Riches Can Be Inherited, Earned Or Saved

“An obsession with possessions enslaves us to the demon of worry. Jesus invites us to change our priorities, focus on the kingdom, and share with the needy” (Kraybill, 2011, p.101). A man’s wealth will be measured by the love, kindness and empathy he has for the poor and the hungry in Gods kingdom. For this matter Jesus wants the wealthy to humble themselves and receive their blessing by offering opportunities to the poor instead of being greedy and celebrating their own wealth.

In the world now people think wealth means you are powerful, or important to society. In the world that is true, even back in the Anglo-Saxon time period this was also true. Back then if you were not wealthy you were not powerful, and your kingdom was not strong enough, and other could attack. The Anglo-Saxon time period was the time Beowulf the poem was written, this is a story about a man that is so powerful he can kill anything. In this poem wealth is about being powerful, ending feuds, and having a great future for the kingdom you are living in.

28). He describes wealth as a “…blessing to mankind,” (Gladden, 8). Gladden’s perspective of causality dissents from Weber and Sellers; he believes that, “…one effect invariably produced by Christianity upon an uncivilized people receiving it is to multiply the wealth of that people,” (Gladden, 5). He argues, Protestantism, and ultimately Christianity, cause people to desire material goods (Class notes, Feb. 28). Thus, Christianity cannot be against capitalism without contradicting itself (Gladden, 8). Gladden’s evidence for his argument stems from the Bible. Gladden contends that there are statements in the Old Testament in which “…the possession and the increase of wealth are adduced as proofs of the favor of God,” (Gladded, 6). Wherefore, the New Testament supplements this argument by clarifying that is expected for men to accumulate wealth and possessions, but also God admonishes people valuing material goods over spiritual good, but not material wealth itself (Gladden,6). That is, people are meant to value spiritual well-being over material goods, but also remember they are commanded to be “fruitful” on earth and thus produce and amass wealth (Gladden, 7). Finally, Gladden realizes capitalism is not the problem; the problem is the unequal distribution of wealth (Class Notes, Feb. 28). He says, “No possible system will remove all

Stapleford presents a strong analysis of economic issues with a Christian perception that aligns with Biblical truths. He urges his audience to avoid the temptation of idolatry and materialism but to live a selfless life of sacrifice. Stapleford claims that “there is sanctity in all of labor, and without God’s involvement human labor is futile. In whatever we do, Christians are to do it heartily as unto the Lord, for we do not labor for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to everlasting life” (Stapleford, 2009).

Wealth is accumulated over long periods of time. Opportunity becomes a great factor of whether someone accumulates wealth or not. Throughout the history of the U.S facing economical struggles, opportunity had determined who was going to face and can survive this economical struggle. For example, during the great depression, people who were Angelo -Saxon were given the opportunity and privilege to receive loans to buy houses while African Americans and Hispanics were

Exposition- Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it (Benjamin Franklin). I was only a small child when I was introduced to the cruelty of the world: money. Money can make a person do almost anything if they want it bad enough. That’s why it’s so evil, it can change everything about a person; making them into something they are not. It’s not their fault either, people make it seem like nice things are worth everything and that it will make their life perfect; but it won’t, I know that better than anyone else.

Of all the sins for which ancient Israel was repeatedly punished and afflicted, one that stood out among all the others was their negligence of the poor and afflicted. We find evidence of such in the first chapter of Isaiah, commonly referred to as the “Great Arraignment”, where the Lord Jehovah lays out specific charges against his chosen people. Through Isaiah, the Lord laments the greed and worldliness that had seized his people: “How is the faithful city [Jerusalem] become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers… Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them” (Isaiah 1:21–23). In another verse, the Lord asks “What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor?” (Isaiah 3:15). It is apparent that the Lord feels especially interested in the welfare of the downtrodden of his people. Other passages in the book offer similar insights as to how the Lord feels about the poor and downcast of society, and how it’s imperative to give them aid. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of us, the Lord’s people, to care for the downtrodden of society.

