Friday 08 June 2012

Background

How often do you compromise? I know I do from time to time: if Ijust call and see this person who I know will welcome me with openarms perhaps I can leave that difficult person down the road for abit longer before I need to go. This is a simple example from myown life. Of course today's passage is about more than this rathertrivial example from a guilty minister: it is about the way inwhich the smallest dishonest deed can escalate until such actsbecome almost commonplace.

For example, a person turns up at the photocopier in the office oneday to print some private papers; there is a book for registeringthe copying and a tin for the money. The person concerned finishesthe work then searches their pocket for the money, none there, "Ohwell," they say, "no one will notice that five pieces of paper havegone, I'll pay next time." The next time comes and this time it ismore copies and the same thing happens. Soon such action becomeshabitual and the registration book is never even noticed, and thedishonesty has become entrenched.

Self-justification is a trap into which all of us are likely tofall from time to time. and The words under consideration todayare, I suspect, intended to draw the reader to reflect on wheretheir responsibility lies, not only in the use of money, but alsoin relation to the priority given to God and the principles laiddown by Jesus.

Whether it be in using the photocopier without payment, or fiddlingexpenses claims, about a small white lie or a massive whopper toget us out of trouble, all of these are condemned in this passage.Such activities are the things of mammon we are told (verse 13),and the disciple is called to move away from serving the world toserving God, for it is impossible, to serve God and mammon.

To Ponder

Are lies, whether white or otherwise, everjustified? Why?

In what ways have you compromised in your faithin Christ?

Is it possible to serve the world and God? How?Or, for that matter, why?