{"id":958,"date":"2010-02-01T17:39:23","date_gmt":"2010-02-01T17:39:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/bibleandculture\/2010\/02\/new-years-resolve-jesus-and-money-part-ten.html"},"modified":"2010-02-01T17:39:23","modified_gmt":"2010-02-01T17:39:23","slug":"new-years-resolve-jesus-and-money-part-ten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/2010\/02\/new-years-resolve-jesus-and-money-part-ten.html","title":{"rendered":"New Year&#8217;s Resolve: Jesus and Money Part Ten"},"content":{"rendered":"<form mt:asset-id=\"10401\" class=\"mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image\" style=\"display: inline;\" contenteditable=\"false\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/bibleandculture\/assets_c\/2009\/12\/Jesusmoney-thumb-400x400-10353-thumb-400x400-10354-thumb-400x400-10359-thumb-400x400-10360-thumb-400x400-10368-thumb-400x400-10371-thumb-400x400-10372-thumb-400x400-10373-thumb-400x400-10393.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Jesusmoney.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/137\/import\/assets_c\/2009\/12\/Jesusmoney-thumb-400x400-10353-thumb-400x400-10354-thumb-400x400-10359-thumb-400x400-10360-thumb-400x400-10368-thumb-400x400-10371-thumb-400x400-10372-thumb-400x400-10373-thumb-400x400-10393-thumb-400x400-10401.jpg\" class=\"mt-image-none\" style=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/form>\n<div><font color=\"navy\" face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;\"> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brazospress.com\/Book.asp?isbn=978-1-58743-274-3\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.brazospress.com\/Book.asp?isbn=978-1-58743-274-3<\/a><\/span><\/font><\/p>\n<p class=\"ecxMsoNormal\"><font color=\"navy\" face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/isbn=1587432749\/bakerbookhouseA\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/isbn=1587432749\/bakerbookhouseA<\/a><br \/><\/span><\/font><\/p>\n<p class=\"ecxMsoNormal\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ecxMsoNormal\"><meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta name=\"ProgId\" content=\"Word.Document\"><meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><meta name=\"Originator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><link rel=\"File-List\" href=\"file:\/\/\/C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CBEN%7E1.WIT%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml\"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"country-region\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"place\"><\/o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument>  <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>  <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>  <w:PunctuationKerning\/>  <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>  <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>  <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>  <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>  <w:Compatibility>   <w:BreakWrappedTables\/>   <w:SnapToGridInCell\/>   <w:WrapTextWithPunct\/>   <w:UseAsianBreakRules\/>   <w:DontGrowAutofit\/>  <\/w:Compatibility>  <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4<\/w:BrowserLevel> <\/w:WordDocument><\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"156\"> <\/w:LatentStyles><\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid=\"clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D\" id=\"ieooui\"><\/object>\n\n<style>st1\\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }<\/style>\n\n<![endif]--><\/p>\n<style><!-- \/* Style Definitions *\/ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\t{mso-style-parent:\"\";\tmargin:0in;\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\tfont-size:12.0pt;\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";}@page Section1\t{size:8.5in 11.0in;\tmargin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;\tmso-header-margin:.5in;\tmso-footer-margin:.5in;\tmso-paper-source:0;}div.Section1\t{page:Section1;} \/* List Definitions *\/ @list l0\t{mso-list-id:814108175;\tmso-list-type:hybrid;\tmso-list-template-ids:-2003942716 -366680874 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;}@list l0:level1\t{mso-level-start-at:6;\tmso-level-text:\"%1\\)\";\tmso-level-tab-stop:.75in;\tmso-level-number-position:left;\tmargin-left:.75in;\ttext-indent:-.25in;}ol\t{margin-bottom:0in;}ul\t{margin-bottom:0in;}--><\/style>\n<p><!--[if gte mso 10]>\n\n<style> \/* Style Definitions *\/ table.MsoNormalTable\t{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\tmso-style-noshow:yes;\tmso-style-parent:\"\";\tmso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;\tmso-para-margin:0in;\tmso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\tfont-size:10.0pt;\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-ansi-language:#0400;\tmso-fareast-language:#0400;\tmso-bidi-language:#0400;}<\/style>\n\n<![endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;\">In our discussionof the ministry of Jesus&nbsp; in &#8216;Jesus and Money&#8217; we pointed out that Jesus announced that the coming ofthe Kingdom involved the coming of the year of Jubilee (Lk. 4).<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>And we can see further reflection of this notonly in Jesus&#8217; general discussion about forgiveness but probably in the Lord&#8217;sPrayer itself where the disciple asks for forgiveness of debts, but this islinked to forgiving those who are indebted to oneself.<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>Obviously there are some times and placeswhere it is a good thing to let a person work their way out of debt, especiallyif they had acted irresponsibly and run up huge charges on credit cards.