Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Mark

[Newbie]

In Mark 10.21, when Jesus said, "Go and sell all of your possessions and give the money to the poor," was he wrong? Did he mean "some" and not "all"? Presumably modern day Christians would simply ignore this part of Christ's teachings?

[jimwalton]

There are several pieces to this: First of all, Jesus often spoke in hyperbole (an exaggeration to make a point): Pluck out your eye, hate your parents, sell all your possessions, and such. They are meant as hyperbole and to be understood that way. He never expected anyone to actually gouge out their eye. It was one of his ways of speaking.

Secondly, this is the only person he ever said this to, and he knew a lot of rich people. If he meant it as a lifestyle for all of his followers, he would have said so. Jesus had a conversation with Zaccahaeus, apparently a VERY wealthy man, and never told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor. Now, Zach decided to give some of what he had to the poor, and that was a good thing.

Third, what he wanted the guy to do was to "die" to everything in his life for the priority of the kingdom of God. Paul says the same thing in Phil. 3.8: "I consider everything to be rubbish." You can have things, but keep an open hand. The "things" don't matter; your soul does. For this man, his own achievements were the most important things to him. Jesus, in hyperbole, is saying, "That's not what life's about." Jesus taught the same truth when he said "He who loses himself will find it," and "if you want to follow me you have to deny yourself."

But it's also true that we feel a great temptation to have a lot of money, to accumulate possessions, and to trust in their accumulated stuff. Jesus is teaching that we need to set that whole mindset aside (and even our money if that is a problem), so that we can be what God meant us to be. But for most of us the point is not to give away all our stuff. In MANY places Jesus teaches us that we've been given what we've been given by God and we're expected to be what's called good stewards of it: to receive it as a gift from God, to own it with an "open hand," and to be generous, sharing, giving people.

In the Bible, the point is not whether you HAVE money. What the Bible cares about is how did you get it (Legally or exploitatively?), what are you doing with it (indulging yourself or helping others?), and what is it doing to you?

The fourth thing I want to say about it is that justice on earth is very important to God, and is a significant teaching throughout the whole Bible. The Bible teaches that as the kingdom of God breaks in, God will see that his people get justice. This ruler very piously claims to have kept the Law, but Jesus cuts through his hypocrisy and asks about justice, specifically in regard to the poor. We need to picture the scene: Jesus is talking to ludicrously rich man in the center of crowd, and no doubt there are many poor and exploited people standing around them listening to the conversation. Jesus is not only talking about an individual man, but addressing a whole system of inequality where there are a few rich and many many poor. For Jesus, justice includes changing the system, and confronting flagrant socio-economic injustice in a way that brings about justice in the community. The rich man had an opportunity to participate in that, as we all do. Jesus' followers are all called to improve unjust, systemic problems that create suffering and oppression, and being more open-handed with our possessions is one way to participate in that.

[Newbie]

How do you know when he is talking in hyperbole and when not? How do you not know that other statements he made about being the son of God; being helpful to the poor; loving your neighbour were not also meant to be taken seriously or literally?

[jimwalton]

Great question. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to discuss this with you. Jesus used hyperbole a lot, but, as you ask, how can we tell what's exaggeration and what not?

Just as with many of us, it helps to know the personality of the person and their communication style to discern when they are exaggerating and when not. We've all experienced this, when you're with someone you don't know real well, and you have to turn to a friend and say, "Is he joking?" They go, "Yeah. You just have to get to know him." And when you do, then you recognize such things. It's the same in the gospel. Not surprisingly, people study the life of Jesus for their whole careers. Lots of people do that. They come to recognize Jesus' personality, his manner of communicating, where he is speaking in metaphor, and where he means every word he says. It's also detectable from the style of the author who wrote that particular book. They each have a theme they are trying to emphasize, and Jesus' life stories are inserted at specific places to make certain points.

For instance, as I said, he never asked anyone else to sell everything they had. It would have been simple for him to insert such things not only talking to people like Zacchaeus, but also a rich guy like Nicodemus in John 3 who was talking to Jesus about how to follow God. But the Bible never asks anybody else to sell everything they have. God even made some people like Abraham, Solomon, and Daniel VERY rich people.

