Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
“Now the time requireth to declare another cause of our sedition, which is the greedy desire and, as it were, worshipping of riches, wherewith both the high and low sort being too much blinded have brought our realm to this point. And surely nothing more hath caused great and puissant armies, realms, and empires to be overthrown, than hath done the insatiable covetousness of worldly goods. For hereby, as by a most strong poison, whole realms many times have come to ruin, which seemed else to have endured forever: sundry commonwealths, which before were conserved in unity, have by incurable disorder been divided and separated into many parts.
This manner of vice, if it be unseemly unto any other people, to them surely that profess Christ it is utterly shameful and detestable; which above all nations should be the true esteemers and lovers of pure godly things which be eternal and immortal, and ought to seek for right judgment and estimation of things only at their own profession. For as many of us as be truly called Christians of Christ, do confess that we be redeemed by him, not through the vain and uncertain riches of this world, but through the strong and perfect obedience whereby he submitted himself unto his Father, to be obedient even unto the death of the cross.
Worldly-wisemen esteem worldly riches and wealth above all other things; but the wisdom of God esteemeth obedience above all things, that is to say, that a man should submit his will to God’s will, that he should not desire to use anything in this world, no, not his own life, but as it shall please God and be to his glory; and to be content with that state, place, and degree, that God, the Author of all good things, hath called him unto. With this sacrifice of obedience Christ did reconcile us unto his Father, humbling himself to his Father’s will even to the death of the cross; and he hath commanded all them that profess to be his disciples to follow this his example.”
Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) in “A Sermon Concerning the Time of Rebellion” in Miscellaneous Writings and Letters of Thomas Cranmer (Cambridge: University Press, 1846) 192. Cranmer was the leader of the Protestant Reformation in England and the Archbishop of Canterbury. He wrote the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer. As you may recall, I did my PhD studies at a leading Anglican school for training ordinands for the Church of England, Trinity College Bristol, so I hold saints like Cranmer in high regard!
I believe we too live in an era when “insatiable covetousness” has its grip on many, even among the rulers of the kingdoms of the earth. We as Christians must not let it destroy us. This vice can worm its way into our hearts. How can we avoid it? We must not seek after “vain and uncertain riches” to secure or sustain us but obediently follow the Father’s plan for us. That’s what Jesus did. Even to the point of embracing death on a cross.
So what’s better than worldly riches? As Cranmer puts it, “the wisdom of God” is greater than anything else! That wisdom calls us as Christians to obedience and submission. When we choose this path, don’t lose anything. We gain everything. We find contentment and freedom because we have Christ. This realization also positions us to live generously in a world gripped with greed and where earthly kingdoms are destroyed by avarice.
Only in obedience and submission do we learn that having Christ means having everything we will ever need. This wisdom helps us find contentment not in having lots of stuff, but in having Christ. This wisdom transforms our greed into generosity. Without this humble obedience, it’s impossible to be generous. The “poison” of the vice of greed will render us detestable. With it, our lives will reflect the generosity of Christ to the world. God give us your wisdom in abundance!