Jesus Warns Us to Guard Against Greed These are the readings for the Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost.
| God's Word for This Week "I'm a little envious," we claim. It is far worse. Envy is wishing God were not so good to someone else while ignoring how good God is to us. And our greed? "Greed is idolatry," God says (Colossians 3:5). Still, God in Christ provides for all our needs, including the greatest—forgiveness of sin. He places proper priorities in the repentant believer's heart. God even promises everlasting treasure in his holy presence, all by his grace.
| Traditional First Lesson – Amos 5:6,7, 11-15 Amos addresses people who had lost their priorities. What does seeking the Lord involve?
| Seeking the Lord involved giving up the worship of false gods in Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba. For us it means the same—to give up worshiping the false gods of our society. Those gods include sexual immorality, consumerism, selfishness, etc.
| Amos states that we are to "hate evil." When is hate appropriate?
| There is a place among Christians for righteous anger. Following Christ Jesus means loving what God loves and hating what God hates. God gives us his Word to guide us in our thought life. When you think about it, hell is God's righteous wrath that burns forever on those who reject his gospel of salvation.
| Supplemental First Lesson – 2 Kings 5:14-27 How did Gehazi, Elisha's servant, lie to Naaman? What did Gehazi request?
| Gehazi lied to Naaman by asking him for clothes and money for two young men from the company of the prophets (perhaps seminary students, in our terms—future pastors). Naaman gave Gehazi about 150 pounds of silver and two sets of clothes—tens of thousands of dollars.
| How much did Elisha know about what Gehazi had done? (See 2 Kings 5:26.)
| Elisha not only knew about Gehazi's deceit, he knew that Naaman had stepped down out of his chariot to speak with Gehazi. He knew that Gehazi had started thinking about the olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, and servants he would soon acquire. In other words, Elisha knew everything. Today, too, God knows everything about our greedy thoughts, words, and actions. We must never try to conceal them but confess them and find mercy in Christ.
| Traditional Second Lesson – Hebrews 3:1-6 Compare Jesus to Moses. In what way is Jesus superior to Moses?
| Moses was God's servant and mediator of the Old Covenant. The Israelites got their identity and status from Moses. Christians get their identity and status from Jesus. Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant. In every way Jesus is superior to Moses.
| What determines if "we are in his house"? What is the "courage and the hope of which we boast"?
| Though Moses was part of the house in which he served, Christ is the builder of the house. Though Moses was a servant in the house, Christ is the head of the house.
| Supplemental Second Reading – Hebrews 13:1-6 As the writer to the Hebrews (Jewish Christians) wrapped up his letter with specific encouragements, which of them had to do with money?
| Many of the writer's encouragements had to do with money: a) being hospitable, b) keeping our lives free from the love of money, c) being content with what God has given us, and d) confidently trusting in the Lord instead of people.
| In Deuteronomy 31:6, aged Moses told his successor, Joshua, something that the writer to the Hebrews says God promises all of us. What was Joshua to trust, according to Hebrews 13:5? And what are we to trust, as well?
| God told Joshua, and God tells us, "Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you."
| Gospel – Mark 10:17-27 What is Jesus trying to accomplish with the request he makes of the rich young ruler?
| The rich young ruler thought he was good enough to get eternal life on his own, so Jesus served the rich young ruler a big helping of law–telling him to go and sell everything he had, give to the poor, then follow his Lord. Jesus wanted the man to see that his possessions had become his god. In doing so, Jesus wanted the young man to despair of being good enough for God on his own, and trust in him.
| What does Jesus want the disciples to realize when he contrasts the camel with the eye of a needle?
| Jewish people in Jesus' day were familiar with the camel as the largest beast of burden they used. They were also aware of just how small the eye of a needle was. When Jesus compared the largest with the smallest, he quickly conveyed the idea that it was impossible by human means to save oneself from sin and enter God's kingdom.
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