The family business: money and optometry

Today we’re bringing to a close on our series looking at different spiritual rules or practices to draw us closer to Jesus. We’ve covered three so far - the practice of slowing down, or ruthlessly eliminating hurry, finding prayer rhythms that help us to glow in the dark, and last week looked at radical hospitality. Can you guess from the readings today what we’re looking at? Yup, money.

Barely a minute in, and I can already sense the fear response in the room. Let’s just take a deep breath in….. and out…..

I get it - we’re on a touchy subject. This isn’t going to be an easy ride today - but let’s keep focussed on being covered in the dust of our rabbi, Jesus, rather than in the dust of the world.

Because, to quote John Mark Comer,

We forget, Jesus was the most intelligent teacher to ever live. His teachings aren’t just right in some arbitrary moral sense - they are good. That’s what morality is - the good and true way to live. … In reality Jesus’ moral teachings aren’t arbitrary at all. … They are statements about how the world actually works.

And Jesus had some pretty choice words about money. Here’s just a few:

Acts 20:35 (NET 2nd ed.)

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Luke 12:15 (NET 2nd ed.)

Then he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Matthew 6:24 (NET 2nd ed.)

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

You cannot serve God and money. Notice that - it’s not you shouldn’t serve God and money. It’s a black and white statement of fact - you cannot do it.

Serve is a fun word. In the greek it’s douleuō (doo-loo-wow), which has the sense of slavery - BDAG (one of the leading greek-english lexicons of the NT) gives two broad definitions -

1 to be owned by another, be a slave, be subjected

2 to act or conduct oneself as one in total service to another, perform the duties of a slave, serve, obey

Well, that makes it a bit clearer. What or who are we owned by - or give total service too? God? Or the riches of the world?

You cannot serve God and money.

Are we being covered by the dust of our rabbi Jesus, or of the world?

Because the world goes to extraordinary lengths to define our identity and worthiness by how much we earn, and what we own. It’s always been this way, but it has ramped up dramatically over the past century.

Advertising is extremely adept at manipulating us - by using Freud’s theory that we are not as rational or autonomous as we like to think, and use some of the most basic human emotions - I want, and I fear, to trick us into thinking we need whatever product or service is being advertised. We are constantly being tricked into thinking that our wants and our needs. These products become idols, and we inadvertently end up worshipping the god of mammon [obtuse language], rather than the true God - creator, redeemer, and sustainer of life.

This is all coupled with the undeniable fact that the basic cost of living is becoming more and more expensive, coupled with the fear of job cuts and a rising unemployment rate - in New Zealand it’s risen from 3.3% to 4.6% over the past twelve months. It’s scary stuff - and can so easily make us clench our fists tighter to hold on to what we have.

So what do we do? Become hermits and live in a cave so we can hide and pretend it’s not happening? Well, no. Let’s turn to Jesus and see what wisdom he has for us from our Gospel reading today.

Matthew 6:19–21 (NRSV)

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

In other words, turn your face towards the things that are important - your relationship with God and life in his kingdom. Don’t accumulate wealth here on earth.

But then we get the bit that can make us scratch our heads a bit because it seems so out of context.

Matthew 6:22–23 (NRSV)

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

What on earth does optometry have to do with money? It makes so little sense in our context - but back in the first century it would have made sense. Because if people said you had a healthy eye it had a double meaning - that you were focussed and living with a high degree of intentionality in life, and that you were generous to the poor. In other words, when you looked at the world you saw those in need and did your best to help out. Having an unhealthy eye (or an evil eye, as the KJV translation puts it) is the opposite - you were distracted by the gains of the world, and lost your focus on what really matters, and those who needed your help. And this is the trap that advertisers and politicians across the world are desperate to draw us into. Not for our benefit - for theirs.

Which is what Jesus sums up in the next section, where he tells us that we cannot serve God and money.

Jesus has outlined the problems, now comes the solution.

