What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on…those who buy something [should live] as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
“Some religious orders solve the problem [of the love of money] by calling on their members to renounce all material possessions. At the other extreme, communism calls for private property to be abolished altogether in favor of state or communal ownership. The problem, however, is not that we as individuals have things, but that we hold on to them so tightly…the Bible’s solution to the love of money is to help us loosen our grip on our possessions and get a grip on something which far exceeds them in value.”
Brian Rosner in Beyond Greed (Kingsford, Australia: Matthias Media, 2004) 63.
Brian is one of many biblical scholars I hope to connect with in San Antonio this weekend. I arrived last night and will attend the IBR/SBL conference through Sunday night. This book is required reading for a class I am teaching this Spring at Denver Seminary: NT590: Life in the Economy of God. You don’t have to attend a scholarly conference like this one or take my seminary class if this topic interests you. I suggest you buy this book and read it! It’s fantastic!
Rosner rightly reminds us that moving beyond greed is not about renouncing things as bad when God created them and declared them to be good, and it does not demand that we exchange private property for some form of communal living. He moves us beyond greed and exhorts us to “get a grip” on Christ. Then as faithful stewards, he calls us to use all we have in accordance with God’s purposes: enjoyment and sharing. Taking hold of Christ makes letting go a no-brainer decision!