It is hard to imagine a subject that causes Christians more agitation than that of personal wealth. Rarely preached on, it is a topic considered too personal to be discussed in public. Broaching the issue frequently causes resentment.

We can all agree that the Christian life should reflect the kingdom values taught by Jesus - including how we gain and use wealth. Yet, I hear the criticisms of those who doubt God's transforming power because Christians visibly express their lifestyles in ways contrary to what Jesus says. We use a large portion of our disposable income on ourselves. Our expectations of the 'good' life appear to be based on the accumulation of money and possessions. Our conversations are of career ladders and the next holiday. For many outside the church, the divide between how Christians use their wealth and what the Bible says is wide enough to mean that 'hypocrisy' is often the first word that comes to their lips. Wealth competes with God for our affections. Our investment portfolio always seems more considerable than what Paul calls our 'account' in heaven.

The story above in Mark's gospel is a familiar one. A faithful Jew, an adherent to God's Law, this wealthy man is genuinely attracted to Jesus and his message of the Kingdom of God. That is, until he is commanded to give away his wealth. The man walks away. He laments the decision he has to make, but will not turn again to follow the teacher he knows speaks the truth. Jesus asks this man - and also asks us - to trust. A trust that allows us not to fear the loss of security that we think wealth provides.

Wealth is sinister. It offers an illusion of independence, of being 'in control', free from fear of destitution or surprise. Wealth is security against the risky world that is outside our door. It is refuge against the scarcity we fear. Our surrounding consumer culture insinuates itself into our lives by offering to slake our unquenchable thirst for safety in the future by accumulating a river of wealth. Jesus asks us to leave that river and drink from a different stream.

A story like this must continue to make us uneasy. For Jesus' words to impact us, we must make decisions for our lives in the wake of this narrative. Jesus asks us to trust him, to believe in his message about the abundance of God meeting our needs, and to proclaim that the story of scarcity told to us - by the media, by politicians and even by academia - is, in fact, a myth. Do fears in the news that water may be in short supply in the future have us moving to ensure that we are secure, while others may suffer from thirst?

This story asks us to answer questions. Do we keep our wealth to hide our fear of scarcity? Or, do we find enough security in Jesus to be free with our wealth, which may be given away with glad and profound generosity?

Gordon Brown

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