John Piper says our affluence causes temptation?
Church of Saint-Eutrope in Clermont-Ferrand, stained glasses (Puy-de-Dôme, France Translations in other languages are welcome. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Author John Piper. Our affluent culture looks for ease in everything. Comfort is prized more than anything else. In his book, The Challenge of Affluence, Professor Avner Offer makes the observation that moral prudence is required in order to build up affluence and wealth. However, affluence gives rise to temptation. Temptation, if not morally recognized and resisted, gives rise to indulgence . Indulgence eats up wealth. Hence, the “rewards of affluence produce the disorders of affluence.” ( Finish the Mission , 79) The rewards of affluence produce the disorders of affluence. Isn’t that the lesson of Jesus ’s parable of the rich fool who built bigger barns (Luke 12:13–21)? The disorders of affluence can be very, very serious. Which means we live in a dangerous place. It isn’t that affluence is evil. It is the way our sinfu