Many religious people are afraid to talk about richness because they feel money is “evil”. They think it is a sin to have riches and wealth. They think they are going against the teachings of the Bible.
Here are a few questions I have in mind. Doesn’t God want me to be rich? Doesn’t God want me to be wealthy? Is this a form of suffering I have to take in order to enter the kingdom of God? Is God a God of suffering then?
According to the teachings of the Bible, God wants us to be rich. Actually there are many teachings in the Bible on becoming wealthy.
On Matthew 25 Parable of the Talents
The Parable of the Talents
Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.”
His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
The man with the two talents also came. “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.”
His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Then the man who had received the one talent came. “Master,” he said, “I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.”
His master replied, “You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)
FYI: At those times, talent means money.
From this parable, Jesus teaches us about the value of investing. He entrusted us money so it is our responsibility to put it to good use and make more of it.
From the story, the master gave his servants talents depending on his ability. And so is God. God gave us riches depending on our ability. God will not give us something that we cannot manage. The servant who was given five talents proved that he is worthy of what was given to him. The servant who was given two talents proved that he is worthy also. But the person who was given one talent was too afraid to learn how he can use the talent to gain another talent. He hid the money on the ground and was reprimanded by doing so.
At present there are a lot of people who are more like the third servant. They do not know what to do with their money. They think they are not accountable on what they have right now. In the last part of the parable the master gathered his servants and made them accountable.
Lessons:
God trusts us with our abilities and capabilities.
God will give us wealth and richness depending on our capabilities.
Investment is a long time process. And so the parable says, “After a long time…”
Rewards will be given to those who are faithful.
Be faithful on small things so that you will become trust worthy of many things.
It is not how big or how small your money is. The most important thing is you have done your part to serve the master. Notice from the story that the first two servants shared the happiness of the master even if the other just gained two talents.
God reprimands the foolish and the lazy.
The master took away the talent of the foolish and lazy servant and gave it to the person who had ten talents.
Is it still a mystery to you why the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer?
~till then
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