A Lesson from Two Rich Men

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is undoubtedly the most iconic Christmas
story; aside from the literal birth of Jesus, of course. It’s a story very much influenced by its
time period. Dickens wrote it in the London of the mid-1800s, with all of its social inequality
and child labor firmly intact. The infamous protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge, is a metaphor for
the greed of Victorian society. He’s a shrewd money-lender who cares very little about the
other people in his life. He exploits his employee Bob Cratchit, paying him a little over $1 a
week, and suggests that the needy be sent to the prisons or workhouses rather than given
charity. His sole friend, the late Jacob Marley, shared his greed and general lack of empathy, which ultimately lands him in a state of purgatory. On Christmas Eve, the ghost of Marley returns to warn his old friend that if he doesn’t change his ways he too will be doomed to wander the earth with the chains he forged in life.

As the night goes on, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past,
the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future. Each spectre teaches
Scrooge some lesson that dramatically shifts his perspective and, on Christmas morning, he
wakes and spends the day as a changed man. He sends the Cratchits a large turkey, donates handsomely to charity, and reconnects with his nephew Fred. “A Christmas Carol” is ultimately about Scrooge’s growth from miserly to munificent (there’s a vocab word for you).

While this classic tale is a product of a uniquely Victorian context, “A Christmas
Carol” shares some significant similarities with Luke 18. In all likelihood Charles Dickens, a
Christian, may have partially based the story on this piece of the New Testament. Luke
18:18-30 features a conversation between Jesus and a ruler. The ruler asks Jesus how he can attain eternal life, to which Jesus responds by saying to follow the commandments. The ruler continues by saying he’s followed them all since he was a boy. Jesus then states in verse 22: “You lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” This saddens the ruler because he is very wealthy and Jesus utters the famous line: “Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

So, that’s that then. The rich have no hope in the hereafter. Of course, I’m being
sarcastic. While riches are a potent metaphor for materialism, Luke 18 is not truly about that
nor is “A Christmas Carol”. Both stories are about letting go of material gain for spiritual
satisfaction. The rich and poor alike have the ability to enter heaven, but Jesus is highlighting a unique struggle that the wealthy ruler has: the inability to forfeit his wealth.

The ruler believes his wealth belongs to him, just as Ebenezer Scrooge does, when in reality it is a temporary luxury during a relatively short time on earth. As we celebrate Advent and Christmas and even New Years this month, take the time to reflect on what you could be positioning above God in your life.

These articles follow our church-wide reading plan. To read with us, click here.