What do we value, and how do our values 'work'?
Think about the things we treasure in terms of …
Moth
Rust
Thieves
& Heart
Think about the things we look at and our
eyes
A Lamp
Our Body
Healthy Light?
Unhealthy Darkness?
Thinking about what we serve
Masters
God and Wealth
Hate and Love
Devoted and Despise
Think about Worry.
Birds?
You are of more value than you.
Think about Worry.
Flowers?
They have all they need.
Don’t worry.
Strive for God-space
Don’t worry.
Today.
It is a different type of economics theory
that deals with questions of the heart, of anxiety, values, security and the way
we look at things.
I cringe when our politicians describe our
nation as being “an economy”.
As if we describe ourselves by the way money
decisions are made, rather than by communities, neighbourhoods or terms that
describe people and their relationships.
Yes, I may sometimes be a consumer,
but I am always a citizen.
We have an economy, not, we have one.
And there is no such thing as “Compassionate
Capitalism”, only compassionate people.
Think about the Sermon on the Mount:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed
are the meek, the humble, the merciful, the peacemakers.”
It is about the creation of a
new community, around Jesus.
This new world that God is creating, this
Kingdom of God, this “God-space” is characterized by people whose attitudes and
values look and feel different – and a community who model those values.
So, while it is scary, it is not surprising
that Jesus includes conversation about money, and our attitude to money. He never talks about money as an evil thing –
nor does he talk about having too much money. But he describes Values for
Money.
Matthew 6 (middle of this Sermon on the mount) is no random collection of sayings of Jesus plonked
on a page.
There is a flow that starts with
Alms-giving (or charity); Jesus’ values of money start with giving
some away.
Then the Lord’s prayer – which starts with
God, God’s coming realm, God’s will being done on earth … Forgiveness of debts
(yes a money word is used as a parallel for “sin” or penchant to stuff
things up), we have been forgiven our debts.
Times of testing or temptation (Money?)
Rescue us from the evil one or from evil
(Money temptations?)
Forgiveness of others 'debts' - there's that word again.
Then fasting (going without food or stuff)
Then treasure and the heart
What the eyes look at reflecting and
affecting what is going on in the heart
Serving God. Serving mammon
Do not worry.
Pick the thread? Money and stuff and our attitude to it!
Here in this
Jesus-saying is “Mammon” – a warning word.
Mammon is not money – as in dollars and
cents. Nor is it a demon lurking around a corner waiting to grab us. Mammon is about the “meaning” of money and
possessions. Mammon comes into being when
it becomes a ‘master’, something to be served.
Writers such as the philosopher Jaques
Ellul, theologian Stanley Hauwerwas, and quaker John Howard Yoder all agree
that using the word “mammon” is both risky and necessary. Necessary, because it takes the phrase away
from just money, just possessions, just house or car. It is risky, because we can put it ‘away’
from us because we can say that we "haven’t seen a Mammon today".
Money, wealth, posessions, these all have a
potential to take over our lives. They
are what the apostle Paul calls “Principalities and powers” – Not having inate
power in and of themselves, but because of our human nature to give them that
power.
Jesus talks about choosing; Mammon or God.
Submission to Mammon in opposition to submission to God. It is not a one-off choice, but something faced in our financial decisions. And the possibility of making choices for the
good of others, community or the earth.
And it can be a decision that leads to freedom and lightness and hope
for ourselves, our families and communities.
Which in the end comes down to the place of
the heart, and how we seek that Kingdom, that “God-space”. When we talk economics, we don’t often talk
about the heart. And yet, in the financial collapse of 2011, one of the largest
conversations was around the greed of the politicians, business leaders and
CEOs.
The heart.
Take a moment:
What possessions of yours do you really value at this moment in
my life? Write them down.
Now ask yourself this:
In five years’ time, which of these possessions do you
think will still hold the same importance for you?
Beyond your valued possessions, what is really important in your life that you
would like to continue, to endure?
“Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths
and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead,
store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them,
and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where
your treasure is.”
