Christian Wisdom about Money
The Bible is filled with many warnings about the danger of riches. We all know how it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven, and that the love of money is the root of all evil. The sin of avarice is one of the seven deadly sins condemned by the Church's moral teaching, a sin that Chaucer's "Parson's Tale" describes as a form of idolatry violating the first of the Ten Commandments: "You shall have no other gods besides me." In Purgatorio Dante depicts the punishment of the avaricious as lying on the ground groveling for gold and silver, because in life they looked below at the dirt where these metals lie buried rather than contemplating the Creator of heaven and earth. However, as Christ's teachings and parables demonstrate, while the love of riches poses temptations, money in itself is not intrinsically evil or unworthy of our use. The economic life and the moral life share much in common.
Because of the miracle of the Incarnation, God became man as the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us. Because Christ was both truly God and truly human, he had a body, lived in a family, recognized humanity's need for food, health, and material necessities, and acknowledged the importance of money as a measure of reality and as a practical necessity. Although Christ warned against worshiping money and serving Mammon, and although he taught his followers not to be anxious about food, clothing, and all the things that money affords, he did not regard money as a trivial matter beneath him or his followers. Christ of course enjoined man not to "lay up treasures on earth" and not to be ruled by avarice in the form of greed or miserliness, like the rich man who gave Lazarus the scraps from his table while he feasted at a banquet. Yet Christ did not scorn money, for in his humanity he always paid his debts and was a mindful of humanity's need to use material resources throughout our daily lives.
Christ taught his disciples to use money wisely, to give alms secretly, practice generosity, and do good without calculation or counting the cost: "do not let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (Mt 6:3). Through the generous use of money we are enabled to perform corporal works of mercy. Christ urged us to conceive of treasure in other forms besides gold and silver and to value the highest things, not material possessions: "Where your treasure is, there is your heart also" (Mt 6:21). Yet Christ never overlooked the smallest gift of money as he praised the widow who offered her mite: "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury" (Mk 12:43).
Yet Christ was repulsed by the moneychangers in the temple who were defiling the house of God, unwilling to distinguish between the sacred and the profane. He even warns of the temptation of money that corrupts the soul: "For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?"(Mt 16:16). While Christ warns of the dangers of money—"Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Mt 4:4)—he also feeds the five thousand and multiplies the loaves and the fishes. Judas betrayed Christ for thirty pieces of silver, dishonoring his friendship and elevating money above God, yet St. Paul explained Christ's Passion as the spending of riches: "You were bought with a price" (1 Cor 16:20). The right way to use one's money—paying taxes, making purchases, practicing generosity, and spending on behalf of others—is an introduction to a devout life. In short, although Christ's sublime teaching transcends worldly prosperity and material success, money is not a matter of insignificance in his teachings. It is a way of rendering justice, providing for others, measuring truth, determining value, and testing reality.
So, while Christ warns of the deadly sin of avarice, he also demonstrates a respect for the reality of money, for the need for prudence in financial matters, for the morality of paying one's debts, and for the habit of using money intelligently. The prodigal son wasted his inheritance and spent his money extravagantly. In the parable of the talents, the one who buried his talents instead of increasing his money earned the rebuke of his master, who expected increase and honest effort to accumulate assets: "Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming I should have collected it with interest?" (Lk 19:23). Just as mathematics and statistics reflect the physical dimensions of reality as objective facts, money also measures the truth of things and signifies the standard of justice. All sin demands its price, and man "will pay every last penny" to cancel the debt of sin and compensate for damage. Christ's teaching acknowledges the ideal of God's reasonable moral law that honors fair dealing: the mercy one gives, the mercy one receives ("Blessed are the merciful, for they
shall obtain mercy"), and the judgment one renders to others, the same judgment God exercises on that person: "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get" (Mt 7:2). If we forgive others their trespasses, God will forgive us, as the Lord's Prayer teaches. In other words, Christ may not be bound to "bookkeeping," but he does . respect the faithful rendering of accounts. To be dishonest or negligent in the assessment or payment of debts violates the virtue of justice, which informs both economics and morals. While Christian morality transcends business ethics, it also demands meticulous record keeping—an examination of conscience—that does not ignore obligations or payments to all parties: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mk 12: 17). The handling of money tests a person's moral principles, and honesty in financial matters reflects integrity and honor in the moral life: "He who is faithful in very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much" (Lk 16:10). The management of money and the regulation of the moral life both require periodic review and examination.
