A Material World

The term "born again" comes from a conversation between Jesus and a Pharisee named Nicodemus. This theme has become incredibly important in the contemporary church. However, Jesus also once had a conversation with a rich man, who asked what he must do to achieve salvation. Jesus first asks about his personal life, if he had kept the commandments and such, if he was "born again." After the man gave an affirmative response, he then asked, "What do I still lack?" Jesus then responds with, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." The man walked away, unwilling to part with what he had. At this point, Christ turned to his disciples and proclaimed "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:16-24)

In the Church today, I hear a lot of talk about being born again, but not a whole lot about selling off everything. Consider for a moment the growth of the "Christian" sectors of Music, books, clothing, and other industries. Billions of dollars annually is pumped into the market under the name of Christian Living. How many people out there go to church and wonder how much it cost to build the place you are worshiping in? Then think about property taxes, utility bills, maintenance costs, and all of the other expenses involved which stretch on ad nauseum. Take a look around next time you go to church. How many people are throwing their last pennies into the offering plate? How many people present are homeless? How many are in ratty clothes because they can't afford new ones?

When Jesus said, "The poor you will always have with you," (Matthew 26:11, Mark 14:7) I think he meant something more along the lines of "You will always be with the poor." Why will we always be among the poor? Because we will be poor ourselves. In the early Church, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had." (Acts 4:32) It seems that the USSR was about 2000 years after the first and only real Communist revolution.

Yet with all of this at our fingertips, we so often fall into the snares of the world and find ways to live a 'socially acceptable' life. We continue to live as consumer automatons, materialistic machines in a material world. But we do it the moral way, right? We buy organic food and shirts with Christian slogans made from materials sustainably produced, carry CD collections of the latest contemporary praise music and put "Jesus Saves" bumper stickers on our cars. We look at all that we've created and say, "it is good." At no point do we seem to consider if we're just doing the same sins with prettier names. We decry consumerism up to the point that it seriously impacts our ability to live the same way our neighbors do. We condemn corporatism unless the corporation slaps Jesus' name on their products.

If we are to be imitators of Christ, how many square feet should our homes be? How much should we pay for our cars? How many shoes should we own? What about ties? How much should we keep in our bank account?
Jesus was homeless, travel by foot, owned probably one pair of sandals at a time and one set of clothes, and lived on God's providence alone.

"I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well--the delights of the heart of a man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 2:4-11)

Be careful brothers and sisters. We live in a material world. Before you purchase your next praise CD or "Jesus is my Homeboy" shirt, consider what you're doing. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)