Luke 16:10-15 - True Riches

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

 

Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

 

And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

 

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

 

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.

 

And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God

Treasure!photo by  Tom Garnett, used under the creative commons license.
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What are the true riches Jesus speaks of? Surely, it is the Kingdom of God! The religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees, were supposed to be followers of God but yet Jesus saw right through to their heart.  Jesus knew they did not love God; rather, they loved money.  The Pharisees were not faithful in that which is of no eternal value (money) because they did not use it to advance the Kingdom of God. Instead, they hoarded it for themselves.

Happy is the man who knows how little money is worth.  Rather, it is better to seek the true riches Christ speaks of.  Do not be divided in your soul. You cannot strive and worry about money and at the same time serve God.  Why? Because the apostle Paul was right- The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil.  Better to love people, who are made in the Image of God, than to love money, which merely buys you things.

This day, let me remember that money in and of itself,  is of no eternal value. I can use it to advance the Kingdom of God but like the rich young man refused to do, I must be able to abandon money at any time. Such poverty is good for the soul.