Should a man wish to adorn himself with the ornaments of the earth, to wear its apparels, or partake of the benefits it can bestow, no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God …
—Bahá’u’lláh
Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter the kingdom of heaven. And again, I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
—Jesus
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
—Jesus
One is the path that leads to material wealth, The other is the path that leads to Nirvana!
—Gautama Buddha
To be rich and gather wealth beyond one’s needs was never popular in the scriptures of the old religions. It is a general theme in the Writings of the past religions that wealth leads man to evil and Satan. Prior to the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, every messenger of God admonished the people of the world not to amass wealth and warned them that money would prevent them from entering the kingdom of God.
Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter the kingdom of heaven. And again, I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
—Jesus
In the previous issues of The Roaring Fountain, it was concluded that Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation has ushered in a new age in evolution of the world of humanity. The distribution of wealth has helped foster a more mature relationship between God and the human being. By taking the wealth from the kings of the earth and giving it to the inhabitants of the world, God has created an environment where everyone can practice generosity, which is one of His virtues.
To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.
—Bahá’u’lláh
Starting in the 1800s when Bahá’u’lláh seized power from the kings and ecclesiastics of the world and distributed it to the people, mankind’s adolescence began. Entrusting the entire wealth of the world to all human beings is perhaps one of God’s most telling signs of humanity’s coming age of maturity. Parents do not permit an immature child to control their house and all its furnishings. But for the first time in the history of all religions, God turned the house over; wealth began to touch the hands of everyone, not just the elite. And God revealed written authenticated scriptures encouraging man to adorn himself with the ornaments of the earth, if so desired.
This revolutionary statement must shock every pious one who has lived a life of detachment from this world, has shaved his head and worn a white cloth to go on pilgrimage, or has fasted for years in monasteries to eliminate worldly desires.
Should a man wish to adorn himself with the ornaments of the earth, to wear its apparels, or partake of the benefits it can bestow, no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God, for God hath ordained every good thing, whether created in the heavens or in the earth, for such of His servants as truly believe in Him. Eat ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves from His wondrous bounties. Render thanks and praise unto Him, and be of them that are truly thankful.
—Bahá’u’lláh
Bahá’u’lláh’s teaching is clear, that this world and all that is therein are created for man; he is entitled to own every good thing he can earn and enjoy all the legitimate pleasures that life offers, as long as he "alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God." Bahá’u’lláh encourages man to take interest in life, work hard, labor for the betterment of the world, and become a co-worker in the Cause of God to build a New World Order for mankind.
When a human soul accepts Bahá’u’lláh as the Manifestation of God for this age and enters into the divine Covenant, that soul should progressively bring his or her whole life into harmony with the divine purpose—he becomes a co-worker in the Cause of God and receives the bounty of being permitted to devote his material possessions, no matter how meager, to the work of the Faith.
—The Universal House of Justice
The Journey Continues…
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