Where's your wealth?

 

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VERY OLD TAPE - RESTORED.

5 MINUTES

In Mark Chapter 14 we read about Jesus visiting Simon and whilst He was eating a woman came in with an alabaster jar full of expensive perfume made of nard.  

Now I must admit I don't know what nard is, or what it smells like. But when the people saw this expensive perfume they said what a waste. It could have been sold and the money given to the poor.

Jesus said to them the poor will always be with us. What a pity, I think, that nobody asked Him why? Why did He say the poor will always be with us? Is He actually saying that all our efforts to beat poverty are wasted and we might as well not bother?

No I don't think He's saying that. I've thought about this time and again and this is my interpretation. See what you think.

I believe Jesus was trying to teach us wealth with responsibility. No matter how wealthy we are in life, we might be living just moderately within our means, there will always be somebody less well-off than ourselves; and I think here Jesus is teaching us that we owe a responsibility to those people less financially well-off than ourselves.

But then, perhaps He is not just speaking about monetary wealth. There are different kinds of wealth. How about people who are healthy, they are wealthy in health if you see what I mean.

Is Jesus saying that these healthy people have a responsibility to those who are ill by visiting them in hospital perhaps or visiting them at home and helping them with the shopping the cleaning or the gardening or whatever?

How about those people who are wealthy in education and in knowledge? People who have the ability to learn? Do they not have a responsibility for those less bright than themselves? To help them to educate them and not to look down their nose and treat them as stupid?

There are of course people who are wealthy in influence, celebrities for instance, you see them on the news on TV or on the media and they have masses and masses of followers; and whatever they say people follow their example and do like them. Do they not have a responsibility to their followers to give them a good example to follow?

And then, of course, there are those who are wealthy in spirit and in faith. No matter what happens to them their faith is forever strong. Do they have a responsibility to those people who stumble and fall whenever difficulty comes into their lives? Do they owe them a responsibility to tell them about God's love and God's caring; and to help them in their weak faith.

Priests for instance … I believe priests have a special responsibility in that respect. They took on the job of being shepherds and their job is to lead as many of their flock as possible to the gates of Heaven. The shepherd who lets his sheep be devoured by the wolves … well he is not a good shepherd is he? And I'm sure the Master will have something to say when they meet face-to-face!

So I think that's what Jesus was trying to say when He said the poor will be always with us. There will always be people financially poor, poor in health, poor in education, poor in influence, poor in spirit, poor in faith, or whatever; and we who have been given talents and gifts owe it to them to use these gifts to help them.

Thank you for listening. God bless.

Money money money

The reading in church today was from Mark 10:17-27.

I’m sure you know the story about the rich man who was told by Jesus to sell everything he had, give it to the poor, and follow Jesus.

The man just could not do this, and went away sad.

Jesus also says that famous saying about it being harder for a rich man to enter Heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

And people have been debating that hyperbole for years. What did it mean? Did Jesus refer to a gate called Needle, or was it a mountain pass which was so narrow you had to unload your camel of what it was carrying, pass the camel through, and then load it again.

In reality, it doesn’t matter.

What’s important is the message behind the hyperbole and the advice to sell everything and give it to the poor.

Did Jesus mean it?

Here’s my take on it – unorthodox as it may be.

I doubt very much if every rich man on earth sold all their property and gave it to the poor that it would make any difference. It would be like putting a snowflake in a burning furnace.

Anyway, it is not physically possible, since if every rich person sold their property, by implication, they would sell it to someone else who would in turn be rich in order to be able to buy it. I’m sure you follow the tautology.

So what did Jesus mean?

He certainly was not speaking against wealth. Wealth creates wealth. It creates jobs and it creates the wherewithal to help others less fortunate than ourselves.

Christ condones, nay encourages, the creation of wealth in His parable about the servants given a gold coin each by their master. When he returned from his travels the master discovered that two servants managed to make their fortune increase whilst the third just didn’t bother. So he rewards the hard-working servants and punishes the other. Luke 19:11-27.

Jesus was teaching responsible wealth. There’s nothing wrong in working hard and amassing a fortune honestly.

As long as we use it responsibly.

Those who are fortunate to have wealth should remember their responsibility to share it with others, and to help others, as best they can. This doesn’t mean sell everything and give it to the poor. It means be aware of those around you who are less fortunate than yourself; and share your good fortune with them.

If you were to sell everything then once it's gone, it's gone - you can no longer help the poor and you may well become poor yourself. What's so clever about that?

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) Jesus does not condemn the rich man for being rich; but for not even realizing, never mind caring, for a poor man starving at his gate.

So there you have it: work hard, be wealthy, but remember others less well-off than yourself.

And wealth does not necessarily mean riches and money.

Some people are wealthy in different ways: wealthy in wisdom and knowledge, wealthy in health and stamina, wealthy in talents and so on.

Those amongst us who are well educated and knowledgeable should not look down on others haughtily and with disdain. Use your knowledge to teach others.

Those who are fortunate to be healthy should remember the sick and if possible visit them or help them as best they can.

Those with talents for music, the arts, sports or whatever should share their talents with others. Imagine the good you can achieve as a sportsman if you visit a school and share a few moments coaching children in whatever it is you do. Or if a musician or celebrity shared a few moments with less talented yet aspiring youngsters. That visit would be imprinted on young memories for life – and may well inspire them to do better and achieve more.

Let’s all look at ourselves deeply and discover what wealth God has given us.

Money, good health, a talent for music, painting, singing or whatever … and let’s share it for the glory of, and in thanksgiving to, God our Creator.