A few thoughts on biblical financial stewardship

It’s naive to think that social justice is about exposing injustices so that the “good” people of America can eliminate them.

Financial stewardship a fundamental issue that each of us must come to terms with and the answer to that question can shape our entire view of social justice.

Does Jesus want us to be poor? The answer is No. God wants no one to be poor. Asceticism is not the answer. What then is the responsible God honoring stewardship of wealth? I will post more direct thoughts on this in the future.

2 Cor.8:13-15: 13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, 15as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”

Ron Sider would warn: “Rich Christians must be careful not to distort the biblical teaching that God sometimes rewards obedience with material abundance. Wealthy persons who make Christmas baskets and give them to relief agencies have not satisfied God’s demand. God wills justice for the poor, not occasional charity. And justice means things like the jubilee and the sabbatical remission of depts. It means economic structures that guarantee all people access to the productive resources needed to earn a decent living. Prosperity without that kind of biblical concern for justice unambiguously signifies disobedience.”

More to come!