January 19, 2000
FAMILY LIFE SERIES:
Security lies not in what
we hold, but in being held
___Matthew 19:16-20:16
___By Stacy Conner
___First Baptist Church, Muleshoe
___We have gone "wealth wild" in our country. It is no longer enough to have just a little bit of money. In order to be considered rich, you have to possess obscene amounts of money.
___An 11,000 Dow Jones Industrial average has sent the nation into a profit-seeking mad rush.
___For the fifth straight year, Bill Gates topped the Forbes 400 list with his $58 billion of personal wealth. If Sam Walton were alive, he would be within a stone's throw of Gates with $55 billion. But his estate is divided among heirs who are trying to squeak by on a little more than $10 billion each.
___But to give you some idea of how crazy wealth has become in our country, to make Forbes Top 400, you must possess $500 million. And the top 189 people have at least $1 billion to their names.
___Money has an allure about it. It has a way of drawing us. Take the man who approached Jesus seeking to know what he could do to inherit eternal life. He began by asking, "What good thing must I do to get eternal life?" (19:16). This is an industrious young man who does not want to pass off his responsibility. This young man would make most parents proud. He has kept all of the Ten Commandments.
___But Jesus pierces his bubble, "... go sell your possessions and give to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven" (19:21).
___This cut to the heart of his security. Jesus' response to the man is not an indicator that only the poor enter the kingdom of God. It is a challenge to give up that upon which you are dependent and trust God. The young man goes away sadly because he had great possessions.
___He could not give up the power and respect that comes with wealth. Money grants people privilege and access. Jesus counters this temptation by encouraging secret giving (6:2-4). James, the brother of Jesus, knew that temptation and warned the church to avoid the trap of honoring the person of wealth while neglecting the person of poverty (James 2:1-7).
___One of the great mental images in the Bible is given by Jesus to describe the difficulty money creates for the kingdom of God. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (19:24). It is easier for the impossible to happen than for a rich man to give up the power and the false security wealth brings.
___"Who then can be saved?" the disciples asked (19:25).
___"With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible," Jesus answered (19:26).
___Mortal humans cannot break the power of money in their lives. But God in his grace and love for us can break that which holds us captive. All we can hold in our hands is not nearly as vital as the God who holds us in faith.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!