Monday, October 11, 2004

Jesus links personal holiness to getting rid of your money...

I wanted to note this passage because it was making me think today:

37As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. 38His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the ceremonial washing required by Jewish custom. 39Then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are still filthy--full of greed and wickedness! 40Fools! Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside? 41So give to the needy what you greedily possess, and you will be clean all over.

42"But how terrible it will be for you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income,[8] but you completely forget about justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things.


At some point I should write what it was making me think...

1 comment:

jen lemen said...

as we say in the ghetto over here, word.
i often think that it's all the crap i have that is weighing me down. along with all the ways i have internalized the american value of acquiring stuff and wealth as a lifelong central goal. everything revolves around that. is there any other way to live? what if i *don't* buy a house? what if i decide i don't care about arranging my money to get richer and richer? will i feel free-er or will that make me a bad steward? i don't know. but i am convinced that what i greedily possess is killing me.