I believe Martin Luther said something to the effect that people are like the drunk man who climbs onto a horse, falls off the left, and climbs back on only to fall off the right. The more I observe the unbalanced ping-ponging way I live and watch others struggle with the same, the more I think he is right. With that in mind, I think I’ve brushed into two opposite symptoms of the same materialism or mammon problem, which I’d like to discuss.
One side says having material things is good; let us collect them. This is where the prosperity theology lives. I will point something out to those inclined to believe this. The rich young ruler confidently swaggered up to the Lord and informed Him that he had kept all the laws from childhood until today. Jesus said, “Sell all your stuff and be my disciple.” He went away sad because his stuff was more valuable than discipleship. The cost was too high. This was a tragic ending for the rich young ruler. Then Christ informed the disciples that it is complicated for a rich man to enter God’s Kingdom. (Matthew 19:16-28)
The other side of the debate says having material things is bad. Therefore we accumulate as little as possible. This is where the non-accumulation theology lives. I also have something to show those inclined to think that material things are always wrong and decadent. There was a man who had possessions but was unable to use them for his life was dominated by demons. Jesus delivered him. We pause here and note that he sent them into the pigs, but if we just keep reading, we see something interesting happen. This man wanted to leave all and follow Jesus. Jesus said, “No, go home and tell others….” Even though this man wanted to leave his home and be with Jesus always, he was denied that. For him, to obey was to stay with the things he had. The happy ending here is that he decided the cost was worth it. (Mark 5:1-14)
How do we reconcile the two stories? Both wanted to be disciples on their terms; one wanted to keep his home and everything else. One wanted to leave his home and everything else. One was told no, he must forsake all. The other was told no, he must go home. Materialism, or if you prefer the Biblical expression, mammon, is the focus on physical objects in this world. If you are distracted from God because you serve the love of worldly things, you are found guilty of keeping mammon in your life instead of the Lord. If you are distracted from God because you serve your hate of worldly things, you are guilty of maintaining mammon in your life instead of the Lord.
The answer is obedience to the Lord. This includes redesignating all material things for a spiritual Kingdom. These tools are used, given away, or exchanged as the Lord leads. One of the great writers I wish I could have met before he went to Jesus was Dallas Willard; he said something like this, “For some disciples, the cost is to be rich when they’d rather be poor. For others, the cost is to be poor when they’d rather be rich.”
Two spiritually themed financial books partially inspired this writing.
Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn. This one focuses mainly on New Testament passages about money and puts forth the idea of sending investments into eternity instead of working on retirement.
The Legacy Journey by Dave Ramsey. This book mainly defends the idea of generational wealth building with the argument that a big retirement becomes a golden goose handed down through generations that gives golden eggs that can then be given to help others in need.
I recommend both books because they reflect the diversity of how disciples of God might be called to use material resources. The only way to avoid mammon is to focus on Jesus and His ultimate ownership. If we focus on things, we will end up in one of mammon’s two greasy ditches.
-Loren Yoder
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