The Bible has a great deal to say about wealth and the people who own it. This parable of Jesus for example: The usual interpretation speaks of it as a teaching concerning the folly of a life devoted to the accumulation of wealth. It is ridiculous to seek security through riches. The foolishness becomes obvious, so the interpretation goes, when suddenly one night the man dies and must stand before God. Then he sees with tragic clarity the utter folly of it all. It was stupid, if not sinful, to amass riches. Better, therefore, to be spiritually rich and economically poor.

The trouble with this traditional interpretation of the text is that it does not square with our experience. Many of us enjoy working. Some of us find great satisfaction and pleasure in the challenges and rewards of work. W…