The Least of These- Day 3

Greed. 

It fuels our society.  Money talks, and in our world today, sometimes it yells.  The "American Dream" is characterized by financial success, and the implied happiness that follows.  We are never satisfied with what we have.  We want to "super size" everything and are always looking for the best deal or bargain.  More... we are always looking for more.

But what about believers?  Should we allow greed to be a motivating factor in our lives?  And if not, what is the cure for our human nature that is always wanting more?

"Then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy- full of greed and wickedness!  Fools!  Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside?  So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor and you will be clean all over.  What sorrow awaits you Pharisees!  For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God.  You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the important things."
Luke 11:39-42

The Pharisees were super-religious.  They were the crew that went to church every Sunday and followed all the rules... and there were a lot of them.  They were admired and esteemed.  People looked to them for guidance and as examples of godly men.  But Jesus saw through their act.  He knew their hearts, and what else did he see but GREED.  They were greedy.  They loved money.  Oh, of course they paid their tithe like they were supposed to.  But tithe is meant to be a minimum that we should give to the Lord. It's what was done out of obligation, not out of love.

Here Jesus addresses their greed and their belief that following rules was more important than justice and mercy.  Jesus wanted to make sure that they understood that to be true children of God, our lives will be impacted by His love.  He wasn't saying that giving to the poor would be what makes you a believer in God.  He was saying that generosity that flows from the heart is a sign of a true believer.  When generosity to the least of these fuels where our money and energy go rather than greed, our focus is shifted off of "self" and onto justice, mercy and compassion- the "important things". 

Whether or not you have a lot of money right now, the choices you make about what you do with what you have are a good sign of whether you are motivated by greed or by love.  Following religious rules won't get you anywhere.  Living a life of love and generosity will lead you straight to the heart of the Father.