Sunday, May 17, 2009

Luke 16 -- Money

A topic on many minds right now is money. The number of conversations which start, "Well, in these tough economic times..." is staggering. We watch the stock market, out bank accounts and countless other indicators of the health of the economy. I will be the first to agree the change in our economic climate has created a challenge for a good many people. The impact has truly been of global proportions. Yet I wonder God is using this to teach us something about money.

In Luke 16 we find two accounts which deal directly with money. Jesus was found speaking about money often, and most of the people who had money didn't like what he had to say. As people, in particular those of us in the United States, get caught up in the money issue a lot. Whether we realize or like it many measure their worth from their financial security. I find it interesting that nowhere in the Scriptures is financial security a promise. The overwhelming majority of persons in America are rich compared to the rest of the world. That is not to say there are no poor people in America, only that there are some who think they are poor when they are not.

This love affair we have with money is not good for our relationship with money. The money itself is not the problem, it is the love affair we have with it that is the problem. I do think there are people who God calls to build up great wealth financially, not for their own consumption, rather for the funding of God's mission. Yet, money often replaces God as our top concern. Plain and simple, we cannot love God fully if we love money.

As we have seen money will come and go. Investments will tank, jobs will go away. Gas prices will rise and we will have to start doing without. Yet the Holy Scriptures remain. God is still there with full power, love, mercy and grace. Perhaps the lesson for us is to invest in the life of God, not the almighty dollar.

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