Jesus said, "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. "(Matthew 5:42 NASB)

Does this verse give you heartburn? It does me. I mean, really, that guy standing on the corner with his cardboard sign that says, "Viet Nam Veteran. Homeless. Need money for gas."

I'm supposed to give him some of my hard earned money? Is this an isolated statement, or does Scripture carry this theme throughout?

Hmm, similar theme in proverbs.

One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed. (Proverbs 19:17 NASB)

But I have plans for my money, things I want to own, places I want to go. Is there anything wrong in that?

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

I'm not trying to get wealthy here, I just want to enjoy life. After all, Jesus promises abundant life, doesn't He?

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 NASB)

But Jesus wasn't rich, in fact, he was very poor, as was Paul. So money isn't the goal of abundant life.

What was the example of the early church? Let's see..., that would probably be Acts...

For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. (Acts 4:34, 35 NASB)

Wow. That's tough stuff.

Further, Paul said to Timothy, "An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. (1 Timothy 3:2-3 NASB)

But I don't want to be an elder or an overseer, just a good Christian. Paul laid it bare when he said, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1 NASB)

So, where does this exercise lead me? Don't love money. Give to the poor. Be imitators of Paul and Christ. Does all this mean money is bad? Back to the scriptures...

Here's that theme again. Don't get caught up in love of money, wealth, abundance in the material sense.

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NASB)

I cannot find a single scripture that says money is bad. The scriptures do say, very plainly, that the love of money is bad. The scriptures do say, very plainly, to share the wealth that The Lord has given you. The scriptures do say, very plainly, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21 NASB)

I pray this exercise made sense to you. I just wrote down the main parts of the rabbit trail I found myself on this morning.

God bless,

Cliff