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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion January 21, 2006 The Peril of the Prosperous |
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Frontline Devotion for Saturday, January 21, 2006 by Gary Shaffer
"Go sell everything you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven."
I do not think that Christians as a church and Christians as individuals have dealt honestly with the gospel and the importance of Christ's teachings when it comes to the overwhelming contrast between Christian affluence and widespread poverty and hunger in this world. I know that this has been a continual struggle in my personal faith life as I work constantly to integrate my faith with my profession - the practice of architecture. I find it at times almost impossible to comprehend the amount of wealth that so many seemingly ordinary people have accumulated. And in all sincerity, the more I am around those who are far wealthier than I am, I become increasingly more aware of exactly how wealthy I truly am in comparison to the majority of people in our world.
I am continually amazed as I read the statistics that tend to whirl around the articles concerning architecture and the houses we design and build to shelter our families and our lifestyles. The average size of the American family has never been smaller. The average size of the new American home has never been larger, almost triple the size of the average home less than fifty years ago. Facts like: the kitchens in American homes have increased dramatically in size, in cost and in features treated as necessities at a time that we cook less frequently and eat out more often then ever before; the number of persons who have the need to rent not one but numerous storage garages to house the extra things that they are not using and don't have room for in their homes; a single car garage used to be a luxury; now I am challenged to design houses with three, four and even five car garages where the owners want to make sure that the oversized garage doesn't overpower the house - "try to hide it in some way or diminish its impact from the street." After meeting with her clients in their homes, a noted American Architect who has gained a reputation for successfully designing smaller homes, has said that she has felt like telling many of them who have expressed the need for larger houses with lots of storage to accommodate all of their things, "You really don't need a larger house, you need a dumpster!" And while I may be focusing on the aspect of our wealth with which I am most familiar professionally, our abundance affects every part of our lives - our diets, our cars, our leisure activities, our everything.
I appreciate Mark's telling of this encounter with Jesus in comparison to the other gospels because of his inclusion of these words as recorded in verse 21: "And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, 'One thing you lack; go and sell...'" A long time ago I realized that this encounter with Jesus that continues on to include a camel and the eye of the needle, were not meant for "them" but for me. For in this world, all things considered, I am one of the wealthy and I am grateful that as I struggle to lay aside the flotsam and jetsam of this world's treasures and store up for myself treasures in heaven, that in this encounter is a verse that reminds me of the simplest and most powerful truth I have learned in my life to date - Jesus loves me. This is most certainly true. And I need this reminder, daily. And you?
Prayer for the Day: Lord, Jesus help me to remain grateful for all of the gifts that have been given to me. And strengthen in me the understanding that it is only in giving, sharing and being generous with what I have been given that I honor your claim on my life. Thank you Lord for opening my heart to the wealth of the treasure I have waiting for me in heaven and help me Lord to open my heart to be generous with what I have been given here on earth. Amen
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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