Christ, the Source of Wealth

“God is my defense; I shall not be moved. He is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge… Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.

– Psalm 62.5-7, 9-1

We live in a world which assigns supreme value to wealth, rank, position, and power.

Christianity inverts these values so that “what is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” Whereas the kingdoms of this world uphold the man of riches - the “donor,” “investor” “benefactor,” and “patron,” Christ says, “Blessed are you poor for yours is the kingdom of heaven” (Luke 6.20). Our culture equates wealth with honor, and affluence with independence, yet the apostle James urges “the brother of humble circumstances…to glory in his high position; and the rich man {…to glory} in his humiliation” (James 1.9-10), or, tapeinosis, meaning, “lowness” or “low estate.”

From a human perspective, James' assertion is absurd, primarily because it defies human experience. No worldly-minded person would dare say to the slum-dwelling child, “Take pride in your position for it is very high!” But, from a Christian point of view, physical poverty is to be gloried in, or thought “high,” because it most accurately reflects man’s true state as an insecure, fragile, finite being.

The poor man likely possesses a higher level of self-awareness. He knows, both by instinct and experience, that, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field"(1 Peter 1.24). His poverty cannot blind him to the fact that his physical body is in a state of perpetual decay. He does not dispute that his life amounts to very little in the grand scheme of all life; that it shrinks to nothingness when thrown up against the backdrop of eternity; that it is “vanity,” “a vapor,” “a breath.”

But, perhaps most importantly, physical poverty is “blessed” because it exposes and confirms that, compared to the riches that are to be found in Christ, all men are poor - not just poor materially, but poor spiritually. For this reason, Christ says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (italics mine, Matt. 5.3). It is a paradox, a seeming contradiction, but it is true nonetheless that those who possess a poverty of spirit – those who have gained an understanding that, apart from God’s divine intervention, they are empty, bankrupt, lost – are in fact, by God’s definition, truly rich . In Christ, they are unshakably secure. Ironically it is this poverty of spirit, this awareness that, regardless of one man's relative wealth over and above another, all are "lowborn," that is, in God's kingdom, the mark of highest royalty.

On the other hand, there is no greater form of self-deception than that which is found in the man who believes himself to be “highborn.” He is like a donkey convinced he is fit to race in the Kentucky Derby. He may, with his four hoofed feet and his appetite for oats, rightly perceive himself to have been created in the image of the horse (just as man was made in the image of God), but there is nothing changing the fact that, train as he may, he is still an ass – not worthy to be placed in the same category with the horse, let alone compete with him. If he saunters in on race day expecting to find a place in the stalls, he will not only be laughed at, he will be thought insane or under the influence of some form of hallucinogenic.

Thus those of “high estate” are “a delusion” and “a lie.” The security or freedom which the wealthy derive from their riches is not only unreliable, it is deceptively unreliable. It is not merely false like 2 + 3 = 4. It is cunning in its falsity. Like the bottle of wine which, for a few hours, makes the shy person sociable, or the miserable person merry, wealth creates the illusion of security.

If the lowborn man is nothing, if he is “but a breath,” and “together…they are only a breath,” then the highborn man is less than nothing; he is “altogether lighter than vapor” (italics mine, Psalm 62.10).

Far before Christ ever walked the earth, David, with his limited knowledge and revelation, recognized through the Holy Spirit that God alone was his “hope,” his “defense,” his “glory,” his “rock of strength,” his “refuge,” and his “salvation.” He understood that true security is independent of material wealth; and that those who trust in riches are not to be envied, but treated with compassion, as those truly poor.

Knowledge and Freedom

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate…” – Genesis 3.6

Western society is founded on the presupposition that knowledge is power; that those who have acquired the most knowledge are those who wield the most influence. Yet to become an expert rarely if ever results in freedom. Rather the inverse is true. To the degree that I acquire specialized knowledge in a particular field, such as nuclear physics, I will be obligated to contribute my time and energy to that field.

The President of the United States, arguably the most powerful man in the country, must give up many of his basic human ‘rights’ – such as the right to privacy – in order to continue functioning in his position.

Often the individual finds himself most obligated to the field in which he has acquired the most knowledge. This, in part, is why we refer to certain people as slaves to their occupations. Novelists are slaves to their latest literary creations. Lawyers to the latest big case. Doctors of rare diseases to the never-ending cycle of patients waiting to receive specialized diagnoses and treatment. The more time and energy invested, the greater the pull one feels to contribute more time and energy, on and on ad infinitum.

The fact of the matter is that no one is truly ‘free;’ the only question is: to whom will you surrender your freedom? Eve surrendered her freedom to her own appetite for knowledge. In so doing, she rebelled against God and forfeited His promise of protection and care. For Eve, having access to all knowledge changed the fundamental nature of her existence: she and Adam were not only expelled from the Garden, but she would look forward to perpetual struggle as she sought to subsist in a world at odds with these desires.

Ultimately, God knows what is best for each of us. To have all knowledge may, as the serpent rightly identified, make us like God; but it will never enable us to take His place. He is in control; He is good. Surrender your freedom to Him and He will transform the desert of your inner and outer life into a garden.