Luther on Money

Matthew 6:24

Jesus said, no one can serve two masters. He will either hate the first and love the second, I'll be devoted to the second and despise the first. You cannot serve both God and wealth.

Martin Luther wrote, "that little word 'serve' is key to this verse. It's not sinful to have money or property, a spouse or children, a house or home. But never let possessions possess you. Rather make them the servant and you be the master. Remember what people say about a kind and generous person, they are the masters of their money. Money does not control them, unlike the greedy person who ignores God's word and everything God wants. A greedy person would rather withhold a helping hand than let go of their money. This kind of greed is the mark of a tight fisted, childish, insensitive individual. This kind of person doesn't put their resources to good use, or even enjoy them. They ignore eternal treasures for the sake of temporary ones. They pursue selfish goals and neglect God's word."

I suppose many of Luther's messages fall upon tin ears But of course this one is one of the teachings Jesus taught. There can only be one master in any relationship, we either give ourselves over to God, our neighbor, or the things which control us. I think we're somewhat narrow-minded if we think of this only in terms of possessions. What possesses us can be politics, a sense of what family is, ardent desires, strong urges and wants or pretty much anything that wants to put itself ahead of God in our lives.

The Old Testament word for this is idolatry. In the New Testament both Jesus and St. Paul taught the value of placing oneself into submission . Jesus was never shy about speaking about people's personal values. What we own and how we use what we own is a public way of witnessing to what we value. Generous people go to their reward being seen and known as generous people. Folks who place possessions above people, have their reward in this life and go to their graves forsaken. The choices we make in life, define us beyond our life. Not only that, but they define God for others. If we say we are a Christian and refuse to act like one, what kind of witness do we make? And so Jesus said, make sure that whenever you're in a relationship with something or someone, you recognize who is the master and who is the slave!