Matthew 6:25 (NET 2nd ed.)

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?

Therefore. He’s connecting money and possessions with worry. Isn’t that the truth?

So, how do we deal with this? Well, of course Jesus has wisdom here too.

Matthew 19:16 (NRSV)

Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

Matthew 19:21 (NRSV)

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.”

Such a clear link to our gospel passage today. It is important to note though that this was advice targeted at one person and his particular needs. But it’s clear that money was a stumbling block for this person.

And if it is for you too, then you need to address it. That’s where the spiritual practice of generosity comes in. Generosity is a pretty broad word, and we’ve actually covered a few different forms of generosity already….

the generosity of time (not taking pride in being busy)

the generosity of presence to God

the generosity of hospitality

But when we’re looking at money the two big areas are generosity of money and service.

It may sound scary, but actually it’s just a realignment towards the God of freedom and transformation. Because the first step is to remember that everything we have is from God, and that we are trusted to manage it justly, and to be faithful what we’re given. And this isn’t just money - it’s our jobs, our possessions, our time, our energy, and bodies, and our lives as well.

As Paul says in his letter to the Romans:

Romans 12:1 (NRSV)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

But so often it IS money that ends up crippling us with fear, and draws so much of our attention, and can draw our hearts and our minds away from God. If this applies to you, then here are some suggestions for you:Rom

Donate money as freely and generously as you can. Just to be clear, we’d love for you to give to the church, but that’s not the whole point here - the point is to encourage you to challenge the power that money holds over our society. Giving money away is an act of generosity, an act of gratitude, an act of service, and an act of rebellion. Make the conscious choice to be generous - whether it’s to St Michael’s, or Anglican Missions, or World Vision - give to organisations that are seeking to bring God’s kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven

Consider HOW you’re giving your money away. Rebecca and I have chosen for our donations to go out of our accounts on the same day we’re paid - that way the money is gone, and not there tempting us. But there is also power in actively going to withdraw cash from your account and placing it in the offertory bag, or in the buckets of street collectors - so if you’re at the stage where online transactions no longer feel like active giving, then you might want to consider going old school and using cash.

Practice random acts of kindness. Offer to pay for someone’s groceries at the supermarket if you notice them struggling, or having to decide what they keep and what they return. Find a cafe that lets you preorder a meal for those in need.

If you find yourself in a position of having surprise money in your account, then pray about what to do with it. It might be some money that’s been gifted to you, or your donation tax creditsCan you act in generosity with it towards someone, or an organisation?

I’m also fully aware that for so many people money is not something that binds them in terms of accumulating wealth - but that there is just not enough to go around - and there are those too who feel they have a healthy relationship with money. So, here are some things you might want to consider:

Are you able to use your time and energy to serve others? Whether it be doing something here at St Michael’s, or helping another charity with a street appeal, or helping with lunches at the community centre, or just being present to lonely and isolated people?

Can you practice non-financial random acts of kindness? Bless people by smiling at them as you’re out walking (but not being creepy about it!), or letting people out ahead of you when you’re driving, or offering to help someone who is struggling physically to take their groceries to the car? There are so many ways we can bless other people without needing to spend a cent.

Offering hospitality - like we talked about last week even if it’s just a cup of tea or the offer of a catch up.

Whatever you do, do it with the expectation that it will draw you closer to Jesus. May you follow Jesus so closely that you’re covered in the dust of your rabbi.

Let me pray, using the words of a song ‘in the light of your mercy’.

In the light of your mercy, we offer up our lives, all we are, for you. In the power of your Spirit a living sacrifice, all we are, for you.

We bring the work of our hands, our dreams and our plans, the fruit of our lips, our talents and gifts; our kindness and care, the knowledge we share, the money we make, all our small steps of faith.

We bring our doubts and our fears, our joys and our tears, our failings and flaws, for you see it all; the whole of our lives we offer through Christ, may our worship be true, bringing glory to you.