THE LOVE OF MONEY

THE LOVE OF MONEY

Bryan worked all of his life and saved all of his money.  He was a veritable miser regarding his finances.  In fact, Bryan loved money more than anything else, so just before he died, he said to his wife, Emma, “Now listen, whenever I die, I want you to take all my money and place it in the casket with me.  I want to take my money along with me to the afterlife.”  So he firmly demanded that Emma promise him with all her heart that upon his death, she would place all the money in the casket with him.

Well, of course, one day Bryan did die.  He was laid out in a costly casket, and at the funeral Emma was dressed in black, sitting next to her closest friend.  When the ceremony was completed, just before the mortician got ready to close the casket, the mourning wife rose and interrupted.  “Wait just a minute,” she insisted.

Emma had a tan shoe box with her, and she walked over slowly with the box and deposited it reverently inside the casket.  Then the mortician locked the casket and rolled it down the aisle of the church.

Her best friend whispered, “I hope you weren’t crazy enough to put all that money in the casket.”  Emma replied with a twinkle in her eye, “Yes, I did exactly as promised.  I’m a good Christian and I just can’t lie.  I assured Bryan that I was going to put his money in the casket and that’s exactly what I did.”

“You mean to tell me you put every cent of his money in that casket along with him?” spluttered the friend.  “I sure did,” said Emma.  “I got it all his money together, put it in my bank account, and then I wrote my husband a check.”  Her best friend simply smiled.

Of a truth, my friends, you cannot take anything with you whenever you depart this world.  It has often been said that we have never seen a U-Haul truck unloading personal possessions at the grave site.  The simple truth is that our money (large or small) is merely a medium of exchange for goods and services.  Use it wisely, but always allow love to be your operating principle and decision guide.

The Word of God declares that “the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (I Timothy 6:10) 

Therefore, Jesus Christ wisely admonished us to “beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.” (Luke 12:15) All too often, contemporary Christians forget this timeless truth.  In the parable of The Rich Man, Jesus describes the foolishness of a singular and narrow concentration on the accumulation of wealth.  When the fertile ground of that rich man brought forth bountiful harvests, he became thoroughly obsessed with worldly gain.  He said to himself, “I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast build much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” (Luke 12:18-19)

Unfortunately, his Creator had different plans.  The rich man died suddenly, and his God-inscribed epitaph read as follows: “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” (Luke 12:20) Jesus concluded this parable with a poignant reminder that when we focus solely on laying up earthly treasure for ourselves, we are not rich toward God.  In His words, “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Luke 12:31)

Brothers and sisters, where are your primary investments and riches, on earth or in Heaven?  For in the wise words of Jesus Christ, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34)

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!