Jesus' Radical Doctrine Of Non-Accumulation: Part II

I indicated in Part I that there are two commands by Jesus that form this radical doctrine, and I’ve only covered one--Matthew 6:19-21:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in an steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…. 

The other passage is Luke 12:33.  It is very plain: Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.  This verse is paired with Matthew 6 because it repeats the phrase “treasure in heaven” and the “thief” and “moth” illustration.  So here is our combined doctrine:  In Matthew 6, we were told not to accumulate assets.  If we have been accumulating assets, this verse tells us to what to do with them; we are to sell them—and give the money to the poor.  This doctrine will radically change how you handle your finances—if you’re interested in obeying every command of Jesus, and really WANT to have treasure in heaven. 

But when I mention this doctrine to church folks, they get quiet and mildly uncomfortable, evidently not excited about building treasure in heaven.  Overall, based on dollars given, it seems the plain fact about America is this:  There are a lot of middle class people who call themselves Christian who really don’t care a bit about giving serious money to the poor. (I’m referring to the worldwide poor, those who die tragically early, without enough to eat or suffering from preventable disease). Most of their giving will go to their church, so lots of it gets spent boosting the facility and the programs and salaries. Maybe some of that goes to evangelists. But little tithing goes for the poor, per se.  On the other hand, people are anything but quiet discussing their latest Big Toy purchase, or their Home Improvement Part V; or how they plan to “make it” in retirement, when lots of play time is planned.  But does anybody come up with worry lines and say, “The Holy Spirit is definitely beating me up about something in my daily prayers—how many of the poor people worldwide dying every day from malnutrition or sickness could have been, or could be, my brothers or sisters? It just blows my mind that I could help keep them alive but I’m wasting my money on bling.  I’ve got to do something to correct this: Let’s get together and discuss fasting on occasion and living frugally and pool the savings and give it to them.  We could save lives!”  Music to our Lord’s ears!  But it rarely happens.  American “Christians,” wake up!  Consider again Luke 12:16-21 (covered in Part I, the rich man who stores up his goods and God takes his life that very night because he “lays up treasure for himself”). Are we that rich fool?  Could God be angry at us—maybe even eternally angry--because we consume and stock up, and are not thinking at all about helping the poor?

Read Luke 16:19-25:

There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.. I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.   

The rich man is in hades, flames and excruciating pain and all, and don’t you think Jesus wants us to know what his sin was that got him there?  Of course!  Are you going to say, “We don’t know because He doesn’t say”?  On such an important issue, paradise vs hades, is God going to be silent?  That’s an unsupportable argument.  No, the ONLY conclusion is, the rich man is in hades because he had no compassion for the suffering poor man.  He knew the man was there, “at his gate.” So he passed him whenever he left home, and whenever he returned.  But he didn’t help.  Well, are we churchgoers in America a step above this today?  Maybe you’ll say, “None of them are at my door.”  But they’re on your TV, they’re on the internet, or you get calls on the phone.  That’s your gate.  Will you end up, surprised as this man was, at the same horrible final destination?

Jesus makes another radical statement in Matthew 19:23: 

Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

He even stresses the point, saying it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.  The disciples were shocked at hearing that; they assumed (as we do) that wealth is proof that God is opening heaven’s doors for you. Jesus says completely the opposite. I would be even so bold as to suggest, Jesus is saying wealth will almost certainly tear you away from God so you won’t make it to heaven.  Think about that. That really makes gathering riches a curse. (I’m not saying a high income is a curse.  I’m saying piling it up is a curse). Would you grasp at something if you knew it would almost wipe out your chance at heaven? Nooo way. But we do it anyway.

Now of course you might say, “No problem; I’m not rich.”  Well, in the Big Picture, almost all Americans are rich.  We are the richest society, by far, in all of world history—in fact, our poorest 5% are richer than India’s richest 5% even now, to just give one perspective. So, you who are reading this—even if you’re middle class, even lower middle class, in America—you’re rich.  All the frivolities in America distract you, they deceive you--you assume you’re fine with God, but you’ve drifted away from dependence on Him, you become no longer a branch feeding off the Vine (and what happens to non-abiding branches?  They go to the fire).  Remember, Jesus said that “narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14).  When you really meditate on these verses, you get the radical idea that the odds are stacked against Americans going to heaven, because of our relative wealth.  Could a large number of us be self-deceived into thinking we’re going to heaven when we aren’t?  Consider His warning in Matthew 7:21-23: 

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

And what is God’s will for most Americans, the richest society on earth?  Give more to the truly worldwide poor!