Of Goldilocks And Sacrifice

If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (I Timothy 6:3-10) 

          False doctrine often comes in the form of a Goldilocks utopia in which everything would be “just right” if… and then the teacher introduces some combination of law, license, power, and wealth. If we will only follow that teacher (who knows better than what Scripture teaches) everything will be glorious. All too often, we join in that conceit. Like our teacher who knows better, we know better….
          In today’s passage, Paul seems to be focusing on a Goldilocks story that involves wealth. Paul sounds like he’s sampled out entertainment. It’s amusing, because people rail about how wicked the wealthy are, and then demand that we give more money to the poor. Why would we want to make them evil? “Oh no,” we’re told, “we just want everyone to have the same amount. That’s why the poor must revolt against _____________ using violence if necessary to take what they rightfully deserve.” And how does this prevent those who gain money in this way from becoming as wicked as those who had the money to begin with? “They don’t really own the money, the government does.” Wouldn’t that make the government wicked?
        “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” Money isn’t the problem. The love of it is the problem. That means it doesn’t matter whether you and money have a long-distance relationship or live together in wedded bliss. What matters is your lust for it.

          The problem is that money is like food. It’s really difficult to live without for long. We’d probably all be healthier if we had less of both, but, well, most of us are all too willing to save a friend from eating that last piece of pizza by eating it ourselves. It’s such a sacrifice, but we do it for love…of pizza.
         Paul’s solution is to turn our greedy, conceited little eyes on new prizes: godliness and contentment. What would change in your life if you pursued peace as much as you do money? If you worked as hard to accumulate love as you do to get a 72-inch TV? If you scrimped so that you could bring some new joy into your life as you scrimp to buy that new car? What if the solution to poverty in our land is love, not another welfare program? What if, instead of “more” we learned to say, “No, thanks, that’s enough”? 
         Years ago, the book Generations told us that the younger half of our adult life cycle was focused on accumulation. As people get older, they supposedly down-size. It also told us that as the Baby Boomers got older, they were going to need to sacrifice their accumulations in order to help the Millennials. Of course, that help for the Millennials happens to be at a time in their lives when they are focused on accumulation. The sad thing is that the Baby Boomers haven’t learned contentment, and they aren’t passing on to the Millennials its wisdom. Contentment for both is a distant or troubled relationship filled with jealousy and strife. “It’s not fair” that the Millennials can’t somehow go earn their wealth like the Baby Boomers did…(not.) “It’s not fair” that the Baby Boomers won’t sacrifice for the Millennials like the Greatest Generation did…(not.) “It’s not fair” that their happiness depends on my sacrifice, or that my happiness depends on someone else’s. Oh, but wait… isn’t that exactly what Jesus taught?