Saturday after the Ninth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on August 12, 2023 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 16:10-13 (NKJV)
16:10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?
13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Devotion
Sinful human beings will inevitably over-value earthly riches. Our sinful desires and the worldly praise for mammon deceive us into thinking that earthly riches are the genuine and true riches. They are not. They cannot deliver to us the abundant life which we receive only through faith in Christ.
First of all, our earthly wealth belongs to another. We are only the stewards of God’s gifts. Everything that we have He has given us. He has given us our body and soul, eyes, ears, and all our members—even our own life is not our own. Second, our earthly wealth is the means God uses to provide for us while living here. That earthly wealth is intended to serve us, not us it. When we falsely trust in earthly wealth to preserve, save, and deliver us, we have changed God’s instrument into our idol. You cannot serve God and mammon. Third, the true riches—the genuine article—is to hold to God who gives us our spiritual and heavenly wealth. Through the Gospel our heavenly Father freely gives us the forgiveness of sins secured by Jesus, His Son. To His believing children God has committed the true riches.
The right valuation is to consider God to be trustworthy in providing the abundant life of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Then, we will use the earthly wealth which God has entrusted to us to preserve earthly life and extend the kingdom of God.
Prayer: Let Thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
