Good Morning Friends,
The command to love one another is a frequently repeated principle in the New Testament. It appears no less than nine times. But another principle we are directed to carry out is one the frozen chosen may have overlooked. It is to greet other believers with a holy kiss. This command is included in our lectionary text today and with our ongoing meditations on the parables gives us some insight into how we are to live. You see, the world is filled with lonely people that need a relationship. And one of the greatest things about the Christian life is that it is about relationships and invitations to them. You see, Christianity involves more than learning dogma, practicing the art of mental assent or inward introspection. Christianity is to be lived out in everyday community life as personal and tender as a kiss. Yes, there are great theological truths to be meditated upon and assimilated. There are deep philosophical truths to be examined and reflected upon. But we are to discover wealth much more in the relationships we share than in the money we make. However, they do not have to be mutually exclusive. Still, we ask, What Do We Truly Value?
Scripture: Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus, and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. Greet Mary, who has worked very hard among you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27 (NRSV)
And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him. So he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God.
Luke 16:9-15 (NRSV)
Message: Some people shy away from conversations about money. Some shy away from relationships. These things can stress people out. However, Jesus did not feel that way. He was not wary of the subjects because he understood the power of money, resources, and possessions. Jesus taught about the power of love but also warned that the pursuit of wealth can cause us to ignore God, undervalue family, walk over people, and use them. Money can prompt us to act unethically and engage in a host of other destructive actions. Jesus teaches us a lot about money and stewardship. Jesus teaches us about love. And the reality is that too many are insane about money and crazy about love. And Jesus knew that many would miss the whole point of both as many might miss the point of the parable of the Shrewd Steward. Friends, a better formula for being a “good” steward is to connect both love and money in a positive and honest way that glorifies God. Indeed, we are to make all the money we can. We are to save all the money we can. But then we are to invest in the lives of people all that we can. The heart of the Christian life is to understand the supernatural truths in our individual and corporate lives that is breathed inwardly and outwardly in loving relationships. It is not so much the flow of money but the flow of our emotions. Friends, we are to rejoice in the supernatural multiplications that surround spiritual blessings more so than the growth in our retirement accounts. We are to rejoice in the forgiveness of our sins more than the forgiveness of our financial debts.
And So, when one begins to develop a Christ-like character, in one’s spirit and flesh, a by-product of this process is that one stops having selfish ambition…one stops having a selfish conceit…one begins to increase consideration of others and yes one increases humility as well. Then rather surprisingly and as a transformational gift from God one experiences the joy of being joined together. Our beliefs form our behaviors. So, what we value makes a big difference. Early Americans feasted on hard work, civic duty, moderation, family, faith, the rule of law, frugality, and simplicity. They were ultimately very humble people. Today’s Americans value comfort, experiences, expression, happiness, independence, entitlement, control, acceptance, and freedom. And while these choices are not necessarily bad, I wonder which of each, or perhaps others not listed best serve God with wisdom. Maybe you have not thought about all the values that would be wise to adopt. There are a lot of values that if practiced can bring greater joy to life. Christ exhibited those we need to take to heart. You see Jesus realized the importance of having the right values. But we all need to work on some values that are not our strong suit. We need to have the right core values to improve our decision-making, our productivity, our achievements and perhaps most importantly, our ability to love and be loved. Empathy, freedom, gratitude, happiness, health, humility, innovation, knowledge, leadership, love, moderation, peace, purpose, responsibility, service, spirituality, trust, understanding, wealth, wisdom and wonder all have a place. We all have core values but the cornerstone of them must be Jesus.
Pray we live out our Christian experience in the here and now actively practicing and purposing relationships in which we invest time, money, and emotions. Pray we be honest. Pray also that we be shrewd for we, like the unjust steward, can curry favor of others by sharing the Gospel of forgiveness. Pray we do not cheat God. Pray we realize that without love the evangelical message has little power. Pray we realize that there are lots of ways to communicate in today’s world but some need to be personal and physical. Pray we reach out to those who are isolated and disconnected from God. Pray we experience and share the kiss of grace and peace from God our Father and from His Son Jesus Christ who came to take away the sin of the world. Pray we live in the image of Christ fleshed out in the experience of a life we truly value.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 