Friday
Have you ever noticed how Jesus is constantly saying things that goes against popular opinion?
Like in the story of the prodigal son, it seems like he treats the wayward son, the one who wasted the family money, better than the one who was faithful and helpful to the father. And today, he talks about this manager as if being deceitful is praise worthy. (Vs 8, The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly.) Money is talked about quite often in the scriptures. Have you noticed? Jesus wants us to see that money is a great concern and how we handle money here in this life is a reflection on where our hearts truly are. Money can overshadow your focus on Christ and it doesn’t take long before you are spending much of your time letting money be your master.
The Pharisees loved money and power and prestige. So they didn’t really like too much the things Jesus is saying. And we are always quick to say how can they be so blind to the obvious pitfalls of loving money. Yet how do you feel about money? Do you feel like you have enough? How often do you share your riches with others? Do you look at people with money differently than those who don’t have any – and be truly honest… it’s just you and God and He knows exactly how you feel.
This parable is about entering the kingdom of God. The coming of the kingdom of God remains totally an act of God and it is a different world than the one we are living in.
So the big question for today is… can you separate money and your spiritual well-being? Do you want to live in this kingdom or in the Kingdom of God?
Blessings on the day!
Pastor Kathy