While being wise may allow an individual to make decisions in which their health or state of living will benefit from, an individual who is categorized as a folly or “unwise” is also capable of “finding” the everlasting and true happiness. Wealth is another prominent area in which Qoheleth prospects for enduring and authentic happiness. According to Dictionary.com, wealth is elucidated as a great quantity or store of money, valuable possessions, property, or other riches. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Qoheleth explains how wealth does not always indicate pure happiness and some wealthy people are not able to enjoy and be content with all their possessions which God has blessed them with. Qoheleth states, “There is a man to whom God gives riches and property and honor, so that he lacks none of all the things he craves; yet God does not grant him power to partake of them, but a stranger devours them.” A person cannot take any of their possessions or properties with them when they die, so it is vital to enjoy everything that has been given by God. It is also salient to realize that happiness can be found with what is already given, not by gaining more of what was already

People define rich as the amount of money and property that a person has. They also explain it as being wealthy. However, the definition of wealthy is deeper than where you love or what car you drive. The meaning of richness consists of three main words. The first word is knowledge, which means having lots of information and experiences. A great example of a person who had knowledge is Michael Faraday. He discovered the magnetic field of Earth many years ago. Although Michael was poor he was rich by his information. We also define being rich is when having the blessing of love present in life. experience this meaning by sharing love with people who surround you. For instance, because my father has us to love, he is the wealthiest man in his

The scholarly works of thinker Clement of Alexandria focus on the issue of private property through text analysis of the New Testament, claiming that a rich man is as likely to be corrupt as a poor man is. A section from the New Testament focuses on the conditions for man to enter heaven in which it is stated “A camel shall more easily enter through the eye of the needle than a rich man into the kingdom of God” (Mark 10.17-27). The text suggests that simply because a man has a large amount of money, he may not go to heaven. Clement respectfully disagrees with this quote on the immorality of wealthy people; he believes that people should be judged based on the “passions of his soul”, rather than quantity of material possessions (Clement 6). Clement’s ancient, yet relevant opinion on the biblical perspective of private property is applicable to the discussion of human nature. A homeless man without a dime to spend or crumb to eat is equally as likely to have a corrupt soul as a successful businessman with a million dollar house is. We cannot assess one’s purity of character based on their wealth and possessions. While many rich people have been tainted by their possessions and lost sight of their moral character, not all people who have obtained wealth act this way. An upper class businessman cannot be assumed dishonest based on the stereotypical characteristics of his social class. Therefore, it is only ethical to treat people as individuals, not as members of a community.

Wealth is freedom to do as one wishes, without being tied to owing all their life, the idea of having carefree life of pleasure and fame. It is the admiration, regardless of the flaws that one might have, it is an illusion. The idea of riches, is the artificially created concept of happiness, that drives people to being more productive and useful as the members of the society.

Poverty is a socioeconomic issue that all Christians have an ethical and moral duty to address. Although there are many secular organizations and individuals who offer support and assistance to those in need, Christians must become involved in efforts to alleviate poverty. Ignoring the issue, waiting for someone else to assume responsibility, and/or believing that people in poverty deserve to be poor, are all incorrect attitudes, as well as non-Biblical responses.

The Bible states, “Those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin. For the love of money is a root of all sorts and injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains” (1 Timothy 6:9–10).

It is a fact that the entire human race is called to make their lives a whole range of options that enable them to manifest that effectively giving priority to the poor is not, in the Church, a temporary or recent fashion. This orientation is congenital to the Christian faith. If we have the impression that the "preferential option for the poor" is something new, this is unfortunate because this orientation had not taken the place that, rightfully, it should occupy in our Christian life. Though, the issue of the “preferential option for the poor” is one of the most traditional subjects, that is to say, one of the most linked themes to the sources of faith and one of the oldest and most permanent subjects of Revelation. For this reason, we can say that it is God’s initiative and not a generous idea of men. It is a fact that lies at the very foundations of the faith.

Credit Suisse just discharged its annual worldwide riches report and, of course, it is packed loaded with interesting actualities.