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. (Luke 16:14–15) About a hundred years ago, a humorist named Frank Hubbard noted, “When a fellow says, ‘It people, but it’s not true about God. When God talks about money, it’s because something deeper is going on. The Bible talks a lot about wealth and possessions, because they are so integral to the way we live on this earth. Today’s Scripture passage connects two of Jesus’ parables about money. Jesus was talking to His disciples, but the Pharisees heard the conversation. They sneered at Jesus, because He was dismantling A gun in the hands of a policeman can be a tool for righteousness, but in the hands of a criminal, it can be an instrument of evil. Similarly, money is neither good nor evil. But the way we handle it reveals a lot about who or what rules our lives. WEEK Week 4 28 Monday—October 30•The Principle of the Thing ain’t the money but the principle of the thing,’ it’s the money.” Well, that might be true about their theology justifying their use of money. In reality, money is an amoral tool, like a weapon. Suppose a person had no record of your activities other than a record of how you use your money. What would they assume about who or what rules your life? Daily Reading: Lamentations 3:1–66, Hebrews 1:1–14, Psalm 102:1–28, Proverbs 26:21–22 Tuesday—October 31•Warnings About Loving Money Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:9–10) When the apostle Paul warned Timothy about people who pursue wealth, he carefully distinguished between the love of money, and the money itself. The Bible cautions that people who are “eager for money” are open to temptations that may distract from their relationship with Jesus. Money itself is morally neutral, and a necessary part of living in our world. Wealth, or the lack of it, will neither get you into heaven nor keep you out. Our world system often judges people’s value by the size of their wallets or bank accounts. That’s all outward appearance. Scripture tells us that God has a different “measuring stick,” for He looks at the heart. (See 1 Samuel 16:7.) God doesn’t love a rich person more than He loves a person with great financial need. Nor does He love a pauper more than a tycoon. When God talks about wealth, He addresses our stewardship of His resources. But He also goes to a deeper level, concentrating on what our attitude about money reveals about the condition of our hearts. WEEK Week 4 How does God’s “measuring stick” differ from the world’s? Which measuring stick have you been applying to yourself? For other people? Daily Reading: Lamentations 4:1–5:22, Hebrews 2:1–18, Psalm 103:1–22, Proverbs 26:23
20514 Man in Mirror
To see the actual publication please follow the link above