Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. You will either hate one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other” (Luke 16:13). It sounds like Jesus is drawing a line in the sand. We expect our choices for master to be God and Satan. We can love God and worship him or we can be devoted to Satan, but we must choose one. The two are obviously incompatible. It is a reasonable choice to be asked to make. After all, you can’t play for both teams! We understand that choice. In fact we often live our lives and make decisions as if this was the choice Jesus set before us. Each day I wake up and decide to serve God and spit in the devil’s eye. Easy choice. I’m on God’s team!
However, there is a problem with our assumption. Jesus did not say our choice for master is between God and Satan, he said, “You will either serve God or MONEY!”
Now wait just a minute. That is a little more complicated. You see, when I got up this morning – after spitting in the devil’s eye – I got ready for work, earned a fair wage, paid my bills, did a little shopping for some necessities, ate my dinner, enjoyed a little entertainment and went to bed. Tomorrow I’ll do much the same. Whom was I serving? Was that about God or the money I earned? Was I really serving God or a way of life I have chosen and become comfortable living? The choice suddenly seems much more complicated.
Jesus understands that his primary competition for the human heart is not Satan, but the love of money, the stuff it buys, and the false sense of security it brings. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” Fifteen percent of Jesus’ recorded teachings were about money and possessions. That is double what he said about heaven and hell combined! Jesus’ understanding of the threat money and possessions present to his claim on the human heart are obvious by how much he talked about it. Why did Jesus talk about money so much? Not because he needed it, but because he knows the threat it presents to those he loves. We are always tempted to place our trust in our money. Wall Street and our 401K are what secure our future when we trust money. Jesus knows this is short-term thinking and a trap for those who would misplace their trust. He promises something more secure than Wall Street. What he offers yields a return that extends throughout eternity.
“In God We Trust” has been printed on United States currency since the Civil War. More than an expression of Judeo-Christian heritage, this statement is a reminder to every person who touches United States currency that the money we hold should not hold us. Join us for a three-week series exploring what Jesus had to say about money and faith beginning Sunday, April 7, at 9:30 and 11.
However, there is a problem with our assumption. Jesus did not say our choice for master is between God and Satan, he said, “You will either serve God or MONEY!”
Now wait just a minute. That is a little more complicated. You see, when I got up this morning – after spitting in the devil’s eye – I got ready for work, earned a fair wage, paid my bills, did a little shopping for some necessities, ate my dinner, enjoyed a little entertainment and went to bed. Tomorrow I’ll do much the same. Whom was I serving? Was that about God or the money I earned? Was I really serving God or a way of life I have chosen and become comfortable living? The choice suddenly seems much more complicated.
Jesus understands that his primary competition for the human heart is not Satan, but the love of money, the stuff it buys, and the false sense of security it brings. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” Fifteen percent of Jesus’ recorded teachings were about money and possessions. That is double what he said about heaven and hell combined! Jesus’ understanding of the threat money and possessions present to his claim on the human heart are obvious by how much he talked about it. Why did Jesus talk about money so much? Not because he needed it, but because he knows the threat it presents to those he loves. We are always tempted to place our trust in our money. Wall Street and our 401K are what secure our future when we trust money. Jesus knows this is short-term thinking and a trap for those who would misplace their trust. He promises something more secure than Wall Street. What he offers yields a return that extends throughout eternity.
“In God We Trust” has been printed on United States currency since the Civil War. More than an expression of Judeo-Christian heritage, this statement is a reminder to every person who touches United States currency that the money we hold should not hold us. Join us for a three-week series exploring what Jesus had to say about money and faith beginning Sunday, April 7, at 9:30 and 11.
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