A Biblical Perspective on the Banking Crisis

 

“Are those wild camels?”

Our questions must sound ridiculous to the native tour guides. As we ascended the heights of Mount Nebo in our tour bus, the guide patiently answered.

“There are no wild camels in Jordan. Camels are very valuable. One camel costs 5000 US dollars. They all belong to someone.”

As I glanced back over my shoulder I saw a Bedouin herder. My quick count was at least 30 camels and four times that number of sheep. I did the quick math in my head. That guy might live in a tent, but he is not poor.

As I considered the banking crisis that is now upon the western world, it seemed that the Bedouin herder has his wealth stored more securely than many western businessmen. His wealth grazes on a hillside, increases by fairly large percentages every year through reproduction, drinks from natural water sources, and his dogs can watch over it day and night.

If you haven’t read the news lately, we are in a banking crisis. People are in a panic, not knowing for sure which banks might fold. We hold the majority of our wealth in little ones and zeros in a computer somewhere and it can vanish with the push of a button. With all our modern technology we have made ourselves particularly vulnerable.

It can all vanish in an instant. There is nothing new under the sun. You can be wise and try to protect your assets in safe places—but there is no truly safe place. This is the reality of our modern existence.

The ancients knew this. Wealth is more fragile now than it ever has been. This makes Jesus’ words as applicable to us today as ever.

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Paul says believers must change how they think about money, possessions, and eternity. It is not that we should not be wise, it is just that our priorities differ from the unbelieving world around us.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.