This month, our meditation has been excerpted from the book entitled Extreme Devotion, compiled by Voice Of the Martyrs. In the following passage, the account of an old Israeli legend provides us with fodder for reflection and perhaps application:
Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with...the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly as a trap. (Luke 21:34)
In an old legend, Jesus said to His follower named Gorun, “Go, pitch your tent on Mount Carmel, and stay there for a time of meditation and prayer.” Gorun did as Jesus asked.
One day, Gorun went into the nearest village and asked, “Please give me a blanket. Rats have gnawed on my old one, and I cannot sleep.”
The villagers gladly gave him a blanket, but Gorun returned repeatedly because the same thing had happened. Someone finally suggested, “We will give you a cat to solve your problem for good.”
After a few days, Gorun was back.“Could you please give me some milk for the cat?” Realizing the need would be ongoing, the villagers decided to give him a cow.
Gorun returned again, “I need something to feed the cow.”They gave him a plot of land. Gorun then asked for workers for the land, then for materials to build a house for the workers, and so on.
Years later, Jesus went to see his beloved disciple. A fat man greeted Him and asked, “What business brings You here? What would You like to buy?”Gorun, now a rich business man, did not even recognize his master.
Christians tell stories like this in persecuted nations where government officials often try to entice Christians to give up their faith and ministry activities in exchange for important jobs and more money.
FURTHER: Sometimes we need a story to see something in a different light, to remind us of what is important and keep us focused on the task ahead. We may not be offered a cat or a cow, but our adversary often tempts us in other ways to get us off track. He offers security in our homeland so we will resist going to other countries with the gospel. He will use divine blessings from God as distractions—a mate, a family, or a job—to make us so preoccupied with life that we neglect our mission. What does this story reveal in your life that could be drawing you away from the Master? Have you been so busy with earthly tasks that you have neglected your spiritual mission?
A moment of consideration: In this time of reflection, a true story that my missionary father told of his time in South Korea, comes back to me and describes what Gorun had experienced. There was a leper colony near the city of Wonju in the 1950s. They were extremely poor, having been outcast from society as untouchables, and lived by themselves. A missionary had arrived in their enclave and had created in these leprous people a love of Jesus. Over time, the depth of their faith in Christ Jesus grew and grew. And they were involved in Christian missions in their own way throughout their vicinity. But as times change and word got out of the plight of this colony became more widely known, well-meaning donors contributed a great amount of money for the betterment of their lives. Unfortunately, the inflow of this money took the very warm hearts of these Christians and made them care-less instead of caring about others. Instead of continuing their vital Christian ministry, they became focused on their new riches, and stopped their Christian outreach—focusing on the earthly joy of their unbelievably good luck. They became materialistic and cold in their lives. They no longer cared about others, but only for themselves.
This true report showed the truth in the Bible as Paul wrote to Timothy. He wrote,
But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6:8-10)
Let us consider at a bit greater length what the Holy Scriptures say about earthly riches—for we are rich, compared with so many who struggle with homelessness, uncertain income, lack of food and clean clothing, etc. We consider the effect of riches on our lives, and reflect on the following story of a man and a church secretary.
One day, a man called a church. He got the secretary and said, “I would like to speak to the head hog at the trough.” The secretary asked,“What did you say?” The man gladly repeated himself, “I would like to speak to the head hog at the trough.” If you mean the pastor, it would be more appropriate if you would say, I want to speak to the pastor.” The man, a bit taken aback, said,“Well, I had $25,000 that I wanted to give to the church.” The secretary quickly replied, “Hold the line. I think the big pig is coming in right now.”
Money changes people, as in the case of the secretary in the anecdote above and in the case of the Korean lepers—as does greed; it was so in the case of Gorun. Scriptures have much to say about use of riches.
First and foremost, we must acknowledge that riches come from God (1 Chronicles 29:11-2). In Psalm 112:1-3, wealth and riches accompany righteous living and thinking. In the Bible, riches are on the same par as His testimonies, precepts and statutes (Psalm 119:12-16), in the things in which we are to delight. In these days in which we live, as they become more dangerous and threatening from multiple sources, remember that riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness [in Christ] delivers from death. (Proverbs 11:4, connoted) Proverbs says that riches are our reward for humility and fear of the Lord. (Proverbs 22:4) There is a well-known Proverb which says “Remove from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty or riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny You and ask: Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” (Proverbs 30:8-9)
In Colossians 3:2-4, the Bible says to set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. An ancient Christian writer known as Babai was wont to say, “You should realize that you are walking on the edge of a sharp sword, that you are standing on the edge of a precipice with a ravine on either side. Do not let your thoughts be upset by things here on earth, but keep your mind gazing on Jerusalem which is above. Ensure that you let go of everything which belongs to this world.” Our own earthliness (Colossians 3:5) naturally consists of what is earthly in us: any sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Paul told the church folk at Colossae to put to death these things—including covetousness.
As stated above, the Holy Scriptures do warn us of riches and our use thereof, and Christ took the time to present a parable, the parable of the sower: And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the Word, and it proves unfruitful. (Mark 4:17) Christ also warned about serving God and serving earthly riches: it cannot be done. (Luke 16:13) As followers of the Savior, let us serve Him with our finances. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (connoted), the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and said:
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them [Christians] not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, Who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
In the story of the rich young man (Matthew 19:20-24), the young man was guilty of loving himself and his possessions more than his neighbors. Jesus was not teaching salvation by philanthropy; but He was demanding that this young man give Him first place. Christ provided a call to faith. It is likely that the young man never heard or contemplated the message Christ conveyed, though, because his own love of his possessions was such a stumbling block that he had already rejected Jesus and His claim to lordship over the life of the young man.
Christ Jesus, in Revelation 3:17-18, set forth His message for the church in Laodicea; in this, He spoke of richness as a warning. Because of their self-satisfaction, His denunciation probably came as a surprise to the church in that location, for they saw themselves as rich, and in need of nothing. But the Lord told them that in truth they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. The spirit of the city [the world] had crept into their church and their spiritual lives were paralyzed. We may be apt to look at the world and hope that the glitter from Vanity Fair might come our way. The Laodicean church members felt the same way. But consider the following anecdote:
Some thieves one day broke into a store but did not steal anything. They just exchanged the tags.. They took a $6,000 tag off of a diamond ring and put it on an imitation diamond. They took the imitation diamond tag of $99.95 and put it on the $6,000 ring. They took an imitation print painting and reversed its tag with that of an expensive original. People came in and bought stuff up. They spent a lot of money on the worthless and a little bit of money on the expensive.
We live in a culture today that has switched the tags. We put a lot of money on the flashy and put thirty-nine cents on character. We put a lot of money on expensive cars and high positions of career, but we put ten cents on integrity, truthfulness, dignity, and character. We have switched the tags. Do not let anybody switch your tags.
Monetary riches are truly a gift from God. Our use of His gifts is always with a purpose, in His divine plan. The world may change the price tags; even we may do likewise. But through faith in Christ Jesus, we apply His gifts to us for His kingdom and plan—not for our gain or our lucre. Riches can make our hearts cold to the needs around us, making us insensitive to the penury of people in our vicinity. Let us not become callous and self-centered toward the need of others. (Philippians 2:3) Matthew 22:39 tells us to love your neighbor to the degree that we love ourselves; who is our neighbor? Hear the words of our Savior and Lord (Luke 10:25-37). Pastor Wally (Founder and past head of Christians In Crisis) described such love as a choice between selfishness or selflessness. May we selflessly put Christ first in our lives and use our God-given riches for His purposes more than we use them for our own. And may we also hear the words we long so to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”