So we can tell that such overstatements as "Sell everything you have and give it to the poor" are not intended to be taken literally. They are obviously not reasoned ethical positions for everyone to follow.

But, for instance, in contrast, over and over he talked about being the Son of God, and he even let them kill him for it (Mt. 26.63-65; Jn. 19.7). You know, that would have been an awfully good time for Jesus to say, "Hey, it was just an exaggeration. Can't you take a joke?"

And being helpful to the poor is one of the most-often taught things in the Bible. It has more to say about helping the poor than almost any other subject.

It is virtually unanimously recognized that Jesus was speaking hyperbolically when he said:

1. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor (Mk. 10.21 and par.)

2. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle… (Mt. 19.24 and par.)

3. Straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel (Mt. 23.24).

4. The log (plank) in your own eye (Lk. 6.42)

5. Hate your parents, wife and children… (Lk. 14.25)

6. Gouge out your eye (Mt. 5.29; 18.9)

7. Everything is possible for him who believes (Mk. 9.23)

[Newbie]

Are you sure the first two examples are only taken hyperbolically because of the place and culture that you live? Just because those around you interpret those sentences in that way doesn't not make it correct.

If in a few hundred years China becomes the world's largest political power, and most Chinese people take some Christian doctrines that you take as literally true as being hyperbolic, would they then be right and you wrong? You seem to be premising your argument on the supposition oof "Well those people I have read and people around me take these views as absurd hyperbole ... therfore they are".

Is that not rather a damning indictment of US culture and capitalism? How do you know it isn't to be taken literally? You laugh in the face of advice of someone you see as the son of God? "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle… (Mt. 19.24 and par.)" He said words to this effect repeatedly.

Perhaps he genuinely thought that giving money to help poor people and stop them starving to death was morally preferable to a rich person having a third yacht or a fifth luxury swimming pool. I know such views may seem crazy to you, because of course rich people deserve to keep their money, right? Who cares about the poor - it's their own fault, right? Who cares what this Jesus guy said anyway, half of it was hyperbole, right?

[jimwalton]

Oh, Jesus absolutely genuinely TAUGHT that giving money to help poor people and stop them from starving to death was indeed morally preferable to a rich person having a third yacht or a fifth luxury swimming pool. I couldn't agree with you more. I'll look at a few with you, because there are so many they fill books.

Look at Luke 1.53, in the prophecy about Jesus. He will fill the hungry and send the rich away empty. It's a very repeated theme in the Bible: God will tear down the abusive, indulgent rich and exalt the poor: 1 Sam. 2.2-8; Lk. 6.20-25; James 5.1, 3-5, Ps. 10 and many many more. Jesus' ministry had a pronounced political character, and one of his main themes was to empower the poor. In the temptation scene, testing begins with an economic option: Jesus was tempted to use kingly power to bring abundance and extravagance. He refused.

Look at his first "sermon" in Lk. 4.18. "I have come to preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners...and to release the oppressed." He was announcing that the rich would give to the poor. Jesus often advocated for the poor and encouraged us to do likewise. Read also Matt. 25.31-46.

You're absolutely right. It's a powerful indictment of US culture and abusive capitalism. (Capitalism by nature is not immoral or corrupt; only when it is used that way by greedy, power-hungry people who use it to oppress others.)

I know it's not to be taken literally because Jesus encountered many rich people, but didn't tell them to sell anything, let alone everything they have. It's a one-shot teaching for this particular guy. But it's also true that the voluntary abandonment of property or assets to help anyone who is less fortunate is a moral and godly behavior. The principles of generosity and giving are very important ones (see 2 Cor. 8—the whole chapter). But 2 Cor. 8.13-14 says, The point is not that you give away so much to others that you become a dependent pauper yourself, but that there be equality.

The Bible doesn't say that rich people deserve to keep their money. Just read James 5.1-6 for a harsh condemnation of rich hoarders and abusive employers. Neither does the Bible say that a rich person has to give it all away (except to this one guy). Instead a person should use the money they have to provide for their families, serve others, feed the poor, and bring about justice and peace on the earth.