Thursday, July 11, 2013

What does Prosperity have to do with the Gospel?

An online Google search of the term "prosperity gospel" brings up mega-church pastors’ names such as Joel Osteen, teachings such as "believe and receive," and issues like money and self-improvement.

Depending on what you've heard about this topic, or what your experiences are, this will exert either an "Amen!" from you at this point, or rolling eyes, a groan, or a big question mark. Or, if you’re like me, maybe all of the above.

I’ve heard the discussions (and been part of them); I’ve seen quotes and read blogs and flipped through books. And of course this is a huge topic and there are many facets to it, but I would like to dedicate this post to addressing it from one perspective that is important to me.

First of all, what exactly is the “Prosperity Gospel” and what do those who adhere to this stream of teaching believe and promote? A few of the "theological pillars" associated with this movement include Healing, Wealth, Faith and the Power of Words. A common theme heard in this type of preaching is that if you “sow” financially (by donating to the ministry, mainly), God will “give back” multiple times and you’ll reap a blessed monetary harvest. It’s also believed that God’s will is to bless you with good things - therefore, “prosperity.” And this blessing can be taken ahold of through prayer, through speaking positive hopeful thinking aloud in faith, whether it be related to health, financial need, jobs, relationships, etc.

I haven’t concerned myself too much with the details, but that’s my general understanding of the direction it goes. And what are the biggest objections to this stream of teaching? Here is a quote from someone who opposes the movement, and it summarizes alot of what I’ve heard spoken against the prosperity gospel:

A columnist for the Washington Post wrote an article in which she stated,
   
        "Few theological ideas ring more dissonant with the harmony of orthodox Christianity than a      focus on storing up treasures on Earth as a primary goal of faithful living. The gospel of prosperity turns Christianity into a vapid bless-me club, with a doctrine that amounts to little more than spiritual magical thinking: If you pray the right way, God will make you rich." 

In my understanding, a lot of opposition has to do with people thinking that prosperity shouldn’t be the goal of a Christian. Followers of Christ shouldn't have big houses (Jesus didn’t even have “a place to lay his head”); and nice furniture, expensive cars, big successes, etc. are unnecessary and maybe even sinful, because "there is so much need in this world." How can it be "God's will" for us to live in luxury when so many are barely surviving? How can you say God wants to grant us health when there are innumerable instances of people (Christians, for that matter) dying of cancer, being persecuted, dealing with depression, etc.? And, how can you be sure that God blesses financially when the Bible even says that “money is the root of all evil” (or wait...isn’t it something about the “love of money”?)

So what in the world does Prosperity have to do with the Gospel?

When Jesus came to earth, when Holiness and Love Himself took the form of a human baby and grew up under the parenthood of an earthly father and mother, He made His mission as the Son of God and the Son of Man clear:

Explaining His purpose to the Pharisees who were accusing Him and to the Jews who doubted His miracles, Jesus stated that the reason He came to earth was to bring life in abundance (John 10:10).

And in Luke 4:18 He applies an Old Testament prophecy to Himself which fills in the blanks about what this abundant life looks like:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.” (Jesus quoting from Isaiah 61)

And the writer of one of the gospel books asserts: “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). Salvation. Life. Eternal Life. Abundant Life.

THIS is the Gospel. The Good News. The reason why Jesus came.

Is this a “prosperity gospel?” Well, by all means yes!

The reason I believe that prosperity does have something to do with the Gospel is this:

Prosperity is about so much more than money.

If we want to get into what prosperity is, we first have to consider what prosperity is NOT. What is the opposite of the Good News that Jesus was sent to preach, the reason we need the freedom He proclaims and the favor and comfort that He provides?

The reason is that we are poor.

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines poverty as: "the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possession; scarcity; debility." Or from the Oxford dictionary, "the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount." Dictionary.com adds "the state of...having no means of support."

For a long time, I thought 'being poor' meant having no money. I now believe that financial means might be one part of poverty, but it's definitely not the whole picture. A broader description might include aspects such as lack of resources, lack of opportunity, lack of hope.

In fact, when Jesus said He was sent to proclaim good news to the “poor”, the Greek word translated there in Isaiah 61 is ptochos, and means “one who is destitute, afflicted, and lacking.” Basically...helpless. Strong's Concordance defines this use of ptochos as meaning: "of one who crouches; beggarly" or, in a broader sense, "destitute of wealth, influence, position, honors; lowly, afflicted."

The whole gospel is about God’s answer to our human poverty. We were helpless in our sinful state, and “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). In fact, Jesus Christ “for our sake became poor, that we might share in His riches” (2 Cor. 8:9). We lacked the means of salvation; God provided a Savior.


The bottom line? Poverty is about LACK. Not having enough money (but who defines what "enough" is anyways?); not being given enough opportunity (to study, to provide for yourself, etc.); not having the support of friends, community, government; lacking means, lacking hope.

And what is the opposite of Lack? Abundance, Provision, Enough, Plenty, Surplus.

Prosperity.

Prosperity is defined as "a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition." Sounds like abundant life to me!

But don’t get me wrong.

I have been to Africa. I have seen mud huts that large families live in, without sanitation, without light, without access to clean water or food, and I’ve wondered how a culture can be so without abundance. I have been to Mexico and seen a put-together-shanty from leftover aluminum pieces and scrap pieces of wood, where children rejoice at the simple concept of a balloon because they have nothing else to play with, and I’ve felt guilty for my prosperity. And I have been to Vancouver and walked along East Hastings Street, shocked at the rawness of a life caught up in addiction and abuse, wishing I could do more to provide hope.

