Do We Have A Money Problem?

Luke 16:19-31

Do we have a money problem? Having money certainly isn't a problem, but misusing it certainly is. The rich man in this parable definitely had a problem - it wasn't that he had a bunch of money, or that he had a huge mansion. His problem was that he built a gate to keep people like Lazarus out, and every day when he passed by Lazarus at the gate he didn't do anything. He would do well to read James 2:14-17.

In our society, do we have a money problem? We use tomorrow's money to pay yesterday's bills. We spend money we don't have to buy things we don't need to please people we don't even like. Now that's sick. There are rich people in the world, that's for sure, and some of them use their money well. Then there are people who think they are rich and live a rich lifestyle, even though they are not. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6), and people can love money even if they don't have it. Some of the poorest people in the world love money as much as the richest do. I think we have a money problem.

Let's get back to the truth of Matthew 19. Jesus told the rich man to sell everything and give it to the poor. I don't think the point here is that we all need to sell our stuff and give everything to the poor. Jesus also said that we will always have the poor with us and chastised His disciples for wanting to sell the lady's gift of perfume to give the money to the poor (Mark 14). I think that in Matthew 19, Jesus was reminding the rich man that everything we have belongs to God, and that God is not satisfied with only part of what we have (Acts 5). God demands ALL of it - not that we must sell it all, but that we must offer it all to Him for Him to use as He would like. That's why He says that it's so hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom - it's hard to offer everything to God when you have a lot of stuff! When's the last time you told God that He could use your cell phone however He likes?

Let's think in terms of God's economy, not the human economy.

People are People

Our LINC NT staff watched the movie The Visitor at our staff retreat. It's about a professor who, after getting caught up in his intellectual life and losing all passion, suddenly finds himself face-to-face with two undocumented aliens living in his apartment in New York City. Through a series of remarkable events (it truly is an incredible movie, I would consider it a must-see), he finds himself relating to the two as people, opening up first his home and finally his entire life to them. As their lives intersect and become more and more intertwined, he becomes radically changed and rediscovers true living. And don't worry, I haven't spoiled the movie for you - there's still plenty to see!

One of the beautiful things about the movie is the amount of hospitality that Walter, the American character, shows. Americans are notorious for being generous but not hospitable. More relational cultures are often hospitable but not generous. Americans are usually fine with throwing money at an issue but they don't want it to affect them or to get too intimately involved. We will surely donate money or clothes to a homeless shelter, but we would never fathom having a homeless person enter our lives. Being generous is all well and good (and as a person who depends on donations for my livelihood, I'm quite grateful!), but not if the humanity is lost. People are people, and we must approach them as such. We must allow their stories to intersect ours so that we are mutually impacted.

Is there anyone in your life right now to whom you are being called to be hospitable? How can you allow the lives of people around you to intersect yours?

Alone With Your Thoughts

How often are you totally alone with your thoughts? For me, it's rare. I work two jobs, am studying for a Master's online, and so my life is pretty nonstop. When you think about it, there's really very few moments that you're alone with your thoughts. Most of us characterize our "down time" by watching movies, playing mindless games, reading books, or other sensory inputs. Are there many times that you are not doing anything, and not receiving sensory inputs? We often can't even drive to work without having music on.

Could it be that we are actually a bit afraid of being alone with ourselves? A bit fearful of what thoughts might bubble to the surface if we gave them the opportunity? When you shut down some of the noise that surrounds us seemingly all the time, you might just be surprised by yourself. You might have to deal with some of the less-pleasant thoughts that you normally repress. You might even have to actually confront your conscience on some of the wrongs you know you've committed. But on the other hand, you might also find yourself making decisions more easily. You might even hear from God.

When is the last time you were alone with your thoughts?