The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil.

1 Timothy 6 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. ² Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.

³ If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, ⁴ he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. ⁶ But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. ⁷ For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. ⁸ If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. ⁹ But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

¹¹ But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, ¹⁹ storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

²⁰ O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— ²¹ which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith.  Grace be with you.

Paul makes one of the most misquoted statements in scripture in this portion of his letter to Timothy. He says:  For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. It is not money, wealth that is evil and money is not the root of “all” evil. It is the love of money which is the root of all sorts of evil. A person with very little wealth or financial resource, a person who does not possess money can still be troubled by the love of money. For the one who does not have money but still loves it, the door to the sins of lust, envy, jealousy and even greed are opened by the love of money.  

While the Bible and Jesus do advocate that those who have should help to provide for those who do not have, neither the Bible nor Jesus, establishes an entitlement structure or mindset. You won’t often see those of liberal or progressive political leanings acknowledge this scripture from 2 Thessalonians 3:  For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. ¹¹ For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. ¹² Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.

Class structure is neither something new to our present society nor is it something that will ever be legislated out of existence. Jesus Himself says: "For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.” (Matthew 26:11) This goes along with what He says in Matthew 6:    Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

The truth is there are some very destitute, needy people in the world today. Those who have excess should do what they can to help those in need. That is both a Biblical reality and just the right thing to do. We must also though acknowledge that culture and society tends to define what is needed very differently today than it did even just 300 years ago. Even many who are considered poor in western culture and society live well beyond the level of comfort and convenience of even the wealthiest of people just 300 years ago. There truly is a great deal of difference between what we need and what we want. Everyone has a right to have what they need. Not everyone will get all that they want.

The key is to come to the place that Paul came to. In Philippians 4:11-12, he says: I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. ¹² I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. The psalmist, who was himself a man of great wealth says: Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

There will always be rich and poor, those who have an abundance and those who lack. Anyone who believes the lie of a man made utopia where everything is equal and evenly distributed is truly a fool. There is always a group of people, the 1%, even in communism or socialism. Some things cannot be changed. No amount of legislation can change the fact that there will be rich and poor. Still it is the love of money that is the root of all sorts of evil. It is a heart problem. Laws and legislation cannot change the hearts of men. Only Jesus can truly change a heart.  

Paul says: “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.” These are qualities of a heart touched by God. No law can bring these things about. Galatians 5:22-23 says: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Thank You Heavenly Father, that You are faithful to supply al that we need. Help me to live as Paul did, to be content in whatever circumstance I am. Help me that, like the psalmist,  I would delight in You Lord and seek Your kingdom and Your righteousness. I pray that your people, your church would rise up and be all that You have called them to be. Only in Your economy God, not in the economy of any man made society, can everyone be blessed.  Change the hearts of men that whether they have much or little they would walk in the fruit of a Spirit filled life, in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control. Thank You.   Amen.