Work and Wealth in Scripture

How to Grow, Prosper, and Work as a Christian

Clayton

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781630878863
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

What do you do with your money? What do you think of your boss? Do you like your work? Is it satisfying? Are you satisfied with your answers?Do you know that God, through Scripture, offers us answers? Two of the most fundamental challenges for all humankind are deciding how to live and, if we accumulate riches, deciding how to use them.Did you know that God expects all humankind to work? For the Christian, all work is part of your Christian calling, whether you collect garbage for a living or sit in Washington deciding affairs of state.And what does Scripture have to say about riches? Did you know that Jesus directed more attention to the question of how to deal with wealth than just about any other subject he addressed during his three-year ministry?Join me in this short journey as we explore work and wealth in Scripture and seek answers to the above questions and others. We travel from the first work recorded in the Bible to our own time, when leisure competes with work for our attention and wealth gives us a false sense of security that puts us in danger of replacing God with self.

1

The Interview

One morning in the spring of 2012, while in a half-dream, waiting for 5 a.m., to finally roll around so I could get out of bed, something came to mind.

Actually I can get out of bed anytime I feel like, but as I get older and require less sleep, I kept getting out of bed to work and putter around the house earlier and earlier, or, in the hot summertime where I live (Alabama) to go for an occasional long walk.

I was finally getting up before dawn, and, I thought, “This is crazy! I’m like a crazy, eccentric old coot! Do not get up before dawn!”

So, I was waiting for about 5 a.m., when the earliest light of dawn begins to push away the shadows of night—at least during Daylight Savings Time—and finally, after tossing and turning and repeated looks at the clock, it was 5 a.m.! I leaped out of bed with my half-dream still intact.

I was trying to determine how to open the book. How to catch your attention.

Why not open with a conversation, an interview, I thought. Even better, what about an interview with Jesus, or with Jesus and the Apostle Paul, in which questions are asked and answered, kind of in a dialogue form. Just like CNN or Fox.

Of course, some may think of this as sacrilegious, way too light for such as serious subject as religion, and I don’t have one of those striking Fox News blondes with ample bosoms and long legs, revealed so well with short skirts, to entertain you, but why not.

Jesus was a real guy, a real person, and while he was serious I suspect he had a sense of humor not always revealed in the four Gospels that made it into the New Testament.

And to keep it entertaining, all the time with the secret agenda of actually learning something useful, we will set it up so there are two interviewers, one from Fox and one from PBS, representing broadly different points of view.

The subject is work and wealth in Scripture. What does the Bible say?

Let’s see how this works.

“This evening,” the master of ceremonies [hereafter MC] said, “we have two representatives of the media interviewing two very prominent people in the Christian movement: Jesus Christ, certainly the acknowledged founder of Christianity, and the Apostle Paul, the man who did more to interpret Jesus for the early followers of the church.”

“Welcome Jesus and Paul. Thanks for being with us.”

Jesus and Paul nodded from where they sat behind the impressive half-round table where the participants were seated. They were wired by the sound technicians with hidden mikes beneath their robes.

“And thanks Jerry Gonzalez-Smith from Fox news,” and the MC nodded in the direction of the blonde, “and to Steve Cantor from PBS for joining us this evening.” Both Fox and PBS nodded.

“We have asked Jerry and Steve to address the subjects of work and wealth in Scripture, but will allow them some flexibility in their questions since we don’t always have such prominent guests to interview.

“So without further ado I will ask our interviewers to begin with their questions, and I’ll ask them to begin in alphabetical order. So Fox, you are first.”

Fox: “What do you attribute the success of Christianity to?”

Jesus: “Well Ms. Fox who were you addressing that question to? Myself or my good friend here the Apostle Paul?”

Fox: “Well let’s start with you Mr. Christ, or may I call you Jesus without any due disrespect?”

Jesus: “Oh just call me Jesus. All my friends do.”

Fox: “Thank you, Jesus.”

Jesus: “I think the success of our endeavor comes from obedience to our father, the Lord God. As you know—or perhaps you don’t know since I know journalists have a very busy agenda—our Father sent me as a messenger, properly called the Messiah, over 2000 years ago to offer man forgiveness and salvation for his sins.”

Fox: “Sure, I was raised as a Southern Baptist and remember a lot from Sunday school, although I must admit to not being very attentive with sermons.”

Jesus smiled beatifically.

Jesus: “Well that’s good Ms. Fox. You know the basics, which a lot of people do—and I might add for the audience that there are more Christians in the world today than any other religion—but the problem seems to be with many that even though they know the rules they don’t always obey the rules.”

Fox: “Yes, yes kind of like staying under the speed limit on the interstate or sliding through a red light at the intersection. We all do it.”

Jesus: “Yes, very good Jerry that’s a nice analogy. In fact, I teach in parables which are kind of like analogies. But slipping through a red light doesn’t always produce a grievous accident with injuries and death.”

Fox: “Yes of course I see that Jesus. The rules your father showed you to show us have bigger consequences. But, returning to my question . . .”

Jesus: “Yes of course, what do we attribute this success of Christianity to? It basically boils down, Ms. Fox, to people wanting to be in a good relationship with their Father, my Father, and me, for I speak for and have authority from my Father. And many blessings will issue from obedience to me and those blessings are both here on earth and in the life that will come after death.”

Fox: “And Paul—I may call you Paul I hope—what can you add to the question: why has Christianity been so successful?”

Paul: “Of course Ms. Fox, you may call me Paul. By the way, Jerry, do you have any Jewish ancestors?”

Fox: “Pardon?”

Paul: “Never mind Jerry, just curious since as you may know, but probably don’t, that all Christians are descendants of Jews.”

Fox: “Ok. And the question?”

Paul: “Well, the reason Christianity has been, and continues to be, so successful is fairly simple,” Paul said, but seriously, not warmly like Jesus. “As my Lord Jesus said,” Paul started, with a nod to...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Interview
• Chapter 2: What Do You Do?
• Chapter 3: What is Valuable?
• Chapter 4: Name It and Claim It
• Chapter 5: Work and the Protestant Work Ethic
• Chapter 6: How Work Got To Be a Dirty Word
• Chapter 7: Some Very Hard Truths
• Chapter 8: A Very Sad Story
• Chapter 9: In God We Trust
• Conclusion
• Bibliography