And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of worldly wealth so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings. Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with what is genuine? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own? No servant can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:9-13
Injustice, greed and power are often involved in the accumulation and use of “worldly wealth”. We must use possessions and money-or anything that God has entrusted to us-in a way that promotes God’s interests and the spiritual salvation of others. When Jesus says to “make friends for yourselves by means of worldly wealth,” he is talking about using your resources to truly help those in need, so as to reach them for Christ, so that they too can one day be welcomed into heaven. In this way, worldly wealth and resources may be widely used for eternal benefits.
Those who are not trustworthy in how they acquire or use their earthly possessions, abilities or opportunities will be just as irresponsible with spiritual things. This is why God’s people, and especially church leaders, must be free from the love of money. And ironically, the more we have the easier it is to become a slave to the wealth and responsibilities we have accumulated. The world’s riches make it very difficult to keep God at the center of our lives. Which is Jesus’ whole point here, you must choose what is going to be more important in your live God or worldly possessions.
Today’s Bible Readings:
Leviticus 13, Mark 6:1-29, Psalm 39:1-13 and Proverbs 10:10