Mammon Is Like Gravity

Many years ago, somewhere in the seventies, I was working for a Christian bookstore called Crossroads. One day we were visited by a young and zealous member of a group called the Children of God, and I vividly remember our conversation on the sidewalk outside the store. He asked if I had a job, a car, etc. I said that I did. He told me that I was not a real Christian because Jesus said that whoever did not give up absolutely everything could not be His disciple (Luke 14:33).

Instead of arguing the exegesis with him, I reached over and tugged on his sweater (for he was clothed, contrary to what he had just said Jesus required), and asked, “Whose is this?” He was startled, not expecting any questions of that nature. I asked again. “Who does this belong to?” He said nothing because he didn’t know what to say, and so I helped him out. I said, “This belongs to Jesus, right? And He is letting you borrow it? Is that how it works?” He was greatly relieved, and said yes, he was borrowing it. I said that was how it was with my job and my car. I was borrowing them from Jesus.

I also remember that at one point in the conversation, he asked if we could give him a Bible. Crossroads was a Christian bookstore literature ministry, so I said sure thing. I went inside, got one for him, and brought it back out. But the Bible I brought him wasn’t good enough. He asked if he could have a nice one, you know, leather-bound? And I don’t think I have trusted people who glibly cite Luke 14:33 ever since.

* * *

For you see, they are never (in my experience) citing that passage in order to explain why they have just given everything away to the poor. They are always citing it because they need for you to do something. Leather would be nice.

* * *

Mammon is like gravity, and can act across distances. You don’t have to have it in your hands to be in the grip of it. It doesn’t have to be in your hands for you to be in its hands.

* * *

Wealth enables you to sit on top of the world (Dt. 8:18). Mammon enables the world to sit on top of you (Matt. 6:24).

* * *

God doesn’t mind His people having money at all. But He does mind money having His people.

* * *

God also minds the previous two proverbs being used to justify Mammon having you by the throat.

* * *

God also minds hatred of those two proverbs being used to justify Mammon having you by the throat.

* * *

Some idols — like Molech and Baal — are idols we must never see again after we have repented. Other idols — like your wife and your money — must be loved rightly after repentance.

* * *

Ordinary Christians are routinely upbraided for their lack of sacrificial generosity, when they are virtually the only ones paying the salaries of professional mercifiers. The mercifiers use heart-rending pictures of the poor to induce donations, which are nice donations but not quite as much as Jesus demanded (Luke 14:33). These pictures of the poor are tulchans. A tulchan is a stuffed calfskin that induces a cow to let down its milk. Donors are the (very guilty) cows, the poor are the tulchan posters, and the mercifiers are the dairymen. America is such a gorgeous meadow.

* * *

The downtrodden are a gold mine.

* * *

And Judas wondered why that ostentatious ointment was not sold appropriately, and donated for the relief of the poor (John 12:4-5). For Judas had the mercy patter down, and he was the treasurer, and used to skim as he deemed appropriate (John 12:6). And did we mention that Judas kept the bag (John 13:29)?

* * *

A certain kind of mercy mindedness and embezzling are first cousins.

* * *

I said mercy mindedness. I should have said mercy mouthiness. God loves mercy mindedness.

* * *

Guilt-motivated giving will go just far enough to make the guilt go away, which usually runs about $20. Gratitude-motivated giving runs for a lifetime, and seeks nothing other than to spread the grace and goodness of God.

* * *

Giving from gratitude feeds and nourishes the desire to give some more. Giving from guilt torments it.

* * *

The blessing of the Lord makes us wealthy, and He adds no sorrow to it (Prov. 10:22).

* * *

The sorrow is added by somebody else. Watch that man closely.