...Almost familiar words there. I say "almost" because the
passage contains one of the most misquoted texts in all of
scripture. People piously recite, "Money is the root of all
evil," when the truth is "The LOVE of money is the root," and not
of ALL evil, but lots of it. Statistics indicate that 75% of all
crime in America is committed simply for money. If drug
trafficking, for example, were not so incredibly lucrative, the
problem would be gone in a flash.
What brings all this to attention this morning is a report
on NBC News last Sunday night. The broadcast began with the
devastation of Hurricane Wilma in Cancun and Cozumel, the threat
of the hurricane to Florida as it continued its inexorable
advance, then more bad news from the war in Iraq, the world-wide
concern over a possible horrible epidemic brought on by this new
strain of bird flu, then finally a story that noted that
retailers have begun their Christmas merchandising earlier than
normal this year because they figure that once the reality of
what it is going to cost us to heat our homes hits us this
winter, everyone will be afraid to spend anything. This annual
gathering of the unneeded for the unneedy has to begin NOW!!!
Ah, the almighty dollar...and never more almighty than at this
time of the year.
Now before you begin squirming in the pews, thinking that
this is going to be one more sermon bashing you about the fact
that you have more than you need while there are poor people in
the world who are starving, let me ease your mind - that is not
what this is about. Nor will this be an appeal to give money to
the church - you know what you ought to be doing and I expect
that you will do it. Consecration Sunday is two weeks from
today. Rather, I want us to look at what the Bible says about
money with an eye toward a proper use of what we have been given
to get us to the exalted stage of "Godliness with contentment" of
which the Apostle Paul speaks. Emerson once said, "Things are in
the saddle and riding mankind," and we know that ought not to be.
By the grace of God, perhaps we can come up with a plan to
reverse that this year.
The first thing to say is that the Bible does not teach
money as either a virtue or a vice. It is simply a medium of
exchange, the oil that lubricates the wheels of society. Jesus
never equated holiness with being broke. Christianity does not
now and nor ever has advocated poverty. There is no special
virtue in being poor, and certainly no happiness in constantly
struggling to make ends meet.
I recall reading of the fellow who was annoyed when a
definitely intoxicated man boarded a bus at a late hour and
slumped into the seat right beside him. The passenger's
apprehension increased when the drunk asked thickly, "Got any
money?" Seeking to head off a "touch," the man replied
brusquely, "No." Giving him a long look, the inebriated one
leaned forward and intoned loftily, "I should try to get some if
I were you. You would find it very useful."
We know that is true. Money can do all sorts of wonderful
things. Besides feeding and clothing us, it pays for schools,
hospitals, churches, missions, scientific research - the list is
endless. Money can be put to fine and noble uses.
Of course, we know that the opposite is also true. I have a
fascinating book in my library called Money and Class in America:
Notes and Observations on our Civil Religion, which, by its
title, says a mouthful about our values. It was written by Lewis
Lapham, former editor of Harper's Magazine. In it he noted that
some years ago, he made a study of about fifty families that had
accumulated substantial holdings prior to 1900. Following the
descent of the money through the lines of inheritance to the year
1960, he noticed that with relatively few exceptions, the lives
of the heirs were marked by alcoholism, suicide, drug addiction,
insanity and despair. Only a handful achieved, or even bothered
to attempt, distinction in anything. For the most part, he says,
"they squandered the spoils in gestures of spectacular
dissolution."(1) Sad.
We have always heard that "Money can't buy happiness." In
some ways having money apparently contributes to UNhappiness.
Lapham writes, "Among both men and women the incidence of marital
infidelity rises with an increase in income. Of the married men
earning $20,000 a year (and this book is about 20 years old, by
the way), only 31% conducted extracurricular love affairs; of the
men earning more than $60,000, [the figure was] 70%."(2) Hmmm.