In the Gospels Christ teaches the importance of common sense and the virtue of prudence in all business ventures as another aspect of contact with reality and acknowledgement of truth. A builder constructing a tower, Christ explains, looks foolish if he does not first calculate the cost before he builds the foundation and later discovers a lack of funds to complete the project. Likewise, a king who wages war takes account of the number of his forces in comparison to the enemy's army to determine his chances of victory. If he is outnumbered, "he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace" (Lk 14:32). Common sense always counts the cost and avoids wasting money and resources. Christ teaches this same lesson about the virtue of prudence in the parable of the wealthy farmer. The rich man with abundant harvests who lacked the space to store his grain ventured to destroy his old barns and build larger storehouses to guarantee a lifetime of security and provision. Imagining himself to be prudent and far-seeing, he boasted of his great success: "And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry' (Lk 12:19). Common sense not only considers consequences and weighs costs, but also does not plan too far ahead, acknowledging the uncertainty of the future with all its unpredictability and variability. The prosperous farmer hears the shocking news he never anticipated: "Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things which you have prepared, whose will they be?" (Lk 12:20). Foolish planning, excessive spending, and imaginary scheming that violate the sensible use of money also divorce man from the truth about both economic life and moral reality.
Christ praises the prudent steward who exerts himself to save money and reproaches the foolish maidens who show no business acumen. When ordered to give an account of his management after accusations about wasteful spending, the steward seeks the master's debtors and bargains with them to give a portion of the money owed. One who owes a hundred measures of oil pays fifty to relieve his debt, and another who owes a hundred measures of wheat returns eighty. "The master commended the dishonest steward for his prudence; for the sons of this world are wiser in their generation than the sons of light" (Lk 16:8). 0n the other hand, the foolish maidens who awaited the bridegroom purchased no oil to light their lamps until they heard the announcement of the bridegroom's coming. Rushing to buy the oil, they return to discover they are too late, "and the door was shut" (Mt 25:10). While the dishonest steward proves his ability to gather money and establish accountability to restore his master's fortune, the foolish maidens do not make a useful purchase that would serve the purpose of providing light and beholding the bridegroom at the hour of his arrival. While the dishonest steward reveals an earnest effort to compensate his master, the foolish maidens do nothing to help themselves. These errors of omission in simple matters carry great consequences in serious situations.
Just as Christ condemns the avarice that often accompanies worldly gain, he also denounces miserliness. A noble king, a wise businessman, and an honest steward do not merely accumulate money and benefit from their possessions or profits, but also display liberality. In the story about the householder who hired laborers in the morning to work in his vineyard for one denarius a day, the master also hired additional laborers in the third hour, sixth hour, and ninth hour for exactly the same wage, only to hear the murmuring of the disgruntled early workers protesting the injustice: "These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat" (Mt 20:11). Counting money only as wages and envious of the latecomers, these laborers begrudge the owner the privilege of bountiful giving, as if money were to be spent only for the sake of wages in business contracts: "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?" (Mt 20:15). In other words, money has other uses besides the utilitarian purpose of wages and purchases. The gratuitous offer of money that surpasses the business of buying and selling acknowledges the higher values that surpass the price of gold and silver in the marketplace. The desire to give without expecting to receive, the blessedness of giving without counting the cost, and the joy of bountiful generosity testify that worth is measured in other ways besides cash value. Goodness, truth and beauty possess a preciousness that transcends material prizes. During Jesus' visit to Simon the leper in Bethany, a woman who pours the expensive spikenard upon Christ's head hears the rebuke, "Why was the ointment thus wasted? For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred denariii, and given to the poor" (Mk 14:4-5). Accused of extravagance, the woman is condemned for the outpouring of her heart's profound gratitude that expresses itself in the form of an expensive gift that shows the love in her heart. Christ's praise of the woman indicates that human life consists not only of ordinary events and daily expenses but also special occasions that demand liberality in the form of munificent gifts.
