“What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” Luke 3:10-14
“[John the Baptist] was called for a change in a person’s attitude towards God that affected their actions and life choices. Thus the evidence of their repentance would be that the wealthy would share with those who did not have enough, and those in power would cease oppressing and extorting those under them. That is, they were to turn from a lifestyle of self-seeking pursuit of wealth to a lifestyle of generous sharing of wealth.
What is repentance that will bring about such a lifestyle change. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). The repentance is from service to money or material things. What does it mean to serve wealth? It means to trust and depend on wealth, and to see it as the provider for your needs.
So Jesus is saying that you either see God as your provider or you see wealth as your provider. You cannot hold both beliefs… Essentially Jesus was saying that one could not enter the kingdom of God while loving money and trusting it for their day to day lives. So the repentance called for is a repentance from trust in money and material things.”
P.K.D. Lee and Pauline Daniel in Generosity: It’s not about Money but Attitude (Chennai: Lifeoscope, 2017) 12-13.
Lee gave a passionate talk at The Generosity Summit 3.0 in Chennai and mentioned this theme which caught my attention. The thrust of the repentance narratives aims at where people place their trust. We can only put it in one spot. He also quoted Luke 6:46 with zeal, when Jesus said this pointedly to His followers. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
For Jesus, the Christian faith must be lived out with integrity. This comes keenly into view in countries with much poverty like India. Those who say they trust God must handle money obediently by enjoying and sharing it. If our lives show we serve money, we actually do more harm to the name of Christ than good because they appear as hypocrites. How can we tell if we serve money?
Financial statements tell the story. Would yours show you have stored up wealth for yourself? If so that’s precisely what Jesus said not to do. And if you serve with a ministry, what would your ministry financial statements reveal? Would they show that you are holding on to money for financial sustainability? Jesus would again tell you that your trust is misplaced. You might rank among those crying “Lord, Lord” that He sends away (Matthew 7:21-23).
My comments here are but a snippet of our conversations here in India. In the face of such dense and widespread destitution, it comes into view as unthinkable for those with more than their basic needs met to keep their surplus for themselves. Also pictured above is a snapshot I took from a cab driving along Marina Beach in Chennai en route to the airport to fly to Bangalore (Bengaluru).
Starting today, I facilitate 4 consultations in 4 cities in 4 days with up to 100 ministry administrators, accountants, legal and other professionals at each one. In short, we will explore the biblical foundation for faithful financial administration and how following standards of responsible stewardship can help restore and preserve God’s reputation while also rallying greater generosity nationwide.
Pray with me for an awakening in accountability across India for God’s glory.