Money and Luke

One of the most famous stories of Christ’s healings is that of the woman with the issue of blood.  She had had the disease for twelve years and “had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any.”  She came secretly to Jesus and “touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched” (Luke 8:43-44).  One of the lessons that I take from this story is that money cannot save us.  She had spent all the money she had employing the wisdom of the world for years, but it had not helped her at all—in fact, she was worse off for it according to Mark’s account.  Clearly the implication is that even if she had had unlimited worldly wealth, she could not have used it to be healed.  The world would have us believe that with enough money we can do anything, but this story and other teachings of the scriptures help us see that money has no saving power.

               Other stories in Luke’s writings similar emphasize that money has no power to help us in the things that matter most.  For example, Luke gave us the parable of the rich man in which Jesus taught that “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”  In the story “the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully” and the man wondered how to keep all of his goods because he had so much.  He determined, “I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”  He thought that he would be safe and at ease because of his worldly wealth.  But then the Lord said to him, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”  That worldly wealth was gone to him in an instant, and his position in the next life was no better off for having had it.  Jesus remarked that this would be the same for all who did likewise: “So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:15-21).  The story of the prodigal son, also told only in Luke, similarly shows the inability for money to give us what we really are searching for.  After he took all the money he could from his father, he “took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”  But after that he found that the money had in fact brought him nothing, and “he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat” (Luke 15:13,16).  Money could not save him—only his father could.  The story of the rich young ruler shows how money can also inhibit us from obtaining the blessings Jesus seeks to give us.  The man was told, “sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”  But was “very sorrowful: for he was very rich,” and the Savior commented, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” (Luke 18:22-24).  Not only do riches not have power to save us, they may also prevent us from obtaining the kingdom of God.  The story of the rich man and Lazarus, told uniquely by Luke, follows a similar theme.  The rich man “was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day,” but when he died he was “in hell” and was “in torments.”  His riches were gone and he had lost all power (Luke 16:19, 23). 

          In the book of Acts Luke similarly told stories that give us the same perspective on money’s real value.  When the man Simon saw how the apostles had power through the priesthood to give the Holy Ghost, “he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.”  But money could buy nothing of the sort, and Peter responded, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God” (Acts 8:18-21).  The story of Ananias and Sapphira also warn us about money’s deleterious effect on salvation.  They held back their money from the Lord, lied about it, and they both soon had died because of this selfish act (Acts 5:1-10).  All of these stories from Luke testify clearly that money cannot save us and may even prevent us from obtaining that which is of most worth.