Reflection
Money, Money, Money.
Martin Luther once said, ‘There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, the conversion of the mind and the conversion of the purse.’ And someone has worked out that of Jesus’ forty parables, eleven are about money, or the use of money, as a way to point to a spiritual truth.
It’s interesting to think about how our attitudes to money have been formed in childhood. My father was a teacher and my mother was what would now be called a ‘stay at home Mum’. Money was not scarce when I was young, but my parents had grown up in situations where they had to be very careful with money. They had both known war, rationing and financial insecurity. I remember camping and caravanning holidays as a child when there was great rejoicing when we paid two and six a night rather than five shillings a night for our campsite! Their attitudes to money have influenced me. I instinctively want to be careful with money. Recently I made a decision that I no longer needed to charge for the spiritual accompaniment I offer to a few people in the U.K. But it was a real struggle. I wanted to hold on to this little bit of income. It was ‘mine’. And this was not just about financial security, but ego’s desire to have. We are in the process of moving back to the U.K. at the moment and we have all sorts of big financial decisions to make about houses and cars… Ahh!
Jesus has some very uncomfortable things to say about our use of money. ‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ Matthew 6. 19-21. He challenges us to look at our priorities. What does treasure mean to us? And there can be a huge difference here between our ‘espoused theology’ and our ‘operant theology’. We can say what we think we should believe, and then act in a completely different way!
Comparing the account of Jesus’ meeting with Zacchaeus and his meeting with a ‘rich young man’ is informative and scary. Zacchaeus, the financial operator who got rich quick through working for the occupying power, discovered a different sort of treasure and immediately declared his intention to give away a large chunk of his wealth, atoning practically for his financial sins. The righteous young man went away sad because he could not give away his money and be free to follow Jesus.
How many sermons have you heard about the right use of money? How many sermons have I preached? It’s awkward. We don’t want to talk about it. One cultural difference between British people and French people is that French people will ask how much money you paid for your house and how much you earn. Perhaps we need a little of that sort of openness as we consider the spiritual implications of how we use our money.