Saturday, June 23, 2012

Mammon

"You cannot serve God and mammon." Mt 6:25

The gospel today is difficult. Though Jesus does not say you cannot have wealth, he does say you can't serve it, and therein lies the challenge. It is always a test of our values and wills when we have many possessions not to obsess over them or want to gain even more. We tell ourselves that we have worked hard and we deserve what we've gained, or that we need everything we have. That others work hard and still lack a steady job and sufficient income to live simple lives is something we try not to think about.

Jesus is almost always talking to and on behalf of the poor. It was the powerless and voiceless who were drawn to him because he was promising them a different future, not a life of plenty, but a life of hope, and it was this glimmer of light in a very dark world that brought them consolation.

It is no different for us. Only when we learn to serve God above all do we begin to live more simply and honestly. The acquisition of money and power over others for its own sake seems empty and fruitless. Only our relationships in faith with God and God's people (and we are all God's people!), fill us with a fullness that cannot be measured in visible ways.

Today, serve God by praying quietly for five minutes.


What are the greatest temptations for contemporary believers?

1 comment:

  1. mi mama decia que dios esta en todas partes, ya no iba a la iglesia , rezaba antes de dormir 5 minutos. nuevamente gracias

    ReplyDelete

Please be discreet in your comments. I will monitor the comments, and only exclude those that are patently offensive.