Jesus Meaning Of A Rich And Rich Life In John 10: 10

742 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Critical analysis of the four gospels

In the New Living Translation of the Bible the second half of John 10:10 says that one of Jesus’ many purposes was to provide a rich and satisfying life to believers. Regrettably, Jesus’ mention of a rich and abundant life in John 10:10 has come to mean a life full of wealth and material possessions for many modern day followers of Jesus. Not much has changed since the time of the Pharisees as blessings of material wealth are still considered to be signs of God’s favor (Pentecost, 1981). Thus in John 10:10, Jesus’ meaning of an abundant and rich life is in complete opposite of what many believe; hence, a rich an abundant life is one of spiritual wealth rather than material. Although Jesus was never opposed to material wealth, the Pharisees …show more content…

Furthermore, Jesus also demonstrated through this teaching that the poor are not cursed, heaven and hell are both real, and riches have the power to separate a believer from God (Pentecost, 1981). Thus in the case of this parable, the rich man was given one last chance to alleviate one man’s suffering (Lazarus), but in accordance with Pharisaic tradition, the rich man, who enjoyed a life a luxury, saw Lazarus as being cursed and thereby disregarded Lazarus’ needs (Pentecost, 1981). Subsequently, both men died at the same time, and while Lazarus enjoyed eternal life in Abraham’s Bosom, the rich man was sent to eternal damnation in Hades (Luke 16:22-23). Even today many Christian’s believe that heaven can be bought and wealth is a sign of God’s favor; thus as a result of this belief, many Christian’s have bought into the idea of the prosperity gospel. In the secular world, those who are rich continue to overlook the needs of the poor, but as Jesus demonstrated in the teaching of the rich man and Lazarus, a true follower of Christ, regardless of material wealth, will not overlook those who are in need (Pentecost, 1981). Just as Jesus showed offense to the rich man and the Pharisees in this parable so will God be offended if a Christian has the ability to help someone in need and does

Show More
Related

  • Literary Analysis Of Donald Kraybill's The Upside-Down Kingdom

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jesus never proclaims that possessions or money is inherently evil, but he does warn against the danger of greed. Jesus does not attack money and possessions, but speaks against becoming enslaved to things of this world. Kraybill proclaims, “We too easily bow down and worship at the altar of materialism.”(Kraybill 2011). Kraybill explains that Jesus’ intentions were to have us apply the same structure and economic principles of the Jubilee to our entire life. The Jubilee system requires that the rich distribute what they have evenly, just as God distributes his love to us all without judgment. Jesus encourages us to practice this on a daily basis. Jesus builds his teachings around serving and loving others first. The pleasures of the world should never be the main focus of our life. Jesus teaches that only when we live our lives in this way can we truly see the Kingdom of God. If we allow money and possessions to be the ruler of our lives they will choke our spiritual growth and we will never be able to live out the true purposes of our lives. Jesus also teaches that we should not get caught up worrying about money or possessions. Faith that God will provide everything we need is all we need in the Kingdom of

    Read More

  • Kenney's Study: High Incomes Don T Buy Happiness

    666 Words  | 2 Pages

    The article “High Incomes Don’t Bring You Happiness” verbatimly states, “Beyond $75,000, money is important for life evaluation, but does nothing for happiness, enjoyment, sadness, or stress” (Kenney 4). Those who spend prodigal amounts of money disdain plebeians because they claim that money is the foundation to living a great life. However, money only helps one meet certain needs and does not contribute in instigating true happiness within oneself. Happiness comes naturally by one’s actions and accomplishments. Although, money helps buy the commodities which satisfy one’s life, it is not the direct source for obtaining glee within a

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Gospel Of Wealth

    733 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Andrew Carnegie’s “The Gospel of Wealth” he outlines what the rich man’s responsibilities to the public is regarding his wealth. Andrew Carnegie was one of his times wealthiest men and wrote this in 1889. He states that, “Our duty is with what is practicable now-with the next step possible in our day and generation. It is criminal to waste our energies in endeavoring to uproot, when all we can profitably accomplish is to bend the universal tree of humanity a little in the direction most favorable to the production of the good fruit under existing circumstances (Carnegie 23-24).” In his writing he talks about the best way to dispose of the wealth one has acquired. The remainder of this paper will address the

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    953 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...e rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17)

    Read More

  • The Piety Myth

    618 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article “God’s Heart for the Poor,” Dr. Jay W. Richards, a famous author, claims that Christians should have both heart and mind in order to help the poor and become a true, good neighbor. He uses some Bible verses to teach the readers about the importance of being a good neighbor and uses The Piety Myth to explain how Christians should “exercise prudence” and connects this concept to the economics.

    Read More

  • Good News About Injustice Analysis

    1795 Words  | 4 Pages

    “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, and to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.(Biblegateway)” Reading this passage, I have felt that this verse calls out to God’s people to be His hands and feet. In the book, “Good News About Injustice,” it states it well, “The great miracle and mystery of God is that he calls me and you to be a part of what he is doing in history. He could, of course, with no help from us proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ with lifeless stones, feed the entire world with five loaves and two fish, heal the sick with the hem of his garment, and release

    Read More

  • Teachings From Three Parables in the Gospel of Luke

    2068 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Gospel itself was most likely written to a mostly Gentile, urban audience and consistently shows a preferential option for the poor. Readers see numerous instances where the author depicts Jesus as claiming the poor as those who will receive the blessings of Heaven and instructing his followers about the dangers of possessions and wealth. It is obvious that the evangelist was concerned with how his or her local community was responding to the poor and how they were gaining and using their wealth.

