[Jesus speaking]
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.”

Most of us have experienced plants or trees that have gotten a disease. They may look OK for a little while, but in the end, the disease works its way through the whole plant or tree and causes destruction. We had a diseased ash tree that had a fungus problem that was killing it. Luckily, we intervened in time and hired an arborist to drive out the deathly fungus with treatment. Now it is recovering and growing again.

Jesus is referring to something similar here. The Love of Money is not really bowing down and worshiping a dollar bill. It is a concept that applies to all of the things money can buy: fancy cars and houses, membership into exclusive groups, exotic vacations, and “financial security”, etc.

This heart-level love of money’s offerings is really a cancer to our hearts. Why? Because it takes the place of the selfless life governed by the Spirit of God. Instead of sharing our resources with those in need, money-lovers hoard. Instead of spending time serving and blessing others, money-lovers focus on gaining more and being more comfortable. Instead of standing for what is right and just, like the causes of the poor, the widows, the orphans, the oppressed and the persecuted, money-lovers cave in and make excuses so they don’t have to be bothered. Over time, these decisions re-enforce one’s sinful nature and put money on the throne of one’s life.

Conversely, like the diseased tree, if we realize our sinful nature, our selfish attitudes and behaviors, and turn to Jesus; he, like an arborist, can come in and surgically treat and repair the tree of our life. He can heal our hearts. But he will not work on a tree that does not want to get rid of the cancer inside, because this is pointless in the end. He is in the business of saving hearts, not coaxing sinners into less sinful ways.

So let us take a good look today, my friends, at the condition of our hearts. Maybe MONEY NEEDS TO BE DETHRONED, or it is vying for first place and needs to be rejected once and for all?

Lord, thank you for showing me that once I have chosen to follow you, you will never let me drift into sinful ways without pursuing me and warning me. I want to follow your Spirit and your Spirit alone! Remind me daily to turn from the temptation of money, I pray!