Money. It's a subject that we avoid. We are uncomfortable talking about it. We don't want to offend, and so we skirt the subject. We think that it's impolite to talk about how much money we make or what we pay for things. Like politics and sex, money is a topic that we avoid.
Even Christians have trouble talking about money. A few months ago, the cover of the Christian Century looked like this: (money-green cover); and the main article title reads: The Last Christian Taboo-Can we talk about money? Interesting.
It is especially interesting that Christians don't like to talk about money when Jesus spoke about it all of the time! Jesus talked money a lot. In fact, as others have told you I'm sure, Jesus talked about money more than any other subject. What we have heard today are just a few of the instances where Jesus talks money.
In the next few weeks, we will be talking money. Specifically, we will look at what Jesus says about money. Next week we will focus in on who does it belong to or where does it come from. In two weeks we will look at what we are supposed to do with money. And today we will begin by looking at what Jesus says to see if there is any one message in all that we have heard so far.
We begin with Luke 16:10-15, where Jesus says that no one can serve two masters. He says that if you try to serve two masters you will love one more than the other, that you cannot serve two with equality. When I read this, I ask myself, "What does it mean to serve? What is Jesus talking about here?" I think that what Jesus means is that when we serve someone or something we live for it. It is our main motivation in life.
If that is true, perhaps we need to ask ourselves some questions. Does our master control us, or do we control our master? Do we choose which master is more important? And, do we make our own decisions, or does our master make our decisions for us? Jesus would have us think about those questions in terms of money.
In Mark 4:14-20, we hear the explanation portion of the Parable of the Sower. In this explanation, Jesus says that the lure of wealth chokes the Word of God. We hear the Word, but bear no fruit and yield nothing because the lure itself is stronger than our love for God. Just the lure of wealth, the thought of it, is enough to keep us from God's Word. Jesus is telling us here that dealing with money is a big temptation, that dealing with money is serious business.
We hear about the rich man who wants to serve God in Matthew 19:16-26. This man truly loves God. He strives to live a life that is pleasing to God. He is obedient to all of the commandments. How many of us could say the same? And, he comes to Jesus, knowing there is more, seeking the truth.
But, when told to sell his possessions he cannot. Instead, the man goes away from Jesus grieving, because, the text says, he has many possessions. He cannot part with his things. This story reaffirms what Jesus has told us before. It shows us what a temptation this truly is, the hold that our possessions have on us. The young man grieves, aware of his dependence on money and not on God.
I think that it is interesting to note that in Mark's version of this story, it tells of Jesus' compassion for the man. It says that Jesus "loved him", the Greek literally saying that his insides or his guts moved. He was moved with compassion for this man who could not leave his wealth. Jesus' feeling acknowledges again what a struggle it is for humanity to live with money.
In Mark 11:15-17 we hear the familiar Temple scene, where Jesus chases the money changers out, overturning their tables and speaking in a loud and forceful voice. Jesus is reacting strongly here. This is important, a serious matter to Jesus. The Temple is God's house, the place where God lives in Jewish tradition, and it is being treated disrespectfully, sacrilegiously if you will, all because of those who would serve money.
Jesus reacts violently not only because these people serve money, but because they disguise it by hiding behind the name of God. They appear on the outside to be facilitating worship. The Greeks would call them hypocrites or actors who say outwardly, "Look how we are helping God's people give honor and glory to God," but in reality are letting money rule their actions. Profit is their motivation. Jesus cannot tolerate such blatant blasphemy.
Jesus warns us over and over about the dangers of loving money more than God. Jesus never says that money itself is bad, just serving or loving money. Why is it bad? What is the harm?
Jesus tries to point out to us over and over that loving money keeps us from God. It separates us from our Creator. It keeps us from making God our focus, our main motivating force in life. Loving money distracts us from embracing who we are, human beings created in God's image, striving as Paul says to be "imitators of Christ" in mind and in spirit, all because we are thinking about money more than we are thinking about God.
Sound familiar? Every single day we deal with money. We are a consumer society. Money is everywhere that we turn. And, if we don't think about money, there are some pretty tangible results. We must pay our bills, support ourselves, not live beyond our means. Otherwise there are some real consequences.
We want financial security. It affects the stability of our relationships and the peacefulness of our lives. We trust what money can do for us. We trust it so much, in fact, that we think that we need it. Really need it.
I wonder what would happen if we spent as much time building our spiritual health as we do our financial? What about our spiritual security? How would our lives be affected if we realized our need, our real need, for God?
Now, I suppose some of you are wondering about that last scripture passage. I haven't forgotten it. I have just saved it for last. In Luke 9:1-5, Jesus is sending the disciples out to do ministry. He tells them not to take anything with them. No food, no extra clothing, no supplies, no money. Nothing. Jesus is saying to them that this is a matter of trust, that when God is the focus of your life and you are doing God's work, trust that God will provide-food, clothing, even money. Trust that God will provide what it takes to make your life secure and peaceful, to fulfill your calling as a human being created in God's image.
Sounds almost impossible, doesn't it? Being sent out with nothing to do God's work. From Jesus and all of this money talk, we get the message that for mortals it is hard to resist temptation. It is hard to spend more time thinking about God than about money. It is hard to put God ahead of that everyday presence in our lives, that money that we can see and touch and smell, that we need for our day to day living. It is hard not to give this very real temptation the place of master for our lives, letting it rule our decisions and rearrange all of our priorities.
Jesus says that this matter of money is all about trust. He challenges us to believe that those things that are impossible for mere humans are possible fore God. He asks us if believe that God can overcome our failings and love us still, even when we are so tempted and controlled by something of this earth, even when we place that thing above God.
God will provide, for our physical needs and our spiritual health. Our faithful God will love us in spite of our temptations, in spite of our love for money. May we learn to love God above all else and believe that for God all things are possible-even overcoming our love for money. Amen.
Peace,
Rev. Cynthia Bacon
Minister
You may email at:
cbacon@heritagemadison.org
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This page was last updated on July 13, 2003.