    Read More

  • St Francis Of Assisi Wealth Analysis

    654 Words  | 2 Pages

    For this wicked custom has so taken root everywhere among those who bear the Christian name, and this pernicious doctrine is everywhere so settled and established as though by public law, that men purposely bring up their children even from the cradle with excessive carelessness and laxity. (Celano, 1:1, http://www.indiana.edu/~dmdhist/francis.htm) These opening lines show just how much opulence (and by opulence the means to gain it wealth) were important to people of the era. That like now, the idea of too much money can lead to the idea of sloth and other poor morals. Another important phrase that connects the importance of money/wealth to the period is the idea of the “Hidden Treasure” that Francis speaks of when discussing the kingdom of heaven. (Celano, 3:7-8, http://www.indiana.edu/~dmdhist/francis.htm) In likening the kingdom of heaven to something as material and with such high monetary value as gold it

    Read More

  • Christians, Wealth and Poverty

    1638 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Bible does not say that money is bad. However, what it does say is

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Karl Marx And Kuyper

    1384 Words  | 3 Pages

    The stronger will do anything in their power to make a profit, leaving the weak with nothing. Kuyper says, “…the more powerful exploited the weaker by means of a weapon against which there was no defense” (Kuyper, Abraham, and James W. Skillen 26). Additionally, he states that “…the idolization of money killed the nobility in the human heart” (Kuyper, Abraham, and James W. Skillen 31). Kuyper talks about how Jesus felt bad for the rich and sided with the poor (Kuyper, Abraham, and James W. Skillen 32). Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Earthly materials mean nothing because the real treasure awaits in

    Read More

  • Unclean By Richard Beck Disgust

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    The rich were the ones that liked the temple system. A system where in order to receive forgiveness one had to pay to be able to participate in the sacrifices. The ones that could afford to do this were the rich, because they had the money. This was not the case of the people that were poor. It was hard for them to get sacrifices, so they were looked at as lesser people in God’s favor. This however is not the case. Jesus came to change this way of thinking. An example of the rich versus poor issue is seen in the story of the wedding feast. The people that came to the wedding at Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle were likely the rich people. The people there at first couldn’t have been poor people, they had to have been rich people. If you were rich, you were able to go to the banquet when it started. The ones that were typically late to banquet were the poorer, working class who had to spend the day working. Thus when the wine ran out at the celebration, it was a big deal because it happened when the richer people were still there and wanting more, when normally the wine wouldn’t run out until near the

    Read More

  • Prosperity Gospel

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    In today’s society, Christianity is plagued with many disagreements about how to deal with current issues in society. These problems arise from the fact that Christians have the same fundamental beliefs, but they often disagree on the details. This is the reason why there is a panoply of denominations in the Christian faith. The way that many of the factions in Christianity interpret the word of God can be categorized into different styles of gospel, such as evangelicalism and fundamentalism. One such category that is beginning to gain popularity in today’s society, often taught in megachurches, is Prosperity Gospel. Prosperity Gospel, also called the “Health and Wealth Gospel” by Scot McKnight’s internet article “The Problem for the Prosperity Gospel,” is the belief that if humans adhere to God’s will, then He will in turn bless them with prosperous lives (McKnight). This prosperity often comes in the form of health and wealth according to many megachurches that preach this gospel. In times of economic strife, the prosperity gospel offers comfort in the hopes of having a prosperous future. It is also suspected that Prosperity Gospel has also become an outlet for the people who have a considerable amount of money as a means to justify their wealth. Whatever the reason for believing this gospel, it is important to remember that Prosperity Gospel is just one of the many ways that we can interpret the teachings of the Bible.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of A Rich And Fulfilling Life

    1586 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Because I am female I am expected to aspire to marriage, I am expected to make my life choices always keeping in mind that, Marriage is the most important”. This is a series of lyrics from Beyoncé’s song Flawless. This quote is important because I feel this pressure when I am supposed to talk about ‘a rich and fulfilling life’. I almost feel obligated to mention ‘a family’ as one of my requirements to a rich and fulfilling life. As a woman, society expects me to mention children and a husband to complete my life. However, I don 't want to take the traditional route. To me, a rich and fulfilling life can mean different things. Important values to me revolve around my goals and dreams in life. I think a rich and fulfilling life to me includes

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The General Epistles

    1004 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the General Epistles, we are shown how to follow Jesus in hard times and when it is essential to walk with Him. The General Epistles show us the difficulties of life when dealing with captivity, mistreatment by those of a higher social standing, and racism. Today we have many similar difficulties but they are in the form of working for human glorification, benefitting others who are not in need for our work, and maximizing profits for a company. These scenarios are not for Gods purpose but only for human purposes. The General Epistles also show us how to deal with these difficulties and overcome them in a way that we can be helpful working toward Gods purpose. Trusting that God will provide for us and that we must work to only benefit others

    Read More

  • The Rich Man and Lazarus; Luke 16:19-31

    2048 Words  | 5 Pages

    Systematically, the disabled citizens were excluded from religious affairs and functions by Jewish leaders and other religious leaders. Lepers were often required to separate themselves completely from the community at large . This is why so many parables and teachings of Christ focused on the sick and the poor; they were outcast by religion and the rich. Some believe that there are many parables that are like so many folktales and fables. Many fables, especially Greco-Roman Jewish fables are closely parallel with the gospel parables and that perhaps when Jesus spoke the parable he was pulling from the original Egyptian Fable about a rich man and a poor man . Fables typically have a moral to learn and usually end in irony. Mary Beavis states the ...

    Read More

More about Jesus Meaning Of A Rich And Rich Life In John 10: 10

Open Document