What Does the Bible Say about Materialism?
- Candice Lucey Contributing Writer
- Published Nov 20, 2024
One might think it obvious that God is against materialism, and maybe even against wealth. Yet, there are devoutly Christian people who are far from poor – men and women with large houses, art on their walls, and other expensive possessions. There are also rich men and women in the Bible who are notable for their faith. So, what does the Bible say about materialism?
Wealth in the Bible
“One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14). Historians agree: Lydia was selling purple cloth, a luxury at the time worth a great deal of money. She must have been a wealthy businessperson. Luke wrote of Lydia: “after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’” Lydia was honored to serve the Lord by serving these people, her new family members in Christ.
Zacchaeus was a rich tax collector in Jericho; being a tax collector was a lucrative but highly unpopular profession. He wanted to see Jesus, but being small in stature, he climbed a tree. Jesus spotted him and singled him out. “‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully” (Luke 19:5-6). Note that the man did not fear embarrassment, but did something so undignified as to climb a tree: he valued this opportunity above his pride, and Jesus saw the humility in his heart.
Isaac went from being a prisoner of Pharaoh to the second most powerful man in Egypt. “Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck” (Genesis 41:41-42). Joseph did not expect these ornaments, but he did not reject them either.
Using Wealth for the Kingdom
Lydia and Zacchaeus’ wealth enabled them to provide hospitality to God’s servants. As soon as they believed, they served the Lord. Zacchaeus went so far as to demonstrate immediate repentance: “‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost’” (Luke 19:9-10).
Zacchaeus was like the merchant, “who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:46). Both Lydia and Zacchaeus recognized that a relationship with Jesus was of greater value than anything else they possessed. They were not materialistic: that is, they were not “overly concerned or preoccupied with material possessions rather than with intellectual or spiritual things.”
Joseph used his wealth and position to save his family – and ultimately the entire Israelite nation – from starvation. “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors” (Genesis 45:7).
God can and does permit some people to be wealthy; he entrusts this burden with individuals who will use their good fortune with generosity, to glorify him and not themselves. Joseph, Lydia, and Zacchaeus were still sinful individuals who might have wrestled with a longing to own things just so they could have them. We must remember, material possessions are not bad – things are morally neutral. Still, they held their belongings in an open hand, treating it rightly as something to be used for God’s work and not theirs by right. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8).
Woeful Tales of Wealth
But not everyone who had wealth in the Bible used it well.
In Matthew 19, we read of a rich young man who asked Jesus “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life” (v.16)? Jesus’ answer was to “sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (v.21). He went away sad “because he had great wealth” (v.22). Material possessions had become his treasure. John Piper puts it this way: “He got his money in his hand and he’s holding on extremely tight. But Jesus is supposed to be in this hand, as his supreme treasure.”
We read in Acts 5:1-11 about Ananias and Sapphira, a couple who sold their property and brought half the proceeds to the disciples. They kept the other half for themselves and fell down dead as they uttered lies about their actions.
Why did they die while Lydia, Zacchaeus, and Joseph have become symbols of faith? God responded to their faith by entrusting them with an investment. Zacchaeus recognized and loved Jesus; Lydia loved Jesus and her new family. Joseph used his wealth and position to save his family and his people. When we believe the Lord is glorious and good, even when he takes a great deal from us, we acknowledge that whatever is ours is actually his. Also, we demonstrate our trust that what he has for us is better than our possessions. He is good right now, even if we are poor. But in material terms, his Kingdom is a safe, beautiful place where we will lack nothing even if we are not rewarded for our faith with material wealth right now.
The rich couple, however, behaved deceitfully towards the disciples. Peter declared “you have not lied just to human beings but to God” (Acts 5:4). Brian Vickers helps us to understand what some have considered a “harsh” punishment by putting their deception in context. Ananias and Sapphira were part of a new community which was “not replacing but fulfilling national Israel.” As believers in the New Covenant, God dwelled in and among them to become his living church “through faith in Israel’s Messiah and in fulfillment of Israel’s Scripture according to the plan and foreknowledge of Israel’s God. [...] Lying to the community and the apostles is, thus, lying to God himself. [...] The community itself, as Wright puts it, is sacred.”
Their greed and doubt were like infections which would have threatened the reputation of Christ and this earliest group of followers. “The believers [were] living for one another in unity, voluntarily sharing what they have, devoted to prayer, and committed to the apostles.” Their example would become a testimony for onlookers who would embrace the Gospel message. Ananias and Sapphira could have jeopardized the reputation of this community’s witness.
Ananias and Sapphira doubted that Jesus was enough for them. James 1:6-9 says “the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation.” Although they had possessions, the pair ultimately had nothing.
The Purpose of Wealth and Possessions
Since our two great commandments are to love God and love our neighbor, we must ask what and whom we love most. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). As he declared the coming of Jesus, many people asked John the Baptist what they should do. “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise” (Luke 3:10-11).
Even when we share out of our lack, God will not only restore but multiply. In 1 Kings 17:10, Elijah asked the widow of Zarephath for something to eat, and although she and her son were starving, she fed him. Elijah promised that “the jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth” (v.14). God blessed her faith by fulfilling Elijah’s promise.
Yet, John’s instruction to the tax collector was not to give away all of his money, but to “collect no more than you are authorized to do” (v.13). To the soldiers, he did not say “leave your profession at once” but “do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages” (v.14). Earning your wages is not sinful.
Neither does God ask you to relinquish the things you need for your own well-being or to live in a tent without a single ornament to your name. Paul says that a lifestyle of constant self-denial has “an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but [is] of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:23).
The temple in Jerusalem was filled with ornate and beautiful things, built to God’s own specifications by craftsmen chosen for their talents. God’s Kingdom is adorned to an even more lavish extent. We were made by a Creator who enjoys beauty in many forms, so it is no surprise that we also appreciate jewels, fine wood carvings, precious metals, and art. God made creative people to imitate his creativity. If our lives are filled with splendor that speaks to the glory of ourselves, then we have to reassess how we use what God gave us. If we use it to point to God in some way, such as creating a comfortable and hospitable environment for our church body to meet or a place of refuge for people when they are hurting, then our material wealth has a kingdom purpose.
An Eternal Reward
When material comfort insulates one from real life, it becomes a spiritual prison, its inmate waiting on death row. Yet, when wealthy people appreciate beautiful things and support others, their money is being used as an investment for God’s Kingdom, an investment he wants us to do something good with, not hide away like the man in the Parable of the Talents by burying his coin.
“For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29).
God blesses and multiplies offerings made in his name, although the reward is not always more money but more spiritual fruit in and around the giver; more people coming to and growing in Christ. The reward for material ownership and offering enjoyed and given in the name of Jesus is a spiritual one.
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