Ripped from the Headlines: "Jesus Talks More about Money than Heaven and Hell Combined"

OK.  So this is another rant about giving more money, right?  Well I didn't say it, Jesus did.  It's true that, except for the Kingdom of God, Jesus taught more about money than about Heaven and Hell combined.  In fact, he brought up the subject of money more than He talked about love.  Hard to believe?  Do the research.  Of the 39 parables he taught, eleven of them are about money; nearly one-third. 

Why would Jesus spend that much time on the subject of money?  Because he knew how important it is to us. 

• Did you know that aside from crimes of passion, the greatest motivation for criminal activity is money?
• Did you know that the number one reason people get divorced is because of money problems?

 The reason Jesus spent so much time talking about money was because God's people need wisdom when it come to the subject of personal finances.

Statistics don't lie.  Most Christians don't support the work of the local church and other para-church organizations because they are personally living paycheck to paycheck.  They are up to their eyeballs in debt.  Because of this, they are struggling to even put food on the table, much less invest in the Kingdom of God (Which Jesus spoke about the most).

Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20 (ESV)  ¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Jesus understood that the things of earth are temporary and that, if we are not careful, we will spend all our time focusing on them instead of the things that are eternal. Many people put too much “stock” in our financial system and “store up” all their money in what is essentially a big game of chance.

Jesus understood this.  That is why the the very next verse in Matthew 6 quoted above states, ^"21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

The truth is, How we spend our money reveals who we really are.  People who are the most financially secure are not only smart with their money but they are also generous.  They don't just save for the next disaster, but they also give generously.  And it seems that generosity is the key to a good balance when it comes to money.  That is one way we can "lay up treasures in heaven".  

As we embark on a New Year, I want to encourage you to take a hard look at where you spend your money.  How are you investing in the Kingdom of God?  If the answer to that question is, "Not very much" then maybe you need a financial overhaul.  

The core mission of Jesus was love, acceptance and forgiveness but now, more than ever, we can appreciate why He spent so much time talking about money. Thankfully, unlike the news, His words are clear. Winning principles are there to not only be read, but utilized as well.<sup>1 

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1 http://smyrna.patch.com by Michael Packer, July 24, 2011</sup>