How did Jesus manage His money?

2 Sep, 2024

It’s so strange to think that the son of God – our Redeemer, Emmanuel – was someone who used something so comparatively minor to His glory like money. But at the end of the day, Jesus was also human.

Jesus would have had very practical and real needs that money could help meet. We see this in the Bible in passages such as John 13:29, which explains Judas’s management of a ‘common purse’ used by the disciples for their collective needs as well as to help the poor.

However, Jesus primarily chose to lead a life of simplicity, detached from wealth and possessions. He often travelled with minimal provisions, shared common meals across cultural boundaries, and modelled the values of sharing and hospitality.

Why can it be hard for us to do the same?

Let us consider Jesus’ context.

He lived in an economic system that was agrarian in nature, meaning that agriculture was the primary source of income and economic activity. Cultural values were also grounded in honour or shame, with an emphasis on reputation and social standing.

Comparatively, our economy follows a capitalist structure. We seek to further private ownership and profit, placing attainment and acquisition of wealth at the forefront of our cultural values.

When we consider the two, you can see just how difficult it is to follow Jesus’ example in a world that functions in contrast to His times.

So, how do we be more like Jesus with money?

When we look to apply Jesus’ example of managing money to our own life, direct comparison may not be particularly helpful for us. Jesus Himself was an itinerant teacher – He didn’t have a wife or children, or even a mortgage!

But understanding His beliefs and convictions can help us develop the same values He held when it comes to our finances.

Jesus teaches that we are created for and can only find true life in intimate relationship with God. It’s in this relationship that we can experience peace for our restless hearts, freed from shame, guilt and fear (Matthew 11:28-30).

He also teaches in our role as humans that we’re designed for community, called to care for the world (both natural and built environments) and created to be co-workers in His Kingdom (Mark 12:31).

Jesus’ saving of the world restructured humanity’s beliefs and perceptions around authority, resources and relationships, modelling sacrificial love and service (Romans 3:25).

All of these convictions translate to a claim, call and caution that Jesus teaches us around money:

  • Claim: The world and everything in it are created and sustained by God, for His glory, with its resources given for the flourishing of all people and creatures (Genesis 1).
  • Call: We are created to be good stewards of God’s creation and its resources. We are to receive with thanksgiving, share generously and consume justly (2 Corinthians 9:11).
  • Caution: Wealth and money are seductive forces. The desire for wealth – and how we believe these will satisfy us – can lead us to live in broken relationships with each other and God, and against the biblical claim and call (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

How does this look practically?

To follow Jesus’ life and teachings when it comes to our finances, we should move towards values such as generosity, simplicity and hospitality.

By sharing our wealth, consuming responsibly with care for ourselves as well as our environment, and by extending a hand to others, we are able to move away from unhealthy money behaviours and place our faith and confidence in the Father as our provider.

Words by Phill Pickering and Cassie Holland.