No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Matthew 6:24
“Possessions are not inherently evil and are not forbidden to disciples. God provides wealth. Problems, however, often arise at both individual and corporate levels. When they are absolutized by individuals and become idolatrous, then possessions are problematic (interfering with love of God). When they are not shared within the community, they are problematic (interfering with love of neighbor). It is not the possession of property as such that is the problem but rather wealth that has become an idol. It is enslavement to earthly possessions that cannot be brought into harmony with service of God. The ethical issue, then, is, are your priorities straight about possessions?”
Charles H. Talbert in Reading the Sermon on the Mount: Character Formation and Decision Making in Matthew 5-7 (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2004) 125.
My class at Northern Seminary wrapped up well this past weekend. The students came to grips with the fact that is noted rightly here by Talbert: We either make wealth and possessions our slave (by having our priorities right and using them according to God’s purposes) or we are a slave to wealth and possessions (which severs our relationship with God and neighbor).
Pray a prayer with me for them and for each “daily meditation” reader today: God help my students and everyone reading this to resolve to relate rightly to possessions so that their relationship with you and with their neighbors exhibits love and sharing rather than idolatry and hoarding. Make it so by your Holy Spirit I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.