Gregg DeMey 0:07
Good morning friends and welcome to Elmhurst CRC's daily dose of the Word of God. It's Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor at the church and it's Thursday, July 18. It is the season of green and growing things, our spiritual lives included. Today we're going to hear from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, verses 13 through 15. This is where Jesus concludes the parable of the unjust steward.
Gregg DeMey 0:30
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
Gregg DeMey 1:02
Wow - Jesus points out that our allegiance is a single thing and it can't be divided. We can't ultimately serve both God and money. The reaction to Jesus saying this is one of the most troubling phrases in all of the scripture to me - Luke writes, "The Pharisees who loved money heard all this and were sneering at Jesus." Sneering at Jesus? This scares me partly because (like those ancient Pharisees) I'm a clergy person and partly because I like money (like virtually all of us modern Americans - thank you very much). And, I'm under the assumption that more money generally provides more safety, security and happiness. Because of those realities, I don't want to miss Jesus's teaching - much less reject it or sneer at him. But, what if more money means more divided allegiance, more temptation to depend on what dollars can provide, instead of what only God can give?
Gregg DeMey 2:12
I tried to (imperfectly) practice a couple things from keeping myself from falling into the pit of having my ultimate allegiance beyond financial security and money. The first way is through a casual vow of simplicity. Note that I didn't say a formal vow of poverty - I couldn't do that - but, this vow of simplicity helps keep temptation at bay. It's a vow that I commit to to try and get by with less - to buy simply, not accumulate too much, own as little as possible ande maybe most importantly, for me to consciously and openly laugh at billboards, commercials and advertisements that try to sell the idea that more is always better. The second way I try to lean into Jesus teaching is by practicing detachment. Here's what I mean: more does not actually necessarily equal blessed, and less does not generally equal less blessed. I regularly try to acknowledge that God is the giver of all things and it's much more important to honor the giver than what I perceive to be the gifts. I tried to detach from the stuff of the world and receive it gratefully while also acknowledging the short term nature of all things physical and financial. When all the gifts, when all the stuff, when all the blessings, when all the dollars disappear, we will still have God.
Gregg DeMey 3:42
Let's pray. Oh God, you are our first love and desire - our first and only allegiance. Forgive us when we so readily put our hopes and security in the purchasing power of dollars and financial security. Your loving hands are the most secure place we could ever be, so thank you for holding us, even today. For Jesus sake, amen.
