Dear Ones, in the Gospel reading for the 3rd Sunday after Pascha, we hear from an important section (Matthew 6:22-33) of our Lord’s famous “Sermon on the Mount”. This section is perhaps one of my favorite parts of Holy Scripture, and I prescribe it often to be read by people who are suffering from some sort of anxiety about a particular situation in their life. But in truth, this section of the sermon isn’t about anxiety…its rather about something that our Lord spends quite a bit of time talking about in His ministry: Money!
Money, possessions, mammon, treasures…these are all words that have a significant impact in each and every one of our lives. It doesn't matter if you have a lot of it, or just a few pennies to your name, how we react to our own wealth (or a lack thereof) has a significant impact on the way that we live our lives as Christians. So I thought I would offer this morning 3 important points our Lord makes this morning when it comes to money.
First, Christ speaks to us, living in the richest nation in the world (where even our poor are considered rich by much of the world’s standards) and says: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.”
The “eye” Christ is speaking about is another word for attitude. Put another way, He is saying that your attitude towards wealth will either bring you tremendous light or tremendous darkness.
What is our attitude towards wealth? Do we give thanks to God for what we have? Or are we always seeking something that we do not have? A good eye…a good attitude towards wealth…is one of gratitude and generosity. This is how we as Christians need to live out our lives, not seeking after what others have, but rather glorifying God for what He has already given us.
The second thing our Lord tells us, is that the acquisition of wealth can be an addiction. He is not talking about gambling addictions or dreaming of hitting the lottery…but rather is pointing out how we cannot serve both an addiction and God at the same time. This truly goes for all addictions…whether it’s money, pornography, alcohol, marijuana/drugs, gluttony…whatever the addiction, we become slaves to it.
“No one is able to serve as slave to two lords; for either he will hate one and love the other; or he will give his attention to one and despise the other. You are not able to serve both God and Mammon (the Hebrew word for wealth)”
When it comes to our wealth, we have to be careful dear ones, of what it is we are seeking in this life. Power? Wealth? Influence? Comfort? Or are we seeking first the Kingdom of God…and freedom from the slavery that an addiction to wealth can create.
Finally, Christ points to a realization which should make all of us breathe a little easier.
I was reading from the works of Bishop Augoustinos of Greece this past week, who was commenting on one of St. Paul’s Epistles, where he says that “God is rich…(not with billions of dollars) with mercy. “ His Grace said:
“Certainly, God is very rich. He is the only one who could be called rich. But O how different He is from the “rich” of this world! Everything He made, He didn’t make for Himself, but for mankind. And he made it all in abundance, so that nothing would be lacking!”
In other words, God pours forth his riches upon all of creation, giving every living thing everything they need in this life.
Are you hungry? Here is fruit from the trees, bread from the field, milk from the cows, fish from the river, and meat from the animals.
Are you Thirsty? Here is water from the sky, filtered by the reeds, and filling the rivers and the lakes. Drink and be satisfied!
Are you cold? Here is cotton from the fields, and wool from the sheep to make clothing, to protect yourself from the harshness of the weather.
Are you sick? Here are herbs from the earth and medicines to cool the fever.
Are you bored? Look around and gaze at the beauty of the world. Gaze at the stars and wonder at the grandeur of the heavens. Listen to the music of the birds, and the movement of the ocean waves.
Are you sad or experiencing one of life’s many trials? I give you the Church, acting as a blanket to comfort you and to pull you through your losses.
Not only do we have the ability to taste food, see the sky, smell the flowers, and feel the grass beneath our feet, but God has also given us a brain to think and to judge with. We were given a conscience to decipher what is right and wrong. We were given the riches of freedom to choose good or evil. We were given wealth through the Holy Scripture and the church, to illuminate our paths so that we don’t get lost!
When we look at our lives with clear eyes, and with true 20/20 vision, each and every one of us in this room…whether we drive a Corvette or a Pinto…live in an 8 bedroom mansion or a small home…whether we have 2 million dollars in a 401k or have not even a penny to our name…all of us by virtue of being made in the image and likeness of God…are truly rich in the only things that matters.
Our Lord ends his short discourse on wealth in the sermon on the mount by answering the question: What does it mean to be rich? To be rich, is to fully participate and be in communion with something we already are rich with…the mercies of God, who has given us EVERYTHING we need to draw closer to Him.
May our Lord continue to enrich our lives in this way, and in this way only…now and forever, Amen