Money for Nothing

Mark 12:41-44

He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

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That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb

"Money for Nothing" by Dire Straights

It's easy for rich people to make a splash. Press conferences and over-sized checks and loads of appreciation for largess. Now, these are pretty splashy. The folks who benefit from these donations certainly appreciate that someone somewhere cares enough to help out.

The video above is from Live Aid in 1985. It was estimated that around £150m has been raised for famine relief as a direct result of the concerts.

The Pharisees were always happy to see the rich men come in and make a grand spectacle of their offerings. It is always a grand and wonderful sound to hear the sound of coin falling into the treasury. That ain't working, that's the way you do it. They loved the benefits of this too. They loved sitting around the courtyards of the rich drinking good wine and living well. The benefits of being friends with the rich are much better than the benefits of hanging with the widows--if you're only interested in life you hold in your hand and put in your belly that is. If that's all you're interested in then these guys ain't dumb.

Jesus is interested in more though. He wants disciples who are willing to give all they have. The rich guys give from their riches, the widow gives everything. In this she gives more in two mites than the wealthy in their riches. “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Give thanks to those who give much, but more should be shown to those who give all. Life in Christ never leaves us in dire straights.

The Ties that Bind

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Matthew 19:16-22 (NRSV)

Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

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I realize I don't want to be a miser
Confide wisely you'll be the wiser
Young blood is the lovin' upriser
How come everybody wanna keep it like the kaiser?

"Give It Away," written by John Frusciante and Flea, recorded by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, from Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik


The horror of the story of the rich, young ruler is that he is torn between two lovers. He wants to be faithful to the Lord our God and he wants to keep his stuff. He wants both things so very badly that when confronted by both the wealth of the future and the wealth of the present he really doesn't make a decision.

Matthew's gospel tells us that the rich young ruler went away grieving. It doesn't say he told Jesus to buzz off, got into his big fancy car and went home to his hot tub and servants. He went away grieving. He wanted to go with the Lord, but at that moment he couldn't bring himself to leave his stuff. And scripture doesn't tell us whether or not he returned to his stuff satisfied that he made the right decision. Scripture says he grieved as he went away.

While scripture says he went away, it doesn't say the Lord left him. The Lord is steadfast.

To paraphrase the Peppers, the young man knew he didn't to be a miser. He confided wisely, but unfortunately he did not choose to be the wiser; at least not at that moment. He wanted to follow Jesus, but he couldn't pull the trigger and give it away.

But there is an open door, the rich young ruler may not have done as Jesus asked at that moment, but maybe--just maybe--later--he did.

He was drawn to the Lord, and he grieved when he faced the ties that bound him to his wealth, but I wonder if he didn't choose to do as the Lord demanded later. It is written that on that day, the rich young ruler did not have the faith to move mountains and trade current wealth for the treasure of heaven. But let us not lose faith that he did not give it away later.

Everyday we are faced with choices just like the ones the rich young ruler faced; in some of them we choose well, in others, not so much. Sure, like the rich young ruler we do the right things on the whole, but we aren't doing everything our Lord wants us to do.

Beware of the things that tie us to our current lives because these are the ties that bind us in ways that are neither to our advantage nor what God wants for our lives. Whether they be wealth or attitudes.

We can always hope the rich young man became wiser, chose better, and cut the ties that bound him. And we can always hope the same for us.

Value of Information--Information of Values

Thanks for the request Andrew!


Ecclesiastes 1:12-14 (NRSV)

I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

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Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do
Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind

"Dust in the Wind" by Kerry Livgren from "Point of Know Return" by Kansas

Greed was a sin, a sin that eventually played in the death of Judas. But vanity, oh vanity, there's a sin for the ages.

The teacher in Ecclesiastes has a point about the thirst for wisdom, chasing the wisdom of the world is an unhappy business, a vain pursuit. All that we do, all that is done under the sun; all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

We live in the "information age." We constantly seek information, thinking that more and better information will increase wisdom. Many say that they have to see it themselves, do it themselves before they will believe. Everyone wants the hands on experience, not trusting the word or deeds of another.

We hope that more information will lead to better wisdom. It is unfortunate that more often than not, more information leads only to a better quality of chaos. All of the information in the world does not lead to wisdom, synthesis of information around a compass is how information points to wisdom. And perhaps there is no greater wisdom than knowing that all of our information seeking is vanity and a chasing after wind.

All we do crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see. The pyramids have been around for thousands of years. But of the ancient wonders of the world, what others still exist? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? The Colossus of Rhodes? The Lighthouse of Alexandria? Dust in the wind, each and every one.

The greatest monuments of the ages now just memories. Ecclesiastes reminds us that the great wisdom of the world is not found in the vanities of our lives. It is found in the value of a friend because two are better than one. When one falls, there is another to lift the stricken.

It is reverence, humility, and contentment that are to be prized above all else. Service not to the things of the world, but to the Lord who created it is where wisdom lies.

It's easy to say that the one with the gold rules, but it is better to give the gold for the Kingdom of God than to keep it for the Colossus who will fade into distant memory.

Who Can It Be Now?

Luke 11:9-10 (NRSV)

So I say to you, "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."

Revelation 3:20 (NRSV)

Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.

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It's not the future that I can see,
It's just my fantasy

Oh...Who can it be now?

Men at Work, "Who Can It Be Now?" from "Business as Usual" 1981

This piece from Luke contains the promise that when we knock the door will be opened. Revelation reveals to us that Jesus is the one at the door knocking, and when we answer He will come and eat with us.

Who can it be knocking at my door? Scripture tells us that we are supposed to knock. We are supposed to pray for the coming of the Lord in our lives. We are promised that those who ask will receive and those who seek will find. What's funny about this is that we are not promised that we will be given what we ask nor will we find what we sought.

Scripture promises that when we ask and seek we will receive and find things which benefit us. Since no parent will give a child gifts that are bad for them, "how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" With apologies to Janis Joplin, we are not promised we will get a Mercedes Benz.It is rather as The Rolling Stones promised, you can't always get what you want but you just might find you get what you need.

This is the future, this is the fantasy which is available to us all. Jesus knocks upon the doors of our lives. To receive all of the joy of a Christian life, we need to answer the door. When we do and when Jesus enters; he will come and eat with us and us with him. We are told we will partake of a banquet with the Messiah.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Giving with Love

1Corinthians 13:3

If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Give a little bit
Give a little bit of your love to me
I'll give a little bit
I'll give a little bit of my love for you
Now's the time that we need to share
So find yourself, we're on our way back home

"Give a Little Bit" by Roger Hodgson originally recorded by Supertramp

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We are constantly being asked to give. People who want a cleaner planet ask us to "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute!" Scripture tells us to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's. I won't tell you these aren't good ideas, these are great ideas. Give! Give! Give!

But attitude is just as important as gift. If gifts are given with an uncaring heart, they aren't gifts at all. They're obligations. Gifts, true gifts are given with love. So if I give everything and do not have love, I gain nothing. Truly, if I give everything and do not have love I have given nothing.

Give a little bit of your love to me and I'll give a little bit of my love to you. If I have one problem with this song lyric it's the order. Love risks, true love gives first. I guess the poetry and flow of the song is better as it's written, and it's a beautiful song; but love risks.

Love is worth risking everything.