The
Bible is packed with the unconventional, and perhaps none more
so, than here. Health, wealth, and fame are at the
epicenter of the human psyche. Even Christians esteem
these three high if garnered by GOD'S blessing.
"The blessing of the LORD, it maketh
rich, and HE addeth no sorrow with it."
The
common paradigm is to pursue riches, assuming that they will
spawn the other two. Truth is however, that real
"riches, and honour, and life"
are inseparable, and if indeed one has them, they make up the triune blessing of
GOD. "For the love of money is
the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have
erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many
sorrows." Innumerable are the unspoken epithets which
expose the: riches, shame, and death of those who would divide
and conquer these on their own.
The sin of course, is not in having money, but in money having us ... and
the manner in which we aspire and the very aspirations
themselves betray what has who.
"... if riches increase, set not your heart upon them."
The world teaches us to assert ourselves and climb the ladder
... GOD teaches us to humble ourselves and bow the knee.
Both promise the aspired end, but the outcome could not be more
diametric. The former comes packaged in stress, pride,
tumult, envy, sickness, ad infinitum, ad nauseam; the latter
arrives gift-wrapped of GOD.
"...
who will commit to your trust the true riches?"
Our LORD'S question implies that there are false riches, does it
not? Real wealth is found in the dividend of investing in
others. And after all, dollar
bills would become an unsightly litter on streets of gold, would
they not?
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures
upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves
break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure
is, there will your heart be also."