Is Rich Christian an Oxymoron?

There are many Christian that believe that it is bad, or a sin, or evil to be rich.  This is one of the verses in the Bible that they base that belief on.  And because it is Jesus saying it they think that gives it extra weight that it is bad to be rich.

Mark 10:23-25(NKJV)

23Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 

24And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is £for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 

25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

This was said by Jesus just after he told one young man to go sell all of his possessions and the young man didn't want to do that. 

Well as I have written many times, the Bible is a book of balance.  Here are some Biblical principals that I believe and that I rely on as I try to discern that balance.

God and Jesus are always in agreement.  The God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New Testament.  Therefor there should be no contradictions. 

So if being rich is so bad and evil, how do you explain this?

2 Chronicles 9:13-22(NKJV)

13The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 

14besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 

15And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. 

16He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; £three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

17Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 

18The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. 

19Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

20All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 

21For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of £Hiram. Once every three years the £merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and £monkeys.

22So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 

Wow!  The Bible goes to great lengths to detail just how massively rich Solomon was.  Not only was he rich but he engaged in ostentatious displays of his wealth like the ivory throne. 

So if being rich is evil then Solomon sure fit the bill.  But what does the Bible go on to tell us about Solomon?

2 Chronicles 9:23(NKJV)

23And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 

All the kings of the earth wanted to hear what Solomon had to say because they believed God had put that wisdom in Solomon's heart.  In fact God put so much wisdom in Solomon's heart that Solomon helped write at least three books of the Bible.  Part of Psalms, part of Proverbs, and all of Ecclesiastes I think. 

Now does that sound like something God, who is a just and consistent God, would do?  Let an evil person author part of what is known as God's word?

Yeah but……….

Mark 10:23-25(NKJV)

23Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 

24And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is £for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 

25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Seems contradictory doesn't it?  Let me throw one more at you.  This is just four verses after the "eye of the needle" verse.

Mark 10:29-31(NKJV)

29So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother £or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 

30who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 

31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Now let me wrap this up.  Notice that Jesus explains that if you are willing to give up all you have, your life, you will get back many fold of exactly what you gave up to begin with. 

It's not the wealth that is the problem, it is where your heart is focused that is important.  I believe that what Scripture is telling us is that if we use all that we have in the service of God, we will be richly rewarded now and in the future; and that includes rewarded with more wealth if we are using our wealth for God.