The new pastor, anxious to make an impact in his new church, preached a fiery sermon on the evils and dangers of gossip. As people left, they reminded him that many of the members of the congregation were politicians. They should not be angered. The next week he preached on the dangers of smoking, only to be reminded that there were many tobacco farmers in the church. The third week, he preached against drinking, and was told that the president of the congregation was the foreman at the local whiskey distillery. The fourth week he preached on the evils of offshore oil drilling. No one objected. It was no matter that impacted their wallets.
Martin Luther is credited to having said that there are three conversions. He is quoted as saying, “People go through three conversions: The conversion of their head, their heart, and their pocketbook. Unfortunately, not all at the same time.” He says that we need to have our purses or pocketbooks baptized. This conversion had decidedly not been the case with Demetrius and the silversmiths of Ephesus. He is no-bones-about-it concerned that the message of Jesus would undercut his profits. It didn’t make any difference that these prophets fed on the false notions of idol worship. All that these artisans did was make money in exchange for overpriced pieces of silver.
An otherwise very friendly and gracious gentleman became quite offended that I would talk about money. He even advised me to quit speaking of it. Another member told me that his parents said, “He ain’t gettin’ my money.” As though any preaching about giving or our use of money was somehow lining my own pocket.
Very early in my ministry I had to go to the elders and ask for a raise. I showed them my budget and he was truly shocked. “We’ll do something about this,” he said. I was making less than a first year public school teacher at the time. When another member of that church heard of my concerns, he said, “Don’t they take a vow of poverty?” Well, I didn’t become a pastor in order to get rich, but I didn’t take a vow of poverty. And the degree of financial blessings we have received has allowed us to be generous over the years. We have learned the secret of the economy of God. “Seek first his kingdom,” Jesus says, “and all these things [the wherewithal to live and thrive] will be added to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
Several years ago I learned that the shock jock radio personality Howard Stern was thinking of running for president. He decided to give up that quest when he learned that he would have to provide a financial disclosure. The guy who revealed the most salacious and sensational things that a man can reveal considered revealing his financial doings to be too revealing! That was meddlin’.
A question a friend likes to ask, “How’s God been messing with you lately?” So, is he meddlin’? With you?