By Ben Quine
**This article is part of a series written by Ben Quine that takes us through the whole of Scripture to discover how God set up an economy for His people, and how His timeless economic principles apply to us today.

Join Ben Quine, the author and Christians Engaged Vice President Scott Jones on Thursday nights starting 10/6 as they go through the final book in the series, Answers for Difficult Days: 7 Vital Worldview Questions. Check out all of the information and to sign up here. We will ship out the book for free. Jump in at any time.

As a child I loved replacing burnt out incandescent light bulbs with new vibrant ones. I was fascinated by the fact that you could shake the dead bulb and hear the filament rattling — a musical confirmation that the bulb was indeed broken and no more light could be extracted from it. Most of all, I loved to see light shining again in a space where once there had been darkness.

In our previous article, we saw that Jesus confirmed the Bible’s teaching on private property, individual control of capital, the government’s right to taxation, and the individual’s responsibility to pay taxes. We also saw the gospel’s warning against economic teaching of equity (equality of outcomes) and the warning against keeping a shared purse. But Jesus went even deeper into the main issue surrounding economics… 

1. Individual action

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. (Luke 10:29-32)

This is the story known as The Parable of the Good Samaritan. It begins by showing us a priest and a Levite, members of society who may have felt a social or legal compulsion to help the man in need. In spite of this, they did not choose to do what was right.

But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ (Luke 10:33-35)

This story is striking because in Jesus’ day Jews and Samaritans did not interact with each other and would have felt no obligation to help each other. This is how we know the Samaritan’s response was truly compassion — the Samaritan would not receive any social or monetary reward for his kindness. The only motivation for bearing the cost of caring for the injured man was internal, in his heart.

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36-37)

Jesus said, “You go, and do likewise.” The Good Samaritan story is consistent with Jesus’ teachings on charitable giving, and emphasizes that compassion in the individual leads to the care of those around them. Compassion is meant to personally drive charity on an individual-to-individual basis. Jesus never endorsed coerced giving or compulsory government programs as a means for helping those in need.

…Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:38)

Again and again, Jesus taught that it is the duty of the individual to choose to do right.

2. Earthly Treasures

What did Jesus teach about earthly treasures and wealth?

…For the laborer deserves his wages. (Luke 10:7)

Consistent with the rest of Scripture, Jesus emphasizes the importance of honest and earnest work. Earning wages here on earth is healthy and good, and the laborer must never be exploited.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

The principle of private property is affirmed by Christ, but it comes with a warning: earthly wealth is fleeting, and it pales in comparison to heavenly riches.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6:24)

Concerning economics, as with everything, Jesus gets to the heart of the matter: where is our heart? And who is master of our lives? If money and wealth are the masters of our lives, we cannot follow God.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22)

Riches promise to remove all trouble from life and bring meaning and joy. However, these deceitful riches are not only merely temporary, they also turn our hearts away from God. This is a stern warning. In fact, there is only one way to avoid riches leading to an unfruitful life... 

3. The Transformed Heart

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:16-21)

Jesus asked the man to do two things: 1. Sell his possessions and give to the poor, and 2. Follow Christ. It was a difficult request, but Jesus offered the great reward of treasure in heaven.

When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:22)

Tragically, the man’s great possessions kept him from obeying and following Jesus.

And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23-24)

Jesus’ request was a demonstration of the young man’s heart: was money his master, or would he allow Jesus to be his master? The rich young man’s actions demonstrated that his heart was dependent on his wealth.

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” (Matthew 19:25)

The disciples assumed that wealth was always a visible sign of right standing before God, so they misunderstood Jesus’ teaching on the difficulty of salvation.

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

At the conclusion of this episode, Jesus paints an honest but rather bleak picture: money aims to be our master, human hearts are inclined towards the love of money, and we will likely permit the deceitfulness of riches to lead us away from God. But money doesn’t last, it doesn’t solve our problems, and it can make our lives permanently unfruitful. 

Like a lightbulb with a broken filament, each of our hearts have been broken by sin. The only antidote is God’s intervention on our behalf; we need to be rescued from our sinful hearts. God Himself must act to change a human heart. Turning a person away from the grip and allure of riches requires a miracle, and is the only way to bring light where there is darkness!

Conclusion

In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ Jesus directly confirmed his commitment to the Mosaic Law (Matthew 5:17) and its principles of charitable giving. He acknowledged that our hearts are evil and that they are inclined toward selfishness and against compassion. He did not authorize the seizing of private property and redistributing it to those who have less (forced giving, wealth redistribution, or equity); neither did he authorize governments to claim all property; instead, he requires each individual to choose virtue, charity, and faith in him. 

Jesus gave many warnings against loving wealth and relying on riches. Money cannot save you — Jesus Christ is the only Savior! 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

If your heart is a slave to riches, and you are heavy-laden, this is your opportunity to allow God to do a miracle in your life, to transform your heart — call on the Lord today and ask Jesus Christ to be your Savior! His yoke is easy, and his treasures are eternal.

If you have already been rescued from condemnation through Christ’s work on the cross, then commit yourself to loving others practically, through sharing the Gospel, spreading biblical economic principles throughout your society, and living as a light in the darkness.

Join us Thursday evenings starting July 14th from 6:30 to 7:30 pm CST for a look at what God’s Word says about Economics, how it should be applied to society and government, as well as the ultimate cure for injustice. We will explore these subjects as we work through the Answers for Difficult Days Bible study series by Ben Quine. Jump in anytime each class runs for 8 weeks.

Click here to register today for this class with Ben Quine and Susan Wright and get the book for free.

Or check out our Christians Engaged Store to purchase all 4 of the books - Answers for Difficult Days. (4-Book Bundle $40 , shipping not included).

ABOUT BEN

Connect with him at Cornerstone Curriculum

Ben Quine, the second son of David and Shirley Quine, was blessed to grow up with a Charlotte Mason/Dr. Schaeffer/Biblical Worldview education -- a tremendous gift! Through the years, Ben has served as a Cornerstone consultant, assistant, and co-author. He has written several Bible studies for the Answers for Difficult Days series, which equips churches to address the issues our culture is wrestling with today, from the foundation of Scripture. Ben is also the editor of The Worldview Library, editions of classical literature with student helps that afford the reader a deeper understanding of the concepts presented in each work.

Trained as a classical pianist and instructor, Ben is committed to inspiring his students with the love of great music and equipping them with the tools to perform at the highest level. This training has resulted in his students' successful performances from local festivals and competitions to Carnegie Hall.

Ben loves Shakespeare, Dickens, photography, listening to recordings of "the great pianists", running, biking, and spending time with his wife Julie and their three sons.