Home -- Content: Series 7 (Laws) -- Translation: English -- Book: 2 (Gospel) -- Chapter: 24 (Conduct 6) -- Text
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The Sharia of Christ in the GOSPEL
G - Commandments of Christ related to our Duties towards Men (CONDUCT)
6. WEALTH AND POVERTY IN CHRIST'S COMMANDMENTS
Summary
Matthew 5:40-42 -- 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And
whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Luke 6:30, 32-36 -- 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. …
32 But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
36 Therefore
be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Matthew 6:11 -- Give us this day our daily bread. (
See also Luke 11:3)
Matthew 6:19-24 -- 19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (
See Luke 16:13, James 4:4)
Matthew 6:25-32 -- 25 Therefore I say to you,
do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 So why do you worry about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Matthew 8:20 -- And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but
the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (
See 2 Corinthians 8:9)
Matthew 10:8-10 -- 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9 Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. (
Compare Numbers 18:31, 1 Corinthians 9:14, 1 Timothy 5:18)
Matthew 12:1 -- At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and
began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. (
See Deuteronomy 23:26)
Matthew 13:22 -- Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and
the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (
See Mark 4:19 and Luke 8:14)
Matthew 16:26 -- For what profit is it to a man
if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (
See Luke 12:20)
Luke 12:16-21 -- 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'
18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, "
Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." '
20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'
21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (
See Matthew 6:20)
Luke 16:19-25 -- 19 There was
a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
20 But there was
a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 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. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'
25 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. '
Matthew 19:16-26 -- 16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
17 So 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."
18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "
'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "
20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?"
21 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."
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 "And again I say to you,
it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (
See also Mark 10:17-27, Luke 18:18-27)
Matthew 21:2-3 -- 2 saying to them, "
Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.
Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, '
The LORD has need of them, ' and immediately he will send them."
Acts 3:5-6 -- 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
6 Then Peter said, "
Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them -- walking, leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
Matthew 24:45-51 -- 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
47 Assuredly, I say to you that
he will make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,'
49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,
50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,
51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:14-30 -- 14 For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country,
who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'
21 His lord said to him, '
Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.
Enter into the joy of your lord. '
22 He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'
23 His lord said to him, '
Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.
Enter into the joy of your lord. '
24 Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'
26 But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
27 So
you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For
to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (
See Luke 19:12-27)
Matthew 25:41-46 -- 41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, '
Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44 Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'
45 Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you,
inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
John 19:28-30 -- 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Summary
Jesus did not directly confirm private or collective ownership, for the whole universe is the ownership of God, and what we have in our hands is but a deposit from him. The questions of the right to have property are not important in the kingdom of Jesus. However, Jesus emphasizes the responsibility of the rich and owners, and the danger of their being unaware of the need or the situation of the poor and the needy. The problem is not wealth or poverty, but the lack of mercy and the self-sufficiency of the rich and their poverty in God. The satisfaction of the rich prevents them from feeling with the poor, and from seeing the tears of the needy.
Jesus and his disciples deliberately lived in poverty without a bank account or an earthly insurance as security in the background; they trusted in their heavenly Father alone, from whom they asked for the necessary daily bread. Paul writes on this subject: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9) Jesus healed all the sick free of charge and he commanded his disciples to serve freely, because they received their authority freely by grace. Paul witnessed that he could be rich and he could be poor as long as he remained in the Lord (Phil 4:11-14).
A rich youth, who was pious and faithful, came to Jesus, and Jesus was pleased with his friendliness; but when this young man asked about perfect behavior and good works which would enable him to gain eternal life, Jesus said to him: “sell whatever you have and give to the poor. Follow me and be content also with critical situations, and learn to live by faith.” But the young man was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus told the parable of the camel which could not go through the eye of a needle. The eye of the needle in some societies was a small gate beside the big gate, and anyone who wanted to enter with his camel through it had to unload the camel and make it kneel, and then draw the camel with the head to the ground through this small gate, until he got in with much suffering. So a rich man cannot get to heaven unless he is willing to part with the burden of his worldly wealth, and stoop to the duties of a humble religion, and in this manner, drawn by Christ, enter the narrow gate of heaven with much suffering. The danger for the rich is that they trust in their riches and that their riches become an idol which they serve.
Jesus also speaks about theft and people borrowing without an assurance that they will give back what they borrowed, but he does it in a way that we have to transform our minds (Matthew 5:40-42; Luke 6:30-36). He confirms the Old Testament commandment: "You shall not steal" (Matthew 15:19, 19:18). Yet, His aim was not to secure the possessions of owners, but to make them and us use opportunities to give, to offer, and to help, so that we may have a treasure in heaven. This heavenly treasure does not bring us forgiveness and justification, because we have already been freely forgiven. Every offering in the New Testament means giving thanks for Golgotha. Jesus did not gather money to supply an army with weapons and equipment, as Muhammad did, but He wanted the mercy of his heavenly Father to be reflected in our mercy. Here again, faith, love, and hope are the motivating power for our spiritual culture and Ethic.
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