What does Jesus say about lending money?
Deuteronomy 15:8 says, “You shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.” Turning to the New Testament, in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:42, Jesus says, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Philippians 4:19: And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Proverbs 10:22: The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. 2 Corinthians 9:8: And God will generously provide all you need.
“Never a borrower or lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend.” In other words, you risk losing your money and your friendship if the loan isn't paid back.
“The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously.” - Psalm 37:21. As Christians, we know that paying our debts is important.
Lend to those in need.
In Matthew 5:42, Jesus says, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Biblical prohibitions on usury were later redefined as prohibitions on lending at excessive interest rates. Today, charging interest on loans is an everyday part of life. Modern Christian leaders condemn excessive interest rates, but not the lending of money itself.
The Old Testament "condemns the practice of charging interest on a poor person because a loan should be an act of compassion and taking care of one's neighbor"; it teaches that "making a profit off a loan from a poor person is exploiting that person (Exodus 22:25–27)." Similarly, charging of interest (Hebrew: נֶֽשֶׁךְ, ...
Paul writes in Romans 13:8 that we are to owe no man anything except love. If you have any doubts about it, we can assure you that borrowing and lending between family members will almost certainly get in the way of love at some point or other.
Jesus is speaking to the negative aspects of riches in the Parable of the Sower when he warns that we can be “choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures.” (Luke 8:14).
Lending money can damage relationships with your friend and family, especially if they might have trouble paying it back. This emotional damage can often feel worse than losing the money.
How do you say no to lending money?
- Be clear about your 'no' e.g. “I'm sorry, my friend, but I can't lend you money.” You don't have to offer an excuse.
- Express your gratitude, e.g. “That you've asked for help with money does means a lot to me.”
“NEITHER a borrower, nor a lender be; for loan oft loses both itself and friend.” So wrote the English playwright William Shakespeare, reiterating wisdom as old as the ages. Certainly, few elements of human relations are as potentially explosive as borrowing or lending money.
The Bible teaches that when money is borrowed there should also be a secure repayment plan. Psalm 37:21 says, “The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives.” This text is clear. It does not say the person who borrows is wicked, but rather the one who borrows and does not pay back.
Deuteronomy 24:15 New Living Translation (NLT)
You must pay them their wages each day before sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. If you don't, they might cry out to the LORD against you, and it would be counted against you as sin.
Prayer for financial breakthrough:
"Dear God, I pray for a breakthrough in my financial situation. Please open doors and create opportunities for me to increase my income and achieve financial freedom."
Deuteronomy 23:19 American Standard Version (ASV)
Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother; interest of money, interest of victuals, interest of anything that is lent upon interest.
Deuteronomy 15:6 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
For the LORD your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.
According to God's Word, there are four fundamental purposes for money: to provide for basic needs, to confirm direction, to give to those in need, and to illustrate God's power and care in provision.
You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit (Leviticus 25:35-37). According to the Bible, charging interest in business deals and to those outside your immediate circle of friends is approved by God.
The belief that observant Muslims should not borrow or lend money with interest may appear to set Islam apart from the rest of the world, but all three major monotheistic religious traditions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — historically had rules against using money to make more money.
What does the Bible say about banking?
ESV Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. NIV Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
It's not a sin to borrow money. But the mindset that values hard work seeks as often as possible not to take out debt. This is what the Scriptures about work let us know. “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution."
You ask a good question. Let's look carefully at what Jesus is saying in Matthew 5:42. Jesus is speaking about a request for either a gift ("the one who begs") or a loan ("the one who borrows"). In either case, without discriminating, Jesus says that we should give and not refuse the one asking of us.
ESV For the LORD your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.
Summary: Borrowing and lending are both approved practices in the Bible as long as interest rates are reasonable, no interest is imposed upon the poor and the money is paid back in a responsible and timely fashion. If someone cannot fulfill these principles, it would be sinful to borrow.
