Tag: greed

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Oil and Whine

Daily Reading

Mark 14

Daily Thought

When a woman poured a flask of very expensive ointment on the head of Jesus, he accepted her offering as fitting and good, “She has done a beautiful thing to me” (Mark 14:6), but some in the room objected, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor” (Mark 14:4-5). In criticizing the woman, they actually demeaned Jesus. The oil, they said, could have been put to better use. The woman thought it best used for Jesus, no matter the cost. Besides, you cannot waste love.

One of those in the room, Judas Iscariot, however, put a price on Jesus, and “went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. They were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him” (Mark 14:10-11). To Judas, Jesus was a commodity, worth 30 pieces of silver. He came to Jesus for what he could get out of Jesus. But the woman adored Jesus–to her, Jesus was her Savior and Lord, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. She looked to gain nothing, but to give her all. If the woman had any regrets about emptying her jar of perfume on Jesus, it would be that she did not have more.

Daily Prayer

My God and Savior, what is amazing is that You gave Your all for me before I cared. You poured out Your blood for my sake, an act of love I can barely fathom. I am learning more about You, knowing You better each day, following more faithfully, loving You more fully. It is a lifetime of growth, but there is no better life to live.

My desire, Jesus, is to empty myself for You, as You did for me; to give up my desires and replace them with Yours; to lose myself in Your love for others; and to worship You by giving myself to You completely.

Amen

Daily Question

When have you loved someone without any thought of what you get back?

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Cut the Cake

Daily Reading

Psalm 9-16

Daily Thought

Everyone wanted the bigger piece of cake so mom came up with a fair system: one child cuts the cake, the other chooses the first piece. The trick was to cut the cake at a slant so one piece looks bigger, but is actually smaller. Both children sought the advantage and neither wanted mom cutting the cake because she might be fair. To be honest, neither wanted more cake–just more than the other.

Watch Congress reline the districts or nations draw up treaties. No one aims for fair and there are no straight lines. The Hatfields and McCoys keep fighting not to get even, but to get even plus a little more. “Ties,” snarls the football coach, “are like kissing your sister,” and the system favors the devils. “Nice guys finish last” is how Leo Durocher saw it. 

So, nasty ones finish first? “For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul. His ways prosper at all times” (Psalm 10:3, 5), and for a time, it seems, the wicked win. That’s our system, the system of advantage, of fair plus a little more. “The one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord’” (Psalm 10:3). He doesn’t want “mom” cutting the cake, and he gets the bigger piece, for awhile. 

Remember when Abraham divided the land between him and his nephew Lot? He let Lot choose, “so Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east” (Genesis 13:11), toward the land of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot chose what pleased his eyes, perhaps the bigger piece, but not the better.

Who cares about more cake! Beware greed for it will turn your eyes toward what the wicked possess and away from what the Lord provides. 

“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance” ~Psalm 16:5-6

Daily Prayer

My God, there is nothing in this world that satisfies me. For a brief time, I find something fun, but then I want something more or something else, and I spend my life looking. Until I found You, or I should say, You found me. I wasn’t looking for You, but when You showed up, suddenly there was peace and contentment, strength and worth, a hope and a future. Now I have nothing to gain because You are all I seek. And I have nothing to lose because You provide all I need. I have stopped looking and started living. The life You give is truly abundant and overflowing.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” ~Psalm 16:11

Amen

Daily Question

Does greed or God play a bigger role in the choices you make?

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The Deadlier Disease

Daily Reading

2Kings 4-5

Daily Thought

Naaman, commander of the army of Aram, showed up at the door of Elisha with power. Horses and chariots, silver and gold. He also showed up with leprosy. Naaman thought himself a great man and should be treated as such. God, however, is not impressed with power and Elisha, the prophet of God, instead treated the leper, not the great man, “Go, wash yourself in the river.” Naaman went away angry. Naaman was a hero and expected a hero’s cure, something flashy in keeping with his stature. “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper” (2Kings 5:11). Naaman thought his problem was leprosy. Elisha treated a deadlier disease called pride.

A Roman centurion, a great man and mighty warrior, showed up at the door of Jesus with his servant who was paralyzed and suffering. “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:8). God is not impressed with power, but delights in humility and faith. Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment (Matthew 8:13).

I come to God to fix my problems, my illnesses, my finances, my enemies. Instead, God treats the deadlier disease, my pride, my greed, my lust. That’s the miracle. 

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, why do I try to impress You with what I can do? As if I can bring anything to You that You need. You created all things, You own the cattle on a thousand hills. It’s not because You have any need that You delight in my company. You simply delight in my company. I don’t understand that, but I’m thrilled.

God, thank you for healing my heart. I bring nothing to You except my faith, my devotion, my obedience, and my love.

Amen