<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>But there is also a time to forgive debts aswell, especially when they have worked hard and circumstances have conspiredagainst a person even though they have made a good faith effort to pay offtheir debts. <\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;\">The other side ofthis equation is about loaning money, and in our book we have shown very clearly how variousBiblical writers were adamantly opposed to lending money at interest, <i style=\"\">especially when it was one believer loaningmoney to another. <\/i><span style=\"\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span>It is thus inorder to suggest that one way to become a good witness and a better person isto ignore the old Shakespearean advice in Act One of Hamlet, which some havemistakenly taken as a quote from the Bible:<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">&#8220;Neither a borrower nor a lender be; <br \/>For loan oft loses both itself and friend, <br \/>And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. <br \/>This above all: to thine own self be true.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 150%;\"><span style=\"\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span>Onthe contrary, we should look for opportunities to help others, and makesacrifices on their behalf.<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>Lendingmoney is one way to do it, forgiving a debt is another way to practicegenerosity in the body of Christ. <span style=\"\">&nbsp;<\/span>As wehave seen, the Bible is all about &#8216;giving with no thought of return&#8217;.<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>But then if it is giving,<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>it is not merely lending now is it?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 150%;\"><o:p>&nbsp;But you may ask&#8212; how can I afford to be this generous?&nbsp;&nbsp; I&#8217;m glad you asked. <br \/><\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in; line-height: 150%;\"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=\"\"><span style=\"font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none;\"><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">America<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place> has become a nation bingingon credit, including especially high interest credit cards.<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>This is one way to really help simply one&#8217;sown life and lifestyle and free up your resources so you can forgive debt and be more generous.<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>Pay all your billson time in full either using cash or perhaps a debit card.<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>You may choose to have one credit card incase of emergencies, but if you keep a careful budget, there should be fewreasons to use and few occasions which would demand its use. <\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;\"><span style=\"\"><\/span>The goal here is to cultivate the same giving and generous spirit we seein Jesus and various of his earliest followers. The emphasis on giving <i style=\"\">with no thought of return<\/i> is and shouldbe seen as a challenge to reciprocity conventions and the whole paybackmentality. And Jesus even urged giving <i style=\"\">toone&#8217;s enemies<\/i> with no thought of return. <span style=\"\">&nbsp;<\/span>It reminds me of bumper sticker I sawrecently&#8212; &#8220;Love your enemies.<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>It willconfuse them.&#8221;<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;\">Jesus and the NTcall us to a counter-cultural, and in some cases a counter-intuitive, Kingdomethic when it comes to money, wealth, sacrificial giving, work, andremuneration. Instead of baptizing his own culture&#8217;s basic assumptions aboutmoney and wealth, Jesus was constantly challenging those assumptions, and weshould do likewise.<span style=\"\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 150%;\"><span style=\"\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 150%;\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 150%;\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 150%;\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 150%;\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<p><font color=\"navy\" face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;\"><\/span><\/font><\/p>\n<p class=\"ecxMsoNormal\"><font color=\"navy\" face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>http:\/\/www.brazospress.com\/Book.asp?isbn=978-1-58743-274-3 http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/isbn=1587432749\/bakerbookhouseA In our discussionof the ministry of Jesus&nbsp; in &#8216;Jesus and Money&#8217; we pointed out that Jesus announced that the coming ofthe Kingdom involved the coming of the year of Jubilee (Lk. 4).&nbsp; And we can see further reflection of this notonly in Jesus&#8217; general discussion about forgiveness but probably in the Lord&#8217;sPrayer itself&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":199,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - 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A graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill, he went on to receive the M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in England. He is now considered one of the top evangelical scholars in the world, and is an elected member of the prestigious SNTS, a society dedicated to New Testament studies. Witherington has also taught at Ashland Theological Seminary, Vanderbilt University, Duke Divinity School and Gordon-Conwell. A popular lecturer, Witherington has presented seminars for churches, colleges and biblical meetings not only in the United States but also in England, Estonia, Russia, Europe, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia. He has also led tours to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Witherington has written over thirty books, including The Jesus Quest and The Paul Quest, both of which were selected as top biblical studies works by Christianity Today. He also writes for many church and scholarly publications, and is a frequent contributor to the Beliefnet website. Along with many interviews on radio networks across the country, Witherington has been seen on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Discovery Channel, A&amp;E, and the PAX Network.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/author\/bwitherington"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/199"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/bibleandculture\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}