Should Rich Christians Give Away All Their Money? by Dr Michael Brown for Ask Dr Brown
What are the social responsibilities of wealthy Christians? Must they prove their loyalty to the Lord by selling their possessions and giving to the poor? Are there simple, universal answers to these questions, or are these questions that must be answered personally and individually?
Some of these issues were raised decades ago in Ronald Sider’s classic work Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, originally published in 1978. With many of us in the West having so much and many in other countries having so little, what would Jesus ask of us?
David Chilton took exception to Sider’s approach, writing, Productive Christians in an Age of Guilt Manipulators: A Biblical Response to Ronald J. Sider in 1981. In Chilton’s view, Sider’s view violated the productive principles of biblical economics.
Now is your chance to support Gospel News Network.
We love helping others and believe that’s one of the reasons we are chosen as Ambassadors of the Kingdom, to serve God’s children. We look to the Greatest Commandment as our Powering force.
Now, in our day, “Red Letter Christian” leader Shaine Clairborne has asked whether Jesus is King of Kanye West’s bank account. He writes, “The same Jesus who said we need to be ‘born again’ also commanded his disciples to ‘sell everything and give it to the poor.’ This is the one who said it is easier to fit a camel through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Is Clairborne right?
First, Jesus requires all of us to surrender everything to Him if we want to be His disciples. As He said to the large crowds that followed Him, “. . . those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:33).
In context, He didn’t simply mean every possession. He meant everything – our wills, our desires, our relationships, everything.
That is discipleship 101. Being born again means that Jesus is Lord of our entire lives.
Second, Jesus called one particular rich young ruler to sell his possessions and give to the poor. But that was not because his wealth was sinful in itself. Rather, it was to expose his covetous heart. In order to really follow Jesus, this man would need to break the power of materialism and greed. He was not willing. (See Mark 10:17-31.)
