Following the Call
Kingdom Priorities
God or Mammon
Pages 258-265
TOGETHER read the devotional and the scripture.
INDIVIDUALLY take notes in your journal on what stands out.
Luke 19:1-10 (NIV) Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NIV) But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
TOGETHER pray for one another.
INDIVIDUALLY answer the questions in your journal - process your devotional notes and pray.
This chapter argues that money is not just a neutral medium of exchange. Do you agree or disagree?
What do you think of Arnold’s claim that “money and love are mutually exclusive”?
What changes could you make in your life to demonstrate your allegiance to God and not to mammon?
EXTRA READING:
“That mystery the Jews traduce (speak badly of or tell lies about (someone) so as to damage their reputation), the Greeks deride (to laugh at or show no respect for someone or something, because you think they are stupid or of no value), but we adore. For it is a fact that the more unbelievers pour scorn on him, so much the more does he make his Godhead evident. Thus by what seems his utter poverty and weakness on the cross, he overturns the pomp and unbelievers to recognize him as God.”
- Athanasius of Alexandria (298 - 373)