Through the written word, Jesus has given us a lot of instructions regarding how to manage our money. Money can be a touchy subject for many. However, it is an important area to consider. This is why Jesus made sure to talk about it a lot.
Out of all the things Christ shared about money, there are 3 things Jesus said about money that you might find pretty surprising. Consider the following and see if they resonate with you in some way.
1. Jesus said our Money is a Test.
This is the first surprising thing Jesus has to say about money. By default, most of us wouldn’t look at our latest paycheck and think it’s a test from the Lord. However, there is proof that it is.
If you visit Luke 16:11, you’ll learn that if you can’t manage worldly wealth, there’s no reason for Christ to actually trust you with true riches.
So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
Luke 16:11
If you visit the Parable of the Talents, you’ll be able to see it in black and white as well.
In this parable, we learn that being a good manager over your finances is the barometer for what he can trust you with. This parable tells the story of a manager who had three different employees. He gives each employee a certain amount of money. He gave one employee five talents. He gave another employee three talents. The last employee was the one who received one talent.
After he gave them the money, he leaves for a while. The expectation was for them to manage it well while he was gone. Eventually, the manager comes back and asks for a report on what everyone did with their talents.
The one who had the most ended up going and doubling his money. Ironically enough, the employee who only had one talent ended up burying his. He did that because he thought he should save the one he had. The manager wasn’t happy about that at all. As a result, he ended up taking the one talent the employee
To some people, this might seem like a punishment to the one who only had one talent. However, it really was a test to see how each managed what they were given.
Since the employee that doubled their money proved that they were capable, it only made sense for the manager to give him more to manage.
God isn’t going to give us more than we can handle. Just like we wouldn’t give a hammer to our toddler, God isn’t going to give us anything that could harm us UNTIL we prove that we are able to handle it.
If you’re showing that you don’t know how to handle money or trust God by obeying his commands regarding your finances , He will act accordingly.
2. Jesus Said We Should Pay Taxes.
Another really surprising thing that Jesus has to say about money involves taxes. Yes, believe it or not, Jesus actually addressed the issue of paying taxes (to a much more corrupt government than most of us can imagine) on multiple occasions.
Let’s take a look at texts like Matthew 17: 27.
But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.
Matthew 17:27
You just can’t make this stuff up.
He also goes deeper in Matthew 22:17.
Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Matthew 22:17-21
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Jesus’ final answer here was to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God.
As much as most of us would rather NOT pay taxes and have a Biblical argument against doing so, there’s no way to get around it – Jesus clearly was in support of paying taxes.
3. Jesus Basically Said We Should Budget Our Money.
The final thing that’s really surprising about Jesus and how he feels about our finances is that he believes we should budget our money.
In Luke 14: 28-30, Jesus reminds us of this:
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.
Luke 14: 28-30
This is not a predicament God wants his children to be in. This is why it is really important to be financially responsible to plan your purchases and endeavors.
God really does want the best for us. And whether we like it or not, one of the keys to being a good steward is managing money wisely and that requires knowing where it is going and telling it what to do – AKA a budget.
This article came from a recent video we published on our YouTube channel – check it out below if video is your preference!
Now it’s your turn
Jesus said so much about money in the Bible and these were just 3 that stood out to me. What would you add to this list?
Let me know down in the comments below!
1) You mentioned that God test us with money. To see if we manage it well. To grow it, to invest it. To multiply it for what purpose? To give. Why? So that money does not become your treasure, your master, but a blessing to be given freely…to provide for your family, to leave an inheritance to your grandkids, to be generous to the poor, to be a blessing with purpose and intention. “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. I get it now. I did not understand ‘giving’ when I was younger, but now I know what it means to be a cheerful giver.
2) The parable of the talents also demonstrates the power of compound interest, how investing can grow your finances. Luke 19:23 and Matthew 25:27 asks why not put my money in the bank..[so God may] collected it with interest. For why again? Proverbs 28:8 for “who is generous to the poor.”
3) It astounds me how much God hates debt. Yet, it has become a part of American life. You are a slave, a fool to borrow or to sign surety says the Lord. But the world, you’re nuts if you do not take the 3% car note, or better yet the 0% car note. Student Loan debt is an investment for the future. It’s a weight that delays retirement, and inhibits generous giving. The world does not want us to be the givers that God designed us to be. So many myths. No wonder most Americans are one pay check away from being homeless, or bankrupt.
Jesus mentioned tithing two times (Matthew 23:23/Luke 11:42 (same context) & Luke 18:12. In both instances He skewered those who placed confidence in their tithing.
I find those situations quite interesting. Jesus is awesome!
Hey matt great article keep posting the articles every day
I totally agree money saving is very important to fulfill their desire.
Thanks for this 3 great points about money and Jesus. I’m a disaster in this particular area as a Christian
Money is doom to mankind. All these wars and fights just for money and power.
Jesus definitely talks a lot about money, but sometimes to make a point about something else. It troubles me that you are applying these scriptures so simplistically. It seems unlikely the parable of the talents was primarily about money.
I’m in favor of paying taxes, but your citations do not clearly support that–many scholars think they mean the opposite! The whole point of the fish was so the money wasn’t coming out of THEIR pocket.