Is money morally neutral?


It’s a question I’ve been pondering since reading Sean Green’s post on Ecclesiastes 9 that says ‘money is the answer to everything.’ Sean commented that, “Money is morally neutral but Jesus is very interested in our attitude to money and how we use it.”

It’s a view that I’ve often heard but and it may be right but in my soul I’m not convinced. I left a comment for Sean asking,

Hi Sean, enjoying your thoughts on Ecclesiastes. Just wondered how if money is morally neutral you’d understand Jesus words in Mt 13:22 where he calls money/riches deceitful? I guess I would say money is like us, it can be redeemed and used for kingdom purposes but unredeemed well, we just have to look at our MPs!”

What do you think? Is it simply a case of money being a mirror that simply reflects the use we put it to?


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2 responses

  1. Rob Mason avatar
    Rob Mason

    Rob Mason at 14:34 on 11 June
    From my blog post today:

    We are so easily swayed away from living simply and honestly to reach fellow man because we are consumed with ‘not falling behind’ in appearance. – we have, in fact, NO DESIRE to live differently. We still live in houses just like them, drive cars just like them, have TV’s just like them, fine clothes just like them, hobbies and holidays just like them. In fact we live just like them.

    But doesn’t Jesus call us to live differently? Not interested in sustaining a life-style that leads to destruction, but instead a lifestyle that leads to Everlasting life with God?… Read more

    http://allforjesus.ning.com/profiles/blogs/it-is-not-our-job-to-love-the/

  2. Melanie Carroll avatar
    Melanie Carroll

    I think money is no different than any other tool – the money itself cannot be the problem as it has no volition, no will, no ability to act without our volition. Therefore the problem with money and things cannot be the items themselves, rather it is our action/reaction to them, our desires, wants and drives.
    Money is a construct, just as a gun is a construct, made by man for mans wants and needs, therefore the inherent evil is mans and the choices are mans.

    As to riches being deceitful – they are because they allow us to fool ourselves as to what we are really about, who we really are!
    'The worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful' – it is the mans desire to put money & wealth as his master that cause the problem not actually the wealth itself – the lure of greed!
    Or at least that's my take on it – but I may well be wrong, I often am! :0)
    Thanks for making me think, it is an interesting one.

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