Jesus knew that having money can create problems. He
regarded money and possessions as the primary obstacles to a
relationship with God. Think of the Rich Young Ruler who was so
possessed by his possessions that he could not bear to give them
up even for the sake of eternal life.(3) Or remember Jesus' story
of the rich man who selfishly ignored the plight of the starving
Lazarus and ended up consigned to eternal torment.(4) Or recall
the Lord's words about the wealthy farmer who figured he had it
made - he would build big barns to hold all his goods, then eat
and drink and take his ease; he was secure. But the Lord said,
"You fool, this night shall your life be required of you. Then
to whom will all this belong?"(5) Or that line that is so-often
quoted: "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."(6) Money
can create problems, and apparently, the more you have, the more
problems there are.
Enron, Worldcom, Tyco. Billions of dollars looted by
avaricious executives. How many yachts does one person really
need? We are talking about greed of unprecedented proportions.
Remember the name Ivan Boesky? Convicted of insider trading back
in the '80's. Boesky blamed his predicament on a too passionate
love of money, "a sickness I have in the face of which I am
helpless."(7) The Romans had a proverb: "Money is like sea-water;
the more a man drinks, the thirstier he becomes."
Our scripture lesson addresses the problem. "Godliness with
CONTENTMENT is great gain. For we brought nothing into the
world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food
and clothing we will be content with that. People who want to
get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish
and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction,"
and a glance at any newspaper will verify it.
"Godliness with contentment." Where does such contentment
come from? I believe the only way we will ever become totally
content with what we have is to come to the realization that we
do not HAVE anything. We are stewards, managers, of that certain
portion of this world's goods over which God has given us
TEMPORARY charge. And I emphasize the word TEMPORARY. Someone
asked when Howard Hughes died, "How much did he leave?" And the
response was, "All of it." Alexander the Great inherited one
empire and conquered another. The wealth of both East and West
was his. Yet he asked that at his death his hands be left
unwrapped and open for all to see that they were empty. We are
temporary stewards.
The key to contentment in that role I think is found in one
ancient but dishonored word...TITHE. As you know, the tithe is
ten percent of income. The concept of the tithe goes back to the
earliest pages of the Old Testament and was God's way of
reminding us that we are here as managers - ownership belongs to
God. The deal was that we could keep ninety percent of the
proceeds of our efforts for our own use - we were told to return
just ten percent. It was not that God needed the money - it was
all God's anyway and God could take every penny in a skinny
minute. The tithe was simply a reminder of the source of our
wealth. It was an extremely generous offer. Unfortunately,
people then and now have done all they could to steal that ten
percent from the "Boss" and the result is the feeling of
discontent with our lot that leads to the troubles we experience.
Christie and I were at a pre-retirement seminar at the
beginning of this past week put on by the Board of Pensions of
our Presbyterian Church (USA). It was an incredibly valuable
experience for those of us who are looking forward to that
eventuality in the not-too-distant future. It dealt with a wide
range of issues - housing, health, relationships, and, of course,
finances. I was intrigued to note that at the beginning of the
section that dealt with Savings and Investments, the instruction
was "Pay your tithe...FIRST."(8) Good advice. For retirees or
anyone.
Now, I realize that when most folks hear the word TITHE they
automatically think of giving to the church. But if you recall,
I said at the beginning of this that giving to the church is not
what this message is about. (I will be pleased to preach about
that some other day.) The TITHE is the subject; the object is
that phrase from our lesson - "Godliness with contentment."
Setting aside the tithe is not simply a financial issue, it is a
spiritual issue - this is God's standard, and this is GOD's
money, not ours. The question is will we be obedient or not? If
we are, we will find contentment. We are always more content
when we know we are doing what we ought to do.
Now, I am painfully aware that most folks would prefer to
get Godliness with contentment in some other way. After all, the
most sensitive nerve in the American body is the one attached to
the pocketbook. According to statistics, American households
give away only about two percent of income per year for
charitable purposes about half of which goes through religious
organizations for the work of God in the world.
