Biblical Economics - Part 1

I used to participate in HSA, an online community of homeschool alumni. I actually tried to start a place like that on my own once, but I wasn't very motivated to do all the managing and recruiting necessary to keep it going. So, I was very happy to find HSA! The majority of people there were, like myself, homeschooled in a very strongly Christian environment. Once (Jul 28, 2008) I created a message board topic focused around the question “Are savings accounts, IRAs, investments, etc godly?” where I was suggesting that perhaps they are not. I cited scriptures from both the Old and New Testament, and I felt they were in context because I never quoted a singe verse by itself, and in one passage I quoted 10 consecutive verses. I thought I was making a good case for a casual, Christian-oriented message board. I expected at least a few dissenters, and a lot more Bible verses. What I got was 5 separate replies. 1 person vaguely agreed with me. Of the other 4 who disagreed, only 1 cited more scripture. The others just gave opinions and their own interpretations of the verses I had already mentioned. I was a bit disappointed with this. HSA is one of those places where I can often be annoyed by the expectation that you should have a Bible verse for every single opinion. It is a stronghold of Christian fundamentalism, Religious Right, etc – and although I am somewhat like that myself, even I think that they go overboard at times. But in this one case, where I was specifically discussing Biblical support for something, I only got haphazard responses. Why is that?

Now, I would like to point out that I was slightly arguing Devil's advocate. That is to say, I do think that saving is wise (although, less so since I've studied inflation a bit), and there is probably a Biblical case to be made for it. What bothers me is that on a site for Christian (who believe the Bible literally) homeschoolers (who should be studious enough to know), nobody even tried to make that case. I think I would've been happier if my post got no replies and I had simply felt boring or ignored.

Anyway, here are the scriptures that I presented:

1 Corinthians 15 : 18-19, 30-32

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. […] And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day I mean that, brothers just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
(not directly talking about money, but noting that gains in this life can't be the goal of Christianity)

Exodus 16 :14-20

When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.' " The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed. Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning." However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

Matthew 6 :19-21, 25-34

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. […] Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 19 :21-24

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

The two “rebuttal” verses I received were:

Proverbs 13:22 - A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children:

Proverbs 21:20 - There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

...oh, and one other person did say: “Matthew 25 and Luke 19 speak positively of investing money. Although those accounts are parables, I doubt Jesus would use them as examples if it would be wrong to emulate them.” Without actually quoting any of what was said or discussing it. But now, on my own blog, I do feel like discussing it a bit, so here goes. As to Luke 19:11-29, you have the Parable of the Ten Talents. As I re-read that, I find myself a bit in wonder, that has always been a strange and mystifying parable to me, and reading it again it has just become even more so (because on this re-reading it suddenly seems to be about nothing other than a local political squabble*). Anyway, one servant is chastised for NOT investing, and other servants are rewarded for investing. This is actually one of the verses I would probably quote in support of the idea that making/saving money is Biblical. But my “opponent” didn't quote that verse. If you look at the rest of 19 it is also talking about Zacchaeus, the wealthy tax collector regarded as a “sinner.” He is so happy that Jesus associated with him that he pledges to give half his possessions to the poor and pay back four times what he may have ever cheated others out of. Jesus responds by granting him salvation. At the very end of Chapter 19, Jesus gets mad at the money changers and throws them out of the temple. So, taking the whole chapter in context, there is a bit said in favor of investing, but I'm not even sure if that was the point of the parable, and anyway the rest of the chapter may cancel out whatever was said in favor of wealth. Matthew Chapter 25 just retells the same parable, with slightly different details. I think I had been more used to hearing the Matthew version. The rest of the Matthew chapter is two other parables that seem to be dividing people into those who are for and against the bridegroom/Son of Man, and neither of which seem to say anything about money.

As I said, I actually think saving is wise, but so what if I think that? “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. ” - Proverbs 14:12. Well, at least I think there are verses/passages to balance the other viewpoint. For instance, what about Joseph being put into Pharaoh's court just so that he could store up harvests from the good years so that there would be enough for the bad years? Or Luke 14:28-30 “"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” So, those are just a few examples of how the Bible might promote saving. However, I think the Bible has a much more complex and detailed view of economics, which is what I'm saving for Part 2.

* I just noticed that before much of the parable (Luke's version) takes place, it says that the master is going away in order to have himself appointed as king. His servants didn't want him to be king (presumably because he is a harsh master), and they sent some representatives to stop him from being named king. Apparently the representatives failed, because the master did become king afterall. When the master (now king) comes back, and demands an account of what has been done with his money, he really just seems to be mad about the fact that his servants didn't want him to be king, and just proves their point about being harsh, and kills the ones who don't like him. ???? *boggles* Even of the ones who were faithful servants, it never says they liked their master, so one can only wonder if they were happy being loaded down with new responsibilities? And then the whole thing ends with the famous (infamous?) “to those who have, more shall be given, and to those who have not, even what they have shall be taken away!” ...is the master/king in this parable even supposed to represent God? I hope not :-.. ...perhaps the next section holds the key. It is the Triumphal Entry “Palm Sunday.” Jesus enters Jerusalem and is hailed as king by the people – but the Pharisees grumble.