Introduction
Many years ago a couple came for prayers. The wife complained about her husband’s dishonesty in their marriage. I started to counsel them and eventually found that the root cause of all these ordeals began with the love of money. The husband was a young business man who always dreams to be a millionaire. His target was to earn a million dollars in order to secure the future of a family of three. Fortunately and unfortunately, his dream came to reality in just a few years. Fortunate because he became a millionaire just at his thirties. Unfortunate because in his mind a new plan began to take place. He thought it was after all not that difficult to get a million dollars, why not get another million since he was still young. Forgetting what he had promised to his wife and daughter, he began going all out again. This time, he expanded his business overseas. I do not need to tell you the rest of the story. His wife began to worry and eventually furious as she found things were getting out of hand. At few desperate moments, she almost took her life and her daughter’s.
What has gone wrong? Is money seeking wrong? Can we dream to be rich?
Another story was told about a company manager was sent for a business trip overseas. After those daily business dealings, people are invited to join for beers and nightlife activities to entertain customers. This man being a strong Christian decided not to join the crowd but stay in the hotel to have his own quiet time. To his colleagues, he seemed to be isolated, like a dull dissocialised lone ranger. To himself, he had great struggle whether to stand alone to please the Lord he serves or to please his boss and colleagues by joining them in their worldly activities. After the business trip, he was called into his boss’ office one day. When the boss handed him an envelope, he thought this time would be the end of his career. To his surprise, he found in the envelope a promotion letter from the boss. Asking why, the boss praised him for his strong will to stand alone even in such difficult and pressurised situation.
The above two stories had similar plots where the two persons involved, had chances to get rich and popular. The first one seemed to get them but eventually almost lost his family. The second one seemed to lose his job and friendship yet eventually gained respect from the boss and others. What a life paradox we can learn from here.
Today gospel reading sounds similar with Matthew 5 – 7. We generally called Matthew 5:1-10 the beatitude of Christ. It is all about the attitude that God wants us to have towards things and issues of the world we are in. It is all about the right attitude of those who are called blessed.
1. Some observations
As recorded in the earlier part of Luke 6, when Jesus had called his disciples, great multitude of people from all over the places came to him. Jesus performed miracles of healing and deliverance and many people got healed. Jesus did not stop there but continue to challenge those who truly wanted to follow him.
The words of Jesus seem stark and inexplicable when one first reads them. "Blessed are you who are poor. Blessed are you who hunger now. Blessed are you who weep now. Blessed are you when men hate you." And, "Woe to you who are rich. Woe to you who are well fed now. Woe to you who laugh now. Woe too when all men speak well of you."
The words seem stark and inexplicable, because they seem at first to contradict common sense. Who would willingly choose the "blessed" circumstances of poverty, hunger, weeping, persecution and hatred? What’s wrong with people who are rich and well fed? Why can’t people have laughter and be well spoken of?
2. What are the lessons?
To understand Jesus’ words, we need to realize that he was not trying to show the contrasts between two sets of circumstances, but between ways people react to life in this world. The contrast is between the saints and other people, and what gives meaning to each group. We can state the two principles that Jesus communicates quite simply: The saints understand that nothing in this world can satisfy them but are happy anyway. Other people are satisfied with what this world has to offer but are always miserable.
We know, for example, that there is nothing wrong with riches. As Paul said, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Tim. 6:17-19 NIV).
That is to say Paul acknowledged there were rich people among the saints and he charged them with right attitude and manner of how shall they use their wealth for the welfare of the church and the body of Christ. So Jesus was not condemning wealth when He pronounced woe on the rich. It is a love of money which is a root of every evil, not money itself. 1 Tim. 6:10 reminds us -- 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 grieves.” In desiring wealth, in fixing one's heart on money, a person opens himself up to temptation and calamity.
Conclusion
Today, as we celebrate All Saints Day, may God help us to understand what it means to be saint and the applications in our daily living. The term “saints” was first mentioned in Matthew 27:52 and only time in the 4 gospel, connecting with the resurrection of Jesus, “and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised.” (ASV). The term here is believed referring the OT saints of God.
Followed on, “saints” were mentioned 3 times in Acts chapter 9 and 1 time in Act chapter 26 and they all referred to the followers of Jesus in general. Paul used the term “saints” for more than 40 times in his letters where 9 times in Romans and Ephesians respectively. And all of them referred to the faithful including you and me as Paul said we are no more strangers and sojourners, but we are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God (cf. Eph 2:19) and one day Christ shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (cf. 2 Thess 1:10).
The term “saints” and its variations come from ἅγιος (hagios). It can be used to denote people or objects set apart by God. Whatever or whoever being set apart by God with specific purposes is called holy and respected not because of the quality of the person or the object. For instance, when the priest or prophet is set apart, it is God who did all of it and has nothing to do with the merit of the person. Similarly, when a temple, an altar or anything used for worship is being set apart, it has nothing to do with the quality of the building or object.
By saying this, we do not mean the quality of people or object being set apart is not important. For the term ἅγιος (hagios) also carries the quality of character building. In such a case, it means holiness or sanctification. For instance God said to his people, be holy (ἅγιοι) because I am holy (ἅγιος) (Lev 19:2; 1Pet 1:16).
Let us first of all know that we are all saints, separated from the world and consecrated to God. This is what we called positional holiness. Secondly, we must be holy as God is holy. This is practical or personal holiness which is a gradual process towards perfection. The third aspect of holiness is the future perfection yet to come. It will only be happened when we see Christ face to face where we would be totally sanctified.
In short, the positional holiness is all about our faith in Christ while the personal holiness is about love towards God and others where perfect holiness is our hope eternally.
So, it is nothing wrong to be rich. It is only wrong when we think that money is everything and forget others including God himself. It does not matter whether we are rich or poor. The matter is how can we be effective saints of Christ in this world. It does not matter how people look at us. The matter is how are we reacting to people’s criticism and even persecution for Christ’s sake.
May God help us to fulfil his purpose for us in his own ways and his own terms. Amen.
