Treasure


"The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind." — Gordon Gekko, "Wall Steet" (1987)

Today we continued out T3 series with a look at treasure. When it comes to money, it's always a hard subject to talk about, especially in church it seems. That is especially true when it comes to how the world values money.

I started this post with a quote from "Wall Street." It's probably one of the most oft-quoted sections of the movie. Optimists would say that the quote is oft repeated because people find it a distasteful analysis of our culture. True as that may be, it seems to accurately reflect the way our culture views money, and the lust for material wealth.

This, of course, runs contrary to the Bible. This week in Faith in Film I looked at "There Will Be Blood." One of the most striking things about that film is that it chronicles two main characters who are both singularly driven by a lust for material wealth and power. And that lust destroys them, and destroys everything they've tried to build. It is hard to watch, but it is an accurate reflection of the terminal end of that line of thought.

That is why the Bible warns against storing up treasures in this life and the lust for material wealth. Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Some extrapolate from this that money is evil. But it's not money that's evil, money is a means to an end. It's the love of money that becomes the root of evil. It's about the condition of your heart.

Paul was the first great missionary of the Scriptures. What I love about the passage in 1 Corinthians that we looked at today is the spirit behind his words. Through their faithful giving, the church demonstrated their faith and furthered the work of the Kingdom. The same is true for us today.

Giving faithfully — of time, talent, and especially our treasure — is a reflection of our faith. After all, where you place your treasure is where your heart truly lies.

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