This is the 30th post as
I attempt to visit everything (pretty much!) Jesus said about money in the
gospels over 2 weeks. In order to do this I will be putting up around two posts
each day. This is coinciding with a 2-week preaching series that we are going
through at Community Church Putney- Jesus On Money.
Jesus on money teaches us that those that have
resources to help others but remain unmerciful are not Christians. A Christian
is ‘born again’ by the Spirit and will bear some, and increasing
amounts of, fruit in their lives. Mercy is not optional for the Christian!
Listen to William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army
on the subject:
“While women weep, as
they do now, I'll fight
While little children
go hungry, as they do now, I'll fight
While men go to
prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight
While there is a
drunkard left, While there is a poor lost girl upon the streets,
While there remains
one dark soul without the light of God,
I'll fight-I'll fight
to the very end!”
This story is deliberately provocative. Jesus
confronts us with the obvious- the bible, from beginning to end, teaches us to
be merciful and generous. It is a real danger that even those most schooled in
the bible can fail to do the basics!
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived
in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with
sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs
came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to
Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was
in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So
he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the
tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this
fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received
your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted
here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great
chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you
cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I
have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this
place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to
them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to
them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they
will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
(Luke 16:19-31)
The power and clarity of parables can be destroyed by
dissecting the details; Jesus on money is very clear in teaching us to be
driven by mercy and this will involve us being generous.
Take a moment to ask God to search you:
do you have a merciful heart? Are you moved, and moved to action, to help those
who are suffering?
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