And, I have returned home from these places, wondering why on earth there are a billion choices of cereal in the grocery aisle, why anyone would waste money on another piece of clothing just to keep up with fashion, and not wanting to let the water run while brushing my teeth because I've seen people without access to something so basic according to my prosperous lifestyle.

I've wrestled with theological questions (and still do), such as the definition of "abundant" and what is “enough.” And at the same time I’ve wondered who sets the standard of “rich.” (By the way, did you know that in Switzerland, if you earn less than 5,000 Swiss Francs a month you’re considered “under the poverty line”?).

And how often have I thought, "Oh, I shouldn't waste this food; there are starving children in Africa..." But how much will MY eating one plate of food really help the millions of people dying of starvation? It requires more than a bad conscience to make a change. It begins with worldview, with a renewal of our thinking, and with lifestyle choices.

Jesus proclaimed, in His mission statement, that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him and had anointed Him to preach to the poor and bring freedom, healing, comfort, provision. And guess what? His mission hasn’t changed. Now, He wants to accomplish that purpose through us.
It's been our call since the beginning - God told Abraham, "I will bless you, and through you, all nations on earth will be blessed" (Gal 3:8). Since we are Abraham's descendants (Rom 4:16), that is God’s will for us as well.

Blessed to be a blessing.

The Bible is full of examples of abundance, stories of Jesus blessing people more than He needed to, more than they perhaps expected Him to.
  • Jesus' first miracle was turning water into 600 liters of wine (the best wine!) at a wedding where people had already had enough to drink after partying for a week
  • When Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000 men, there were 12 baskets of bread leftover!
  • "Toss your nets to the other side" Jesus commanded His discouraged disciples who had been fishing all night without catching anything. And, because of their OBEDIENCE, they brought in so many fish that the boat almost sunk!
  • Moved with emotion regarding His good friend Lazarus, Jesus didn't just comfort the sisters, grieve with them, or pass on "spiritual sounding" answers - "This must have been part of my Father's will…." No, He called on the Name of His Father and raised Lazarus from the dead!
  • And there are innumerable instances where Jesus healed people - sometimes because they asked and sought, and other times because He just chose to.
  • Jesus also received abundantly. When a sinful, looked-down-upon woman came to pour perfume on Jesus' feet, Christ’s disciples were uncomfortable and tried to sound spiritual - "shouldn't that have been sold and the money given to the pour?" Jesus answered by saying she had done a blessed thing.
  • And, as I mentioned earlier, the greatest example of all is that "He did not spare His own Son” and is still today willing to “give us all things” (Rom 8:32).
What is the purpose of Him giving us all things? What is the point of prosperity?

“You will be made rich in every way so you can be generous on every occasion” (2 Corinthians 9:11).

We know the Bible verse - "Freely you have received; freely give" (Matt 10:8).  How can we give if we have nothing to start with? How can we be generous if we ourselves are lacking?

The answer to the desperation of this world is NOT Christians becoming poorer!

Please allow me to clarify:

I do NOT believe that Christians are called to an easy life, and I am definitely not saying that our brothers and sisters in third-world nations or persecuted countries are doing something wrong because they don’t have material wealth.

I am AGAINST leaders using manipulation or anything else in order to get money, Aad my heart BREAKS when I see how many people, especially "Christian" leaders in influential positions, are misrepresenting God and leading people astray. Oh Father, help us! No wonder the World has a skewed perspective of the God/Christianity!

I think it is WRONG to try to manipulate God, or think of Him as a "heavenly vending machine" where we just get what we want out of Him (money, blessings, health, relationships, bigger houses, bigger cars, promotions, etc.) It has always been, and will always be, about relationship.

But about that relationship, the Bible says: “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, will not your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?” (Matt 7:11).

God does give, and He gives generously - Wisdom (James 1), Peace (John 14), Love (1 John), His Spirit (John 3:34), Hope (Rom. 5:5), Finances (Philippians 4:19), Healing from diseases (Psalm 103), Forgiveness (1 John 1:9), Gifts and Talents (1 Cor. 12:11) and many other things.

What would it look like for the Church, the Bride of Christ, to be known for her generosity? We are created “in the image of God,” meaning with the potential to give. What if we were so touched with compassion for the broken, the down and out, those facing lack, that we were moved to action and believed that God wants to use OUR hands and feet to bring about change?

And remember, generosity is not defined by numbers, and giving is about more than finances and posessions. A person with $3,000 may be living a more disobedient lifestyle than someone with $3,000,000 if they are not sharing and investing into the Kingdom of God. And remember the story of the Widow’s Mite? Jesus said the lady who put one penny in the offering plate gave more than all the others, since she gave what she had; it was a sacrifice for her. No matter what our social status is or what our bank account looks like, we are called to give. For some that means giving of time, resources, and listening ear, a helping hand. But I believe our faith needs to reach our chequebooks as well. It’s not our money anyway! The God who “owns the cattle on a thousand hills” has generosly entrusted His resources to us, and asks us to be faithful.

So what does prosperity have to do with the Gospel? The Good News is the story about God meeting our need and equipping us “with everything needed for life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3) in order that we may serve others with that same generous spirit.

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Thoughts? Questions? Please feel free to comment and share your own struggles, experiences, perspective!






2 comments:

  1. What a wonderful post, Kristyn! You really made me think... poverty is about lack. And Jesus came to bring fullness of life. Thank you. So good to meet you this week! e.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Emily! It's a topic close to my heart.
    Loved meeting you as well :)

    ReplyDelete

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