Usury : $b a scriptural, ethical and economic viewElliott, Calvin
Religion
Usury : $b a scriptural, ethical and economic view
Elliott, Calvin
Usury
Where grace is to be cultivated and flourish, the "greed of gain" must
not enter. The young man who came to him, whom he loved for his sweet
disposition and excellent character, he turned away by the answer that
his wealth was incompatible with his salvation. He must part from his
riches. When the disciples were surprised, he made it more emphatic,
Matt. 19:24: "And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom
of God." And when they felt that this made salvation impossible, he
declared it could only be possible by the exercise of omnipotent,
divine grace.
Zaccheus, the one rich man whose conversion is recorded, surrendered
his ill-gotten gain fourfold and gave away half of the remainder
before salvation came to his house. The temptation to trust and lean
upon riches is irresistible.
Our Lord did not make wealth more dangerous than under the Mosaic
dispensation by removing the restraint that was there put upon it. As
a friend to the poor he did not give wealth an advantage it did not
have before.
5. The whole drift of his teachings limited and restrained
accumulation of wealth. The parable of the rich fool is a forcible
presentation of its human folly on the earthly side.
"Whose shall these things be?"
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: For where
your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
The result is irresistible; when engaged in storing earthly treasure,
the heart will be earthly; or if laying up treasures in heaven, the
heart will reach heavenward. He who labors for a heavenly reward, will
be heavenly minded.
Treasures are stored for eternity, when used for the bringing out of
that which shall survive the grave; for the bringing out the highest
divine type of manhood and womanhood, in ourselves, in our children,
and in all the children of men.
Treasures expended in the development of immortals shall be found when
the earthly and temporal scenes have passed away. That which is
expended in the uplifting of the race shall be our eternal reward.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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