Jesus' Compassion for the Rich and Powerful

Taking a closer look at a different kind of potential "poverty" and how Jesus cares deeply for those most affected by it

When our family moved to Nashville from an 850 square-foot New York City apartment, we had hoped for more living space…but not too much more. We had grown accustomed to smaller quarters, which drew us together and helped us live more simply.

So we asked our realtor to find us a modest house that was less than a five mile commute to work and the kids’ school. “Anything around 2,000 square feet will be plenty,” we told him. But the smallest house he could find—the house where we still live—is nearly twice that size.

Moving day would be the first glimpse that our daughters would have of our new home. When we arrived, one daughter asked conscientiously if we thought our new home might be a bit much.

“It seems to big,” she said. As in, enough room to fit four families comfortably too big. Why so much space? This way of living feels wrong.

We didn’t say it out loud, but in some ways Patti and I felt the same.

There were two ironies that emerged from this moment. The first is that our 3,650 square foot house ended up costing us about half in mortgage what our 850-square-foot New York apartment had cost us in rent.

Secondly, within only a few weeks our big house was starting to feel small relative to other homes we had driven past or visited.

Our former New York and current Nashville communities have an unusual number of high capacity, high net worth, high profile people in the mix. This has forced us to wrestle with questions surrounding things like wealth and fame. What does Jesus think about those with money and celebrity? Is there a place for them at his Table? In his circle of friends? Are others in our community—especially those living bankrupt or paycheck-to-paycheck—more pleasing to God because they have less? Is Jesus’ command to the rich ruler to “sell all you have and give it to the poor” meant for all of Jesus’ followers, or just for him?

The Opulence…of Jesus?

Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with a pound of expensive ointment. The house was filled with its fragrance as Judas asked aloud, “Why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?” (Jn 12:1-8)

Despite Judas' protest, Jesus received the gift—a full year’s wages worth of perfume—as he lounged comfortably at the table. This was the same Jesus who was born in a stall, died on a garbage heap, and had no place to lay his head, yes? Indeed, it was.

What’s more, Jesus in his infinite and sometimes perplexing wisdom, has appointed some of his children to live poor and others to live rich.

Job, the most God-like man on earth, was also the wealthiest on earth.

Abraham prospered with land and cattle.

Solomon asked God for wisdom and got wisdom and great wealth.

Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, both influential and moneyed men, secured a burial site for Jesus.

Not once does Scripture condemn these and others for being rich. In fact, Scripture seems to say that “living large” will be a feature of God’s world untarnished by sin and corruption.

History started in an extravagant paradise and will end in an extravagant city with many mansions, precious gems everywhere, and streets paved with gold.

Yet, the following is also true:

“Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” (1 Tim 6:8-10)

“No one can serve two masters…you cannot serve God and money.” (Mk 10:21)

Jesus told the rich young ruler, who was enamored with his wealth, that he would not be able to enter life until he sold everything and gave it to the poor.

Why would Jesus tell the rich ruler give everything to the poor but not demand the same of Abraham or Job? It was because the rich ruler didn’t really have money. Instead, money had him. The man who thought he couldn’t live without his money, in truth, would not be able to live with it.

Scripture never says that having wealth is wrong, but craving and serving wealth is the problem.

It never says that money is a root of all kinds of evil, but that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

Compassion for the Rich?

The rich ruler chose power and money over Jesus. The thought of losing his upscale identity felt like too much for him to bear. But as this lost man ran into the arms of wealth, Jesus looked at him and loved him. (Mk 10:21)

How could Jesus love a man who rejected him for such a small thing as money? A man who served his reputation and power and “net worth” above all else?

Jesus was able to see beneath the greed to the fears and insecurities that drove the greed. But can we, too, look at the rich ruler and love him? Can we look at Zacchaeus, the rich, devious, unjust, powerful, crooked, and friendless tax collector and say, “We’re coming to your house today” or “We want to eat with you, to be your friend, to welcome you into our circle?”

Why are anxiety and depression most prevalent among the rich? As Thoreau has said:

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”

This is the tragic biographical summary of many of the world’s rich, who, in the poverty of their riches, have been plunged into ruin. As Bay Area psychiatrist Madeleine Levine says in her book, The Price of Privilege:

“America’s at-risk group is preteens and teens from affluent, well-educated families. In spite of their economic and social advantages, ‘children of affluence’ experience among the highest rates of depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, somatic complaints, and unhappiness of any group of children…twenty-two percent of adolescent girls from financially comfortable families suffer from clinical depression. This is three times the national rate of depression for adolescent girls.”

Things are not always as they seem.

Jesus looks at those who are most vulnerable to the potential trappings of wealth, power, and prestige and loves them.

Can we?

Will we?