In matters of mercy and love, Christ condemns penny-pinching frugality that begrudges glad, cheerful giving. In his parables Christ observes that the shepherd who loses one of his hundred sheep does not neglect to find the lost animal, no matter the effort. The woman who loses one of her silver coins likewise cleans the entire house with the utmost thoroughness: "Or what woman...does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?" (Lk 14: 8). To search for the missing sheep and the lost coin reveals the value of these possessions. Fiscal responsibility does not tolerate negligence. A good manager is mindful of details and small matters. Yet Christ's teaching does not reduce morality to the mere bookkeeping and accounting that attends only to exact numbers. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ praised the virtue of unstinted generosity in which the left hand does not know what the right hand does. He told the rich young man who asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" to detach himself from his wealth, to "go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven" (Mk 10:21). He enjoined his disciples to trust in divine providence rather than be preoccupied or obsessed about money, to "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness" and not suffer anxiety about "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" (Mt 7:31). The king who settled accounts with his servant forgave him his entire debt. The householder who hired workers at the last hour paid them more than they deserved. Christ's teaching on money illuminates his truth on morality. We must not waste money or our talents because God demands interest or fruitfulness, we must be exacting about paying debts and appreciating our possessions, because God requires honesty and justice, and we must be prodigal when the occasion requires liberality because God himself is extravagant in his forgiveness, mercy, and love towards us.
Throughout the Bible Christ teaches that God will not be outdone in generosity. For those who suffer persecution for God's sake, Christ promises, "rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven" (Mt 5:11). For those who do good by stealth, who give with bountiful, uncalculating hearts, and who do not seek fame for their charitable works, Christ offers this reassurance: "and your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Mt 6:4). For those who perform the corporal works of mercy and give "to one of these little ones even a cup of water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward" (Mt 10:42). Christ gives his word that all who make great sacrifices to do God's will and leave father, mother, or children "for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life," and he comforts his followers that they will sit on twelve thrones (Mt 19:29). The rich young man who gives away his fortune is promised "treasure in heaven." In other words, God's goodness exceeds all measure, resembling the woman's outpouring of fragrant ointment on the head of Jesus and the father's bountiful feast prepared for the return of the prodigal son.
In this matter of receiving more than one deserves or reaping rewards that surpass the expected wages, these relations of giving and receiving also teach the importance of gratitude in all matters of exchange between persons. Nothing should ever be taken for granted. Of the ten lepers who were healed, only one returned to express his thankfulness to Christ: "and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks." Like the king who forgave his servant his immense debts, only to see that servant torment his fellow servant with the threat, "Pay what you owe," Christ also grieves at the hardheartedness that fails to appreciate an act of mercy or generosity: "Were not ten cleansed?" (Lk 17:16-17). Christ praised the woman who showered him with the ointment of nard, and honored Mary Magdalene, who wiped his feet with her hair, because these acts of graciousness expressed heartfelt appreciation for Christ's compassion. God's own promise of rewards and treasure in heaven for all who love God with a pure heart and keep his commandments also exemplifies the sense of indebtedness that acts of love inspire.
The wise businessman who prizes his money does not waste it and does not hoard it. He does not worship gold or make an idol of Mammon, but recognizes other treasure in heaven, the divine rewards that are a hundredfold. He calculates costs, predicts consequences, and demonstrates foresight, but does not live in an imaginary future. He counts pennies, but he does not hesitate to give without measure when the occasion inspires generosity. He honors the truth that the laborer is worthy of his hire, but the love of justice does not impair his spirit for forgiveness, mercy, and charity, which transcend the letter of the law. He uses his assets of money, land, or animals to produce an abundant harvest, remembering that good husbandry, gardening, or economy strives for fruitfulness, increase, and profit both in the economic life and moral life.
The moral life of a Christian, then, can be likened to a business venture in which God gives his kings, stewards, and laborers in the vineyard the time, the opportunity, the raw materials, the resources, and the talents to be fruitful and multiply. The workers cannot be selfish, lazy, dishonest, avaricious or useless. God takes stock and demands accountability. God expects increase from the talents that he invests and awaits interest from the capital he lends. A bountiful harvest in the form of the fruitfulness of love and the benefits of profits earns the praise, "Well done, good and faithful servant," and "Enter into the joy of your master," while the barren fig tree and the buried talents provoke the judgment, "you wicked and slothful servant!" (Mt 25:21; 26). This multiplication of good works in matters great and small wins not only the earnings of one's labor and the praise of the master but also eternal life: "Come, O blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Mt 25:34). Both the economic art of the estate-manager and the moral life of the Christian rejoice in making a profit, creating a surplus, and beholding a fruitful harvest.
Dr. Mitchell Kalpakgian has taught English literature for forty years at several colleges. He is the author of two books, The Marvelous in Fielding's Novels (University Press of America, 1981), and The Mysteries of Life in Children's Literature (Neuman Press, 2000). He has published articles in the New Oxford Review, Culture Wars and The Catholic Faith. Currently he is teaching at Wyoming Catholic College in Lander.
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