As you know, my interest in tithing is not new. I believe
in it; I practice it; I advocate it. I give my entire tithe to
the church; other charitable contributions are over and above. I
plan to continue that. But for those of you who have not been
able to get to that yet (and I have talked to a number of you who
have said that you want to do better), I am going to suggest
something that might lead to the "Godliness with contentment"
that our lesson talks about. I am going to suggest that you set
up a separate TITHE ACCOUNT with your bank. As you make deposits
to your regular account, make one to the Tithe account. Then as
opportunities for giving arise - to the church or United Way or
Red Cross or hurricane relief or whatever - you will have the
funds available and ready to put to work. I will suggest
(against my better judgment) that at least half of it go to the
church - no other organization does so much of lasting good; the
rest measure out as the Lord leads.
You are, no doubt, familiar with the name of William
Gladstone, one of the great Prime Ministers of England in the
last century. Gladstone kept his tithe in a separate account and
said, "The greatest advantage of making a little fund of this
kind is that when we are asked to give, the competition is not
between self on the one hand and charity on the other, but
between the different purposes of religion and charity with one
another, among which we ought to make the most careful choice.
It is desirable that the fund thus devoted should not be less
than one-tenth of our means; and it tends to bring a blessing on
the rest."(9) Indeed.
The one question that always comes up concerning tithing is
do we base it on the gross or the net? Before taxes or after?
The best response I have heard is this: "Suppose God were to
change the plan for one year and, instead of asking for a tenth,
were to give you an extra ten percent based upon the income which
you received last year. What figure would you suggest to God to
describe your income? That is the amount upon which you can
reasonably be expected to tithe."(10) In other words, be as fair
with God as you would expect God to be with you.
One of the things that has struck me over these past months
of televised tsunamis and hurricanes is the comment that is heard
from the victims of the disasters over and over and over again.
As they stand there, looking over the devastation of their
property, tears in their eyes, and microphones thrust in their
faces, they say, "At least we still have our lives." Somehow
THINGS lose importance when we are confronted with ultimate
questions...life and death. If Godliness with contentment is our
goal, we will keep money and possessions in perspective.
As one commentator has it,
Money in itself is neither good nor bad; it is simply
dangerous in that the love of it may become bad. With
money a man can do much good; and with money he can do
much evil. With money a man can selfishly serve his
own desires; and with money he can generously answer to
the cry of his neighbor's need. With money a man can
buy his way to the forbidden things and facilitate the
path of wrong-doing; and with money he can make it
easier for someone else to live as God meant him to
live. Money is not an evil, but it is a great
responsibility. Money brings power, and power is
always a double-edged thing, for it is powerful to good
and powerful to evil.(11)
At no other time of year are we confronted more with
questions about money. As that news report reminded us, in these
weeks leading up to Christmas we are deluged with opportunities
get rid of it - not only to merchants but to beggars, to bell-ringers, even to the church to take advantage of a tax break by
the end of the year. And the result, of course, is the best
chance ever to feel guilty about it. No need...if we handle what
God has given us properly. Set up an account to give God what
belongs to God; use the rest wisely. Then the answer to the
question, "Will there ever be enough?" will be YES.
Amen!
1. Lewis H. Lapham, Money and Class in America: Notes and Observations on our Civil
Religion, (New York, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988), p. 106
2. ibid., p. 185
3. Mark 10:17-22
4. Luke 16:19-31
5. Luke 12:13-21
6. Mark 10:25
7. Lapham, p. 217
8. The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (USA), "Growing Into
Tomorrow...Today: a Pre-Retirement Seminar" Revised August, 2005, p 3-25
9. G. Ernest Thomas, Spiritual Life Through Tithing, (Nashville, Tidings, 1953), pp. 40-41
10. Quoted by Thomas, p. 38
11. William Barclay, The Letters to Timothy, Titus and Philemon: Daily Study Bible
Series, (Philadelphia, Westminster Press, 1960), p. 152
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