“Money matters”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, November 16, 2024
Luke 16: 10-17 (Forward, p. 18) CEV p. 1083
Certain discussions about money can make people quite nervous or uncomfortable, especially if these discussions touch on its spiritual or ethical connotations. Conversations about increasing your worth or your portfolio or eliminating or minimizing risk are perfectly okay—in fact, they are widely promoted as healthy. But, to talk about the environmental or human rights considerations of our investments or purchases makes people downright edgy. And then, to take it one step further, and raise the issue of how our investments or purchases might impact our spiritual well-being, or eternal destiny, makes many people quite uncomfortable.
This was certainly the case with the group of people known as the Pharisees. They were a rather select group, a kind of close knit, restricted fraternity. They were laymen—yes, entirely men—usually well to do and well placed in society, who were noted for their zeal and disciplined approach to the Jewish faith. They had ‘successfully’ married career and financial success with religiosity, and so were most unhappy when they found this ‘arrangement’ being questioned by Jesus.
Interestingly, all that Jesus actually did was pose a couple of questions. Firstly, He raised a question about dishonesty, integrity, and faithfulness when it came to small, unimportant matters, specifically matters concerning money and financial dealings. Clearly, He was suggesting that this might not have always been the case! And secondly, He raised a question about what is truly important. Obviously, according to the text, money, finances, outward, observable things like this, were the most important thing as far as the Pharisees were concerned. However, Jesus alleges that the things that most people think are important are actually worthless as far as God is concerned. Actually, Jesus says, listening to God’s Law, heeding it, and obeying it are far more important.
This said, it leaves us today with a lot to ponder. In the community where I live conspicuous consumption, the acquisition and piling up of ‘things’, whether they be expensive SUVs or off-road fancy trucks, homes, recreational vehicles and ‘toys’, or other things, seems to be the name of the game—much of which is not even paid for. With far too many people, this seems to be what is important in life, even when, if truth be told, none of these things are fully satisfying or fulfilling. And, as Jesus points out elsewhere, they can actually be detrimental to our souls, to our spiritual well-being. So, the question remains: how can we be faithful in these ‘small things’ so as not to lose sight of what really matters, the eternal things? A great question for all of us.
Forward notes: “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him” (verse 14).
“The Pharisees have a bad reputation. They are so obviously and so often the bad guys that we can forget they were among the religious elite of their time. Despite their shortcomings, I imagine they were generally well-meaning people trying to follow the commandments of God in the way they understood those commandments.
“The problem is that they got so caught up in the rules that they didn’t leave enough space for God to do a new thing. They supposed they were in charge instead of trusting in God’s sovereignty. And, as we read in this passage, they were lovers of money. They became so accustomed to their fancy meals, soft clothes, and comfy homes that they became unwilling to sacrifice for their faith.
“While I want to point a finger of disdain at the Pharisees, I know I have four fingers pointing back at me when I do so. All too often, I am a lover of money. I like my creature comforts and sometimes even feel entitled to them. I wonder how often my love of money gets in the way of loving Jesus.”
Moving Forward: “Can you relate to the descriptions of the Pharisees?”