Is money bad? Is wealth bad? What is the understanding we have of money and wealth? Jesus said we can’t serve two masters. That is to say, we can’t serve both God and Mammon. Matt.6:24) The Semitic word Mammon means money or riches. Does this mean that money and wealth are evil and that we shouldn’t have money and wealth? St. Paul in his writings has said that the love of money is the root of all evil things. (I Tim.6) How do we understand these sayings of Jesus and Paul? We know that we can’t survive in this world without money. So what is the meaning of these sayings of Jesus and Paul?
Let’s try to look into these sayings carefully. What Jesus has said is that we can’t serve both God and Mammon. What is the difference between using money and wealth and serving money and wealth? When we serve money and wealth we are controlled by money and wealth but if we use money and wealth we control money and wealth. This truth is very well explained by the saying of Paul. What Paul has said is not that money is the root of all evil.
But that the love of money or the unnecessary attachment to money is the root of all evil. When people start to serve money and wealth, money or wealth becomes their God. We know that money does not have life. Money and wealth are lifeless. But often we humans make idols out of money and worship them. this is what is evil. Because in this situation people forget their fellow human beings and for them, money or wealth becomes the most important thing in the world. Then they may be willing to do anything for money and wealth.
God has given us the means to exist in this world. God hasn’t ordained that some people have too much wealth and others have too little. this is one of the biggest problems in the world. There are some people who have to think about how to spend money and others have to think about how to earn money. Whether we like it or not, from the way we use money and wealth others can see what sort of people we are.
Therefore as we use our money and wealth let us remember they are not necessarily bad or good. They become bad or good from the way we use them. Money is a good servant and a bad master. Also, let’s remember that although we need money and wealth to do everything money and wealth are not everything.
Therefore let us ask God to give us his grace to use our money and wealth according to his will and the extension of his Kingdom in this world.