The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void. “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. (Luke 16:14-18 ESV)
As Jesus confronts us about our self-centered living, our defense mechanisms kick in. We can try to fool man, but we cannot fool God. When we look for loopholes in how we use our resources, He doesn't need to look far for all sorts of holes in our lifestyle - other sins we seek to justify. Finances are just a symptom of a deeper cause - our desire to live selfishly, breaking from from God's laws. As much as we like to beat up on the Pharisees and point fingers at their hypocrisy, that is not Jesus' intent. He wants us to look at our own hearts for greed, selfishness and rebellion, allow Him to come in and clean it up, and to rule and reign as King. We need to give up self and stuff for the Savior.
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