Walking With Christ

Luke 6:20  And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”(ESV)

I’ve heard a few teach on this passage and misuse it in horrible ways.  The lesson typically says something like “being rich is a curse”, “rich people have a much harder time being good”, or “if you’ve become rich, that means that you aren’t giving enough”.  Anyone who hears this verse taught without the full context should be very cautious about anything else said by the one teaching.  Let’s look a bit closer.

Luke 6:24  But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.(ESV)

This verse is nearly always used as a confirmation of the interpretation of verse 20.  By this logic, verse 25 says that nobody should ever laugh or find joy in this life because they are robbing themselves of joy in the kingdom.

Let’s start at the beginning.  Since this is obviously a sermon by Jesus we already know that we should believe every word.  But does that mean that we should take verses 20 and 24 to mean that Jesus had a problem with anyone who had money?

1. Zacchaeus—Luke 19:1-10, a wealthy tax collector (like Matthew) who gave generously after his encounter with Christ.
2. Joseph of Arimathea—Matthew 27:57, a rich man who provided Jesus’ burial tomb.
3. Lydia—Acts 16:14-15, a wealthy merchant who supported the early church.

Truly, Jesus had no problem with having wealth.  He had no problem with those who had been blessed in that way.  The money itself is neutral.  It’s what people do with their money and resources where the contention begins.

Money has always represented time.  Time, and how one uses it, represents one’s priorities.  Time is the one resource that, once gone, cannot be regained.  How we choose to spend the time we have is entirely based on what priorities we have in any given moment.  Luke 6:24 isn’t a warning about having wealth, it’s a warning about the pursuit of wealth becoming a higher priority than serving the kingdom of God.  This lesson might be why “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is one of my all time favorite stories.

So if Jesus wasn’t condemning financial wealth itself, what was He really talking about?  This is where Matthew gives us more clarity on His words.

Matthew 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(ESV)

The “poor in spirit” part makes a huge difference between what Matthew and Luke wrote.  It’s debatable whether these two verses are from the Sermon on the Mount or two different sermons, but the core message is actually the same.

Jesus wasn’t making a blanket statement about wealth—He was revealing the posture of the heart.  The poor in spirit are those who recognize their deep need for God, who hunger for His presence and depend on Him for everything.  The rich in spirit, on the other hand, are those who feel no need for God because they believe they have all they need within themselves.

This is the true warning behind both Luke and Matthew’s accounts.  It’s not about bank accounts—it’s about the heart.  Are we living in complete dependence on God, or do we live as if we don’t need Him?  Are we spiritually hungry, or have we convinced ourselves that we’re already full?

The poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom, not because of what they lack, but because of what they desire:  more of Him.