Contemplation #160
Her leaders judge for a bride, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord among us?” Micah 3:11
The prophet is describing the conditions that prompted God’s people to come under the purifying judgment of God. They had a type of faith in God, a trusting in God, but not that led the people to imitate God. They were trusting God to help them though they chose to live contrary to his nature. When everything has a price and is done out of a profit motive, all that is left is selfishness. God becomes the pursuit of what we can acquire, and the accumulation of wealth. What is “right” becomes “what makes money”. Jesus admonishes us to adopt the proper perspective of seeking to live according the God’s reality (kingdom) while trusting God to provide for our needs. We do what is consistent with who God is – what is just, righteous, and holy – to which no price can be attached.
Contemplation #161
. . . who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:5-6
Paul’s teaching here turns on the importance of the deep motivations of the heart. The question is whether godliness is a means to another end, or an end in and of itself. Some believed even in Paul’s day that godliness was simply the best and most logical route to financial gain. What moved them was the desire for wealth. Following God was simply an expedient way to get to their real god. Paul turns this quite nicely on its head: godliness is the end to which we strive. To discover godliness itself, and be content with the imitation of God, this is what is great gain. All thoughts of financial advantage must be put aside lest we simply use the Lord as a means to Mammon.
Contemplation #162
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:9
We want to soften Paul’s words by adding “may” so he says “may fall”. However, he is not suggesting what might occur but announcing what is happening. As soon as we set for ourselves the goal of accumulating wealth, we fall into temptation and a trap which ends in ruin and destruction. Of course, to the person seeking wealth he sees no ruin and destruction – for all that would qualify in his eyes as disaster is financial ruin and destruction. No, such a person may succeed in becoming rich, but the ruin and destruction is entirely unrelated to the financial security he covets. Rich in his own pursuits, he remains impoverished toward God – a ruin he neither recognizes nor fears.
Her leaders judge for a bride, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord among us?” Micah 3:11
The prophet is describing the conditions that prompted God’s people to come under the purifying judgment of God. They had a type of faith in God, a trusting in God, but not that led the people to imitate God. They were trusting God to help them though they chose to live contrary to his nature. When everything has a price and is done out of a profit motive, all that is left is selfishness. God becomes the pursuit of what we can acquire, and the accumulation of wealth. What is “right” becomes “what makes money”. Jesus admonishes us to adopt the proper perspective of seeking to live according the God’s reality (kingdom) while trusting God to provide for our needs. We do what is consistent with who God is – what is just, righteous, and holy – to which no price can be attached.
Contemplation #161
. . . who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:5-6
Paul’s teaching here turns on the importance of the deep motivations of the heart. The question is whether godliness is a means to another end, or an end in and of itself. Some believed even in Paul’s day that godliness was simply the best and most logical route to financial gain. What moved them was the desire for wealth. Following God was simply an expedient way to get to their real god. Paul turns this quite nicely on its head: godliness is the end to which we strive. To discover godliness itself, and be content with the imitation of God, this is what is great gain. All thoughts of financial advantage must be put aside lest we simply use the Lord as a means to Mammon.
Contemplation #162
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:9
We want to soften Paul’s words by adding “may” so he says “may fall”. However, he is not suggesting what might occur but announcing what is happening. As soon as we set for ourselves the goal of accumulating wealth, we fall into temptation and a trap which ends in ruin and destruction. Of course, to the person seeking wealth he sees no ruin and destruction – for all that would qualify in his eyes as disaster is financial ruin and destruction. No, such a person may succeed in becoming rich, but the ruin and destruction is entirely unrelated to the financial security he covets. Rich in his own pursuits, he remains impoverished toward God – a ruin he neither recognizes nor fears.
posted by Greg at 8:11 AM
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