Wednesday 20 February 2019

Psalm: Psalm 77

Background

 Money – why are we so reluctant to talk about it, especially in church? Jesus didn’t share our scruples. Many of his words in the gospels concern wealth, poverty and the use and abuse of money: think of the widow’s offering, the greedy tax collector and the rich young man. There are lots more examples. He had especially challenging words for those who thought they were religious yet didn’t care about the well-being of those who were poor. It would have been impossible to ignore the beggars they encountered every day on the street – ignorance was no excuse.

So, if Jesus warns us about acquiring wealth here, where we could end up obsessed about protecting it, what is the treasure in heaven he recommends? Is this an investment opportunity we missed? First, let’s check what Jesus may have meant by the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 13:44 gives us a clue: 'The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field'. This parable sounds remarkably practical, it’s about fields, soil and spades. Perhaps the treasure Jesus recommends belongs to this kingdom, which is already emerging amongst those who acknowledge Jesus as Lord and seek to join in with his mission. Remember how he described his mission? 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor' (Luke 4:18a).

Here is an invitation to consider what’s really important in our lives. There is a lightness of spirit that comes from simplicity of life. Jesus invites us to reset our lifestyle expectations and join an adventure of faith. To declutter our lives of the unnecessary stuff we once thought we needed. And to invest in the lives of God’s precious children who find themselves on the margins: despised, displaced, desperate yet dearly loved by God.

To Ponder:

• Try to think of all the times Jesus spoke about wealth and poverty? Look them up if you have time.
• What picture do you get of Jesus’ priorities for our lives? How do these affect the way you spend my time and money?