What is your attitude towards Bible teachers making money?
It’s an interesting question, and one that often sparks a lot of debate amongst Christians. Some insist that people who make their living from the Bible should not have nice cars and/or other nice things. Since Jesus lived simply, and our riches should be in Heaven, they should not amass physical wealth in contrast to what their peers possess.
I get their point, but I also think it’s a little misguided. After all, the teaching in Scripture is that the “love” of money is the root of all evil, not money itself (1 Timothy 6:10). And anyone can have that love—rich and poor, minister and regular joe alike.
That very well might have been the attitude that Jews had towards the priests. At the end of Leviticus 7, God outlines the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution as being strictly for the priests. That is their “due forever” from the sons of Israel (Leviticus 7:34).
These two elements were some of the most prized parts of any animal. They were filled with meat, and meat in any environment is seen as a luxury. It must’ve been somewhat difficult at times to give those portions to God, only to see the priests chomping down on it minutes later. After all, an hour ago it was your animal.
But it’s worth pointing out that aside from what was given to the priests, many of these people had no other form of income. They had no land inheritance, only cities. Their priestly office was what they handed to later generations, not acres and titles and storehouses of wealth.
Obviously, this type of system could be rife for abuse, as Eli’s sons show us in 1 Samuel 2:12-17. Undoubtedly then, just as there are now, several “people of God” are only interested in “spreading the Gospel” so far as it lines their pockets and serves their own interests.
But I like to think that the vast majority of people who devote their lives to the Gospel do so from an honest heart. Personally, I try to always remember that my own paycheck comes from the very pockets of the people I worship with. Many that are reading this blog right now have supported me in other ways, as well.
I want you to know that things like that don’t escape my notice. I see them and I am thankful for them every single day. Just as I would assume (and hope) that most people who live by the Gospel appreciate the blessings in their life in the same way.
Was the thigh and breast meat a delicious meal for the priests? Of course. But I would argue that the real blessing from those people wasn’t in the taste of the meat, but in seeing the heart of the person who gave it to them. To the right soul, that devotion and compassion means more than just about anything else.
