1 Timothy 6:17-19 Be generous with the riches God has given you!

Monopoly money or another board game money was real treasure as a kid. With all the paper and plastic money stashed in a secret place, we would dream of all we could buy for ourselves and others. We felt rich with it, but as we got a little older, we started to receive real money. Then, we thought 20, 30 or 40 pennies made us rich compared to 3 or 4 quarters, or just one silver dollar. In this world, some are blessed with riches, and some who are rich generously share their wealth with others.

King Solomon’s wealth rivaled that of anyone else in history. During King Solomon’s reign, there were times when the riches pouring into Israel were so great, they could not be counted. These riches gave him the opportunity to enjoy life and explore pleasures only seen in the dreams of the people he ruled. When he forgot all he was given in this world under the sun was for him to manage to God’s glory for a finite time, his wealth became a trap to him. As a young boy though, Solomon understood what would be best for him to be rich in as king over the people of God as we read in our Old Testament reading from 1 Kings 3, 7 “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.” Filled with faith and a servant’s heart, Solomon wisely asked for wisdom, and God blessed him with it. Solomon is known for his great wealth, but even more he is known by these words from 1 Kings 3, 12 … I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. God did not keep Solomon from wealth and riches; he blessed him with an overabundance, but more importantly, he gave him the wisdom to manage it. It was for Solomon then to use his wealth with arrogance or wisdom.

God allows some people to be rich. It may happen through an inheritance, discovery, wise investment or stumbling into it by chance like picking the right few numbers in a lottery. In our New Testament reading from 1 Timothy 6, Paul makes his final remarks to the young pastor Timothy and in this last chapter addresses wealth in a few different ways. Our verses for consideration today are addressed primarily to those who are rich, as we read in 1 Timothy 6, 17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Paul is speaking of material wealth, which you can determine based on time in history or compared to others on a world scale or by country, state, county, city, neighborhood, company, classmates, friend group, followers, family, etc. Wealth is often relative, but here those addressed are considered rich from a broad societal view. With the command Paul gives, notice that the command is not to give up all wealth and riches. Being wealthy in and of itself is not a sin. It may be the result of or lead to sins, but it is not inherently evil. The sins addressed here by Paul are those of wealth leading to arrogance, which happens to those who see themselves as the reason for their wealth rather than God as giving it to them. Also, the sin of putting hope in wealth, which is uncertain not only because of things like inflation, a turn in the stock market, identity theft, scams and robbery, but also because money does not get you into heaven.

Although Paul addressed the rich at the end of 1 Timothy 6, the truths he shares apply to all people. Any amount of wealth and riches can lead us to arrogance. Playing a game of monopoly with pretend money brings out arrogance as well as looking at what brand of soccer cleats each player has or what logo is on a purse or car. When our sense of self is tied to material things and when we measure the worth of someone else by their material goods, or lack thereof, arrogance rears its ugly head. Whatever we have is from God as we read again in 1 Timothy 6, 17 … God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. So, pride in what we have as if we deserve it, are entitled to it or even because we worked for it is still sinful. When arrogance replaces thankfulness and gratitude to God, we have sinned. All we have from God is meant for enjoyment, not to cause misery or mockery. Also, putting our hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, dethrones God and replaces him with lesser things; it replaces the Creator with created things in our heart, which is foolish, harmful and eternally condemning. And we do not even need to have any kind of wealth or riches, but it is even the belief that riches and wealth will bring certainty to our lives that robs us of certainty. Arrogance and uncertainty threaten to condemn both rich and poor who do not put their hope in God.

Certainty comes from God. Our arrogance and hope in uncertain things come from sin. Arrogance believes the lie that sin is not a problem, and our hope in uncertain things is settling for hope in something rather than nothing. Sin is a problem for all of us and nothing in this world saves us from its final consequences other than God. Paul shared the certainty of God saving us from our sins early in his first letter to Timothy with these words from 1 Timothy 1, 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. The promised, chosen Son of God and Son of Man, Christ Jesus, came to us. In our arrogance, uncertainty and hopelessness, Jesus came to us. Though we all must rightfully claim the title of the worst sinner, Jesus came into our world to save us. Jesus was the object the world arrogantly rejected as counterfeit and a blasphemer and with certainty cried out for his crucifixion, and Jesus let his life be emptied out on the cross to pay the debt of our sins. The riches and wealth of his good, kind, generous, compassionate, innocent, righteous and perfect life was traded for our sins, even the worst ones. Jesus saved you. Christ Jesus is your treasure and your certainty who makes you rich in true eternal life.

With whatever measure of wealth God has given us, we are commanded to be generous from hearts filled with hope in God. God has given us everything for our enjoyment, and after we have enjoyed the temporary blessings of this world, we will be taken to heaven to fully enjoy the treasure of Jesus our Savior. Jesus taught the value of our salvation and citizenship in the kingdom of heaven with two parables in our Gospel reading from Matthew 13, saying, 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Here Jesus emphasizes how life changing hearing the Gospel is for all who believe; hope in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins is worth more than all we have. Hope in wealth, which is uncertain takes life from us, but hope in God that is certain gives life. With this truth in mind, Paul gives Christians motivated by the love of God a command to keep as members of his heavenly kingdom in 1 Timothy 6, 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. This command to be generous was not given so that we do good works to enter heaven. Instead, we are commanded to live with an attitude of generosity as a citizen of heaven. Again, the wealthy Christian is not commanded to give up all riches. Instead, the wealthy Christian is in a unique position to help many people, while enjoying the unique blessings given them by God. For all Christians, generosity is a fruit of the Holy Spirit working in the heart. Generosity is not an exclusive gift. Generosity will take many different forms, but the giving nature and understanding that all we have in this world is for us to manage temporarily for God’s kingdom opens our eyes to giving and sharing. Before considering how to be generous with what God has given you, it is good to first be reminded what God has done for you. With a heart filled up with the riches of Christ, we are then ready to consider with our head and heart how we might be generous toward others. And as you are generous with your material possessions according to what “God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” has given you, give along with them the spiritual wealth of the truth that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”

Monopoly money or other board game money was real treasure as a kid. Paper and plastic money made us feel rich, but as we got a little older, we started to receive real money. To some God has given real wealth and riches. With whatever measure of wealth God has given us, we are called to repent and turn from arrogance and hope in riches back to hope in the certainty of the God. After we have enjoyed the temporary blessings of this world, we will be taken to heaven to fully enjoy the treasure of Jesus our Savior. So then, with your hope in God, be generous with the riches God has given you. Amen.

        

Gunnar Ledermann, Pastor Divine Peace Church