You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached — how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him. Acts 10:37-38
“People’s riches should work towards the redemption of their souls, not their destruction. Wealth is redemption if one uses it well; it is a snare if one does not know how to use it. For what is people’s money if not provision for their journey? A great amount is a burden; a moderate sum is useful. We are pilgrims in this life; many are walking along but we must make a good journey in order to have Christ as our fellow-traveler who spent His life on earth doing good…
Happy are the ones who have been able to cut out the root of vices, avarice. Surely they will not fear the balance of justice. Avarice generally dulls people’s sense and perverts judgments, so that they think of profit as piety and money as reward of prudence. But great is the reward of piety and the advantage of moderation; the possession of these virtues is sufficient. For what do superfluous riches profit in this world if they do not assist in our birth and impede our dying…
Let your people seek the riches of good works and be rich in character. The beauty of riches is not in the purses of the rich, but in their support of the poor. In the weak and needy, riches shine brighter. Let the wealthy learn to seek not their own interests, but those of Christ’s, so that Christ may seek them out and bestow His possessions on them. He spent His blood for them, He poured out His Spirit; He offers them His kingdom.”
Ambrose of Milan (c. 339-397) in Letter 2: To Bishop Constantius (before Lent 379), translated by Helen Rhee in Wealth and Poverty in Early Christianity (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2017) 112-113.
Rhee adds these helpful notes (xl): “Ambrose believes that the earth and its resources are the common property of humankind in the sense that all human beings have a “natural right” to make use of them; private ownership is always contingent and limited its use for the common good, particularly for the poor and for the good of the possessor’s soul.” In plain terms, he was not trying to rob people of riches but help them use and relate to them rightly, following God’s design.
My mind stuck on the word “redemption” today. In Scripture we see that theme often. The Apostle Paul calls us to redeem time or exchange less useful activities for more useful ones because of evil days in which we live (cf. Ephesians 5:16). To go about doing good like Jesus requires us to redeem or exchange saving for ourselves for sharing with others, consumerism for contentment, and to put it bluntly, abandoning useless ways for useful ones.
Black Friday sales have started already. They are everywhere. Redeem the resources God has entrusted to you to accomplish kingdom purposes. Do this with the same urgency as racing to buy a gift that is only available for a limited time. You may think I am crazy today, but you may thank me, or rather, thank blokes like Ambrose, when you get to the eternal kingdom. Sure the days are evil, but life in the kingdom starts now and only gets better!