Read today’s texts first: Job 25; Mark 13,14
The dividends from serving God are out of this world!
I remember a message by Barry McGaffin, my brother-in-law, to PLBC students about the greatest job in the world – being a pastor. He didn’t hide the fact that the job doesn’t usually pay that well, at least not in material rewards. He did say, however, that the benefits are out-of-this-world! Candidates for church leadership must settle the God vs. mammon issue.
These conflicting values are illustrated by two back-to-back stories in Mark 14: Mary anointing Christ’s feet and Judas betraying Him. I never related these stories before, but they are both about money, one about lavish giving and the other about greed.
We know the woman mentioned in Mark is Mary of Bethany because of the account in John 12. We also know from the same source that the one complaining about the cost of the perfume was Judas Iscariot. The reason he gives is that this perfume was worth almost a year’s worth of wages and that she could have given this to help the poor. John points out that Judas was trying to justify his outrage with righteous indignation, but he was really only concerned for himself. He loved money more than Jesus, and that’s why he was willing to kiss Jesus good-by for thirty pieces of silver.
Jesus had commended this same Mary earlier for knowing the “one thing” that was needed: loving God is the first and greatest commandment. Money, mammon, material things must take a back-seat if Jesus is in the driver’s seat. Since I said yes to a life devoted to ministry over fifty years ago, I’ve never lacked for anything. I could have had more money if I had become a business owner, as originally planned, but I wouldn’t have been happier. I have had the greatest job in the world, and my job satisfaction has nothing to do with financial remuneration. Loving God and obeying His call is the one thing, the only thing I need to care about!
“Lord, remind me to keep your resources flowing through me, not to me. The costs of following You are high, but worth every denarii!”
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