Budgets and Billionaires: What does the Bible say?

In this second instalment of our 'Trending' series, Stu Gibbs tackled a question many of us avoid: what does the Bible actually say about wealth inequality and justice?

The setup is stark. Elon Musk's wealth stands at $467.9 billion whilst the UK carries a national debt of £2.9 trillion and 4 million people live in destitution. These numbers are so massive they're almost meaningless. You can feel strangely cold about millions in desperate need, or completely hopeless about changing anything. But the Bible isn't cold, silent, or hopeless about these things.

Stu explored three aspects of Old Testament law.

First, the story of the Exodus. God rescued Israel from slavery and that became woven into their identity. They understood that God cares about the oppressed, so they should show kindness to the vulnerable and foreigners.

Second, the lessons of the wilderness. God provided manna daily, teaching them to trust Him for provision rather than hoarding. They could only gather enough for one day. Any more went rotten. It was a lesson in dependence and trust.

Third, the wisdom of God's law. The laws about gleaning left food in fields for the poor to gather with dignity. The Sabbath year cancelled debts every seven years. The Year of Jubilee reset land ownership every fifty years, preventing generational poverty and the accumulation of power. These ideas are too radical for modern politics because they only work when foundational truths are held: God owns everything, and we should be generous because that's how God has treated us.

The vision was that Israel would demonstrate God's wisdom to surrounding nations. Similarly, the world should look at the church and see incredible justice and generosity lived out. After Pentecost, the early church actually lived this way. No one claimed their possessions as their own. There wasn't a needy person among them. The Year of Jubilee, probably never celebrated by Israel, became reality when the Holy Spirit wrote the law on believers' hearts.

Grab the full sermon here:

Q&A: Budgets and Billionaires

On where to give

Stu suggested three biblical priorities: the local church to support ministry and invest corporately in God's calling, mission beyond the local church as the apostles encouraged, and meeting the needs of the poor and needy, which the Bible speaks about most. He doesn't think the Bible gives exact proportions but encourages giving generously both locally and internationally.

On who counts as "the poor and needy," Stu pointed to Jesus's parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus told that story to explode narrow definitions of neighbour. We're responsible to meet needs across racial boundaries, even for people who don't like us. We should always stretch further than we're naturally comfortable with, though wisdom matters about whether financial help is actually what someone needs.

On factoring in sin and wisdom

Stu acknowledged we live in a sinful world. Sometimes giving money isn't helpful if someone's trapped in sinful habits. Even international aid has been rethought in recent years because simply giving money can reinforce unhelpful stereotypes about wealth and poverty. Better to empower people to solve their own problems. Wisdom is crucial, but it shouldn't override compassion.

A closing challenge:

Stu closed with a challenge: don't let the radical implications get lost because you don't know exactly how to respond. This isn't just a theoretical exercise. We want to grow into living like Jesus, who though He was rich, became poor so we through His poverty might become rich.