31. Jesus on money teaches us that salvation will change our use of money

This is the 31^st and final post as I have attempted to visit everything (pretty much!) Jesus said about money in the gospels over 2 weeks. I hope you have found this helpful, I certainly have!

This is a wonderful story of Jesus’ mercy.  It teaches us that a new relationship with money is a great indicator of a new relationship with God. 

‘Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”’ (Luke 19:1-9)

Jesus loves to be ‘the guest of a sinner’; He has come to ‘seek and to save the lost’. Jesus is inviting himself into your home today; do you want Him to enter?

Don’t say “yes” glibly! His entrance demands change, do we want to change?

Do we want Him to shine a light on the shadows of our lives and our finances?

If people knew your heart and my heart they would ‘mutter’ “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

Everyone needs heart transformation by Jesus. A new relationship with money is a great indicator that his new relationship with God has begun.

A Randy Alcorn has written,

‘Just as Jesus gauged Zacchaeus’s true spiritual condition by his willingness to part with his money, so he gauged the rich young ruler’s true spiritual condition by his unwillingness to part with his money. Jesus sees our hearts and souls and he knows us just as well as he knew those two men. He will call us to take action that breaks our bondage to money and possessions and frees us to live under his exclusive lordship. The principle is timeless: There is a powerful relationship between our true spiritual condition and our attitude and actions concerning money and possessions.’ (Possessions and Eternity)

Take a moment to ask God to search you: This post brings this series to a close; If we haven’t been challenged by Jesus on money, we haven’t been listening! If we have made Jesus Lord and Saviour, let's let Him have His way in this area of our lives. I pray that the Holy Spirit will release us to ‘excel in the grace of giving’ (2 Corinthians 8:7).

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30. Jesus on money teaches us to be merciful with our wealth or we will not be shown mercy

This is the 30^th 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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29. Jesus on money teaches us that what causes us indignation can be a pointer to the sin in our hearts

This is the 29^th 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.

The Pharisees became indignant at Jesus’ teaching on money; they were annoyed because He was putting His finger on something in their hearts- they loved money and He was confronting them. 

As a culture we don’t like to talk about money; it makes us feel uncomfortable to talk about money and particularly about giving it away, why is this? It is because it is dear to us and to raise the subject of generosity is to talk about giving up what is most dear to people. 

“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.”’ (Luke 16:13-15)

Take a moment to ask God to search you: Does Jesus on money make you ‘sneer’ and feel uncomfortable? Do you say things like, "they are always talking about money!” Will you let your anger tighten your fist, or will you allow faith in Jesus’ teaching to loosen your grip on your idol?

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