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 had, and gave it to the one who handled his talents well.
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. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
matthew 22:17-21
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
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!
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It lays out the 4-part formula we followed (that you can copy) to be great stewards with what He has entrusted us with to be in a position for Him to do miracles.
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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.
Hi! I am really struggling with this for a while now. I’ve been an avid tither my whole life. I have seen, and lived many miracles because of it. I have been perplexed by the fact that Jesus never told us to tithe! I mean, did he? What did he actually say about tithing and how much. Is it still 10%! Did that change when he came and undid the law! And secondly, what do you do if you are on low income because of your health. Are you still required to give 10% when you don’t have enough for bills? What exactly did Jesus say? Thank you for your time. God bless!
Perhaps this, perhaps that. Perhaps it’s 100% nonsense. The Bible is nothing better than second hand assertions at its BEST.
Jesus was saying this: said give the money to the person whose name and image are on the coin. Then give to each other what is God’s. God’s image, and name are on the things he made. God’s children makes things using God’s gifts. Jesus used parables regarding money, because of this: people used money. Money made Jesus to not have a place to lay his head. Money does that to people today.
God’s children makes things like well made bikes. Some out of titanium. God does not provide us riches through money. God did that already through what he made. People added money. It is what people see as more. Lucifer who fell, fooling that beings self. There was no money before sin. Satan therefore made it. Satan is implying that the verse degrading money is not really degrading money Timothy 6:10
King James Version
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Money itself causes people to be sorrowful, when they don’t have a thing that the world uses. God does not want people to be sorrowful. That is why the Unseen Father said, ask and ye shall receive. Person to person. Free a cannot be real untill money is gone. People need to care about people, not money. God did not make money saying it was very good. Man did that trying to make money to be as good as what God made, making excuses as to why we should not let go of money, all at one time. Words in due season are like apples of gold in a picture of silver. People seeing that will think: how much can I get had I have that picture of gold and silver? God does not think that at all. Wicked conquistadors thought in that way. Jesus charged people who he healed? People had medical bills? Luke 16:10 had to do with biblical knowledge used aright. People who used it wrong made judging to be condeming. People with blood in them must not condemn, even as Jesus did not condemn, when on the earth having blood in him. God’s mind needs to be in our mind. Money will be no more had God’s mind be in the minds of people on this planet. What else would you expect? Indians worked. They used God’s gifts. The settlers hated that, killing them off. The famine was staved off, not with money, but with food. Bring into the store house has nothing to do with money.
Jesus said give the money to the person whose name and image are on the coin. Then give to each other what is God’s. God’s image and name are on the things he made. God does not provide us riches through money. God did that already through what he made. People added money. It is what people see as more. Lucifer who fell, fooling that beings self. There was no money before sin. Satan therefore made it. Satan is implying that the verse degrading money is not really degrading money Timothy 6:10
King James Version
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Money itself causes people to be sorrowful, when they don’t have a thing that the world uses. God does not want people to be sorrowful. That is why the Unseen Father said, ask and ye shall receive. Person to person. Free cannot be real untill money is gone. People need to care about people, not money. God did not make money saying it was very good. Man did that trying to make money to be as good as what God made, making excuses as to why we should not let go of money, all at one time. Words in due season are like apples of gold in a picture of silver. People seeing that will think: how much can I get had I have that picture of gold and silver? God does not think that at all. Wicked conquistadors thought in that way. Jesus charged people who he healed? People had medical bills? Luke 16:10 had to do with biblical knowledge used aright. People who used it wrong made judging to be condeming. People with blood in them must not condemn, even as Jesus did not condemn, when on the earth having blood in him. God’s mind needs to be in our mind. Money will be no more had God’s mind be in the minds of people on this planet. What else would you expect? Indians worked. They used God’s gifts. The settlers hated that, killing them off. The famine was staved off, not with money, but with food. Bring into the store house has nothing to do with money.
People are making every excuse as to why we need to use money. Money will not save us thought we are flooded with money like what the Democrats want to do. Money makes people to make many different priced items. No money would n mean that we could have the best of whatever item. What would a tree be with many different prices of fruit, at different qualities on it? People would say, O darn, I can only afford the cheapest piece fruit on the tree. Others could not afford any. Talents: Who is a faithful servant, and who is not a faithful servant. A Faithful servant will give a good example for others to follow, leading to a peacful environment. Hell was a parable too not being an actual place. Satan would have been right with thou shalt not surly die. Satan is never right. The church made judging to be condeming. The church is wrong. Jesus did not teach us to use that kind of judging. Solomon wanted wisdom, rather than riches. God gave him riches. Solomon was rich with what God made. Jesus used the example of money because of this: People understated money. People did not understand spiritual things. The money from the fish. The act of giving the coin is the same as give the coin unto the person who’s name and image are on the coin. Giving to God what is god’s is us giving to each other what is God’s. We are gods. We are God’s children. Jesus is saying: think before you act. Everyrthing was resource based before money was used. Indians managed the land.
Artie. You too are a democrat. And a republican and an independent and etc etc. When you point fingers at people you say are responsible for the things of this world you do not agree with, you seem to be missing wisdom in you. You accuse democrats meaning millions of people. Yet in that group are generous spiritual compassionate children of God. The type of response you give is far from the example of the most important commandment Jesus gave us, Love one another. I will pray for you.