions frequently drew on these contemporary economic realities, making His messages about wealth, poverty, and stewardship highly relevant and often provocative to His listeners.
THEOLOGICAL INSIGHT
Jesus' teachings on money reveal a profound theological perspective that challenges human autonomy and consumerism. He asserts God's ultimate sovereignty over all creation, including material possessions, reframing human ownership as temporary **stewardship**. This insight fundamentally redefines wealth not as a personal right or a means to self-gratification, but as a test of one's faith, a tool for advancing God's kingdom, and a resource to demonstrate love for neighbor. The concept of **Mammon** as a rival master underscores that one's relationship with money is inextricably linked to one's relationship with God, forcing a choice of ultimate allegiance. By prioritizing **treasures in Heaven** over earthly riches, Jesus calls His followers to an eternal perspective, where faithfulness in managing temporal resources yields everlasting spiritual dividends. This theological framework transforms economic decisions into spiritual acts, urging generosity, justice, and dependence on divine provision.
COMMENTARY SYNTHESIS
Rashi (Jewish)
While Rashi would not directly comment on New Testament passages, the Jewish tradition, which heavily influenced Jesus' context, emphasizes *tzedakah* (righteousness/charity) as a core commandment. The giving of a tenth (tithe) and provisions for the poor (e.g., leaving gleanings in the field, Deuteronomy 24:19-22) were seen not merely as acts of benevolence but as expressions of justice and adherence to God's covenant, acknowledging divine ownership of all land and produce.
Matthew Henry (Christian)
Matthew Henry emphasizes that Jesus’ teaching about serving God or Mammon reveals the utter impossibility of dividing one's heart. He argues that the love of money is the 'root of all evil' (1 Timothy 6:10) because it entices the heart away from God and makes one a slave to worldly desires. He notes that laying up treasures on earth signifies an inordinate affection for material things, which are temporary and insecure, in stark contrast to the eternal and secure nature of heavenly rewards.
Ignatius of Antioch (Early Church Father)
Ignatius, in his epistles, often exhorts believers to live soberly and with love, which implicitly touches on the use of material possessions. He would likely view generosity and detachment from worldly goods as practical demonstrations of faith and unity within the Christian community, crucial for standing firm against heresy and persecution. His emphasis on selfless love and service to others would align with using wealth for the communal good rather than personal accumulation.
John Calvin (Christian)
Calvin highlights that Jesus does not simply advise against wealth, but condemns the idolatrous worship of it. He sees the parable of the rich young ruler as a demonstration that natural man is bound by covetousness and cannot enter God's kingdom by his own strength, requiring divine grace. For Calvin, the command to 'lay up treasures in heaven' is a call to align one's affections and efforts with eternal realities, rather than fleeting earthly concerns, proving where true faith resides.