The Doctrine of Nonaccumulation

Most Christians know the story of the rich young ruler very well. Yet, if you asked them what this man’s problem was, most of them would give approximately the same answer. They would shake their heads sadly and reply that this man simply loved his earthly possessions too much. Although it is certainly true that this man loved his riches too much, he also made another very obvious mistake that most people miss. This mistake in many ways was an even greater mistake than that of valuing earthly possessions too much. It was the mistake of valuing treasures in Heaven too little. You see, Jesus had not said “go throw your money into the sea” just so he could be rid of it. Rather, He told him to give it to the poor. And what would be the result of this action? He would receive, Jesus said, “treasure in Heaven.” In other words, Jesus was presenting this young man with an investment opportunity: an opportunity to exchange treasures on earth for treasures in Heaven. It was an invitation to put his money into an investment that would never be affected by moths, rust, or thieves. This investment would never go down in value. This investment would earn an outstanding rate of return (a hundredfold). This investment, unlike normal investments, would not even be taken from him at his date of death. Instead, he would be able to enjoy it for all eternity. In the world wherein he lived, this young man obviously was a financial genius. His friends probably said that everything he touched turned to gold. In reality, though, his success had not come about by mere chance. It happened, rather, because he had trained himself to recognize a good investment when he saw one. This young man had become an expert at buying low and selling high. He knew how to spot a bargain that no one else would recognize. He also had learned to know the right time to cut his losses and get out of an investment. Diligent research, consistent self-discipline, and natural ability had given him a position among the financial elite of his time. To a man so obviously skilled at recognizing value when he saw it, this offer from Jesus should have jumped out as the deal of a lifetime. “What an opportunity!” he should have thought. “I can trade assets that will last several decades (at the most) for assets that will last forever!” Yet no matter how brilliant he was at picking stocks, playing the futures markets, or snatching up real estate bargains, this man somehow missed seeing the investment opportunity of the century. By simply giving to the poor (in the name of Jesus), he could have gotten in on a deal that would have totally eclipsed the IPOs of Microsoft, Wal-Mart, or General Electric. His net worth would have instantly leapfrogged that of John Rockefeller, Bill Gates, and King Solomon all put together. Despite his genius in making investment decisions, he somehow overlooked the incredible worth of this deal he was being offered, and he chose to pass it up. Or, as we would say today, he “blew it big time.” Will you and I blow it?