Tuesday, May 26, 1998
Tuesday, May 26, 1998
"Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the
things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21
NRSV)
Many of us have heard the phrase that Jesus once said, "Where a person's treasure is, there is
one's heart also." If we look at our checkbook, we will find that we are committed to our home,
our car, and our family. But does it say we are committed to God and the church?
As a pastor greeted persons at the door following a stewardship sermon in which he discussed
pledging, a disgruntled member asked accusingly, "Where in the Bible do you find anything about
pledging?" Like many of us this man was uncomfortable being challenged to pledge to his church.
Instead of being defensive about his sermon the pastor answered good-naturedly, "That's a good
question. Let's get together over lunch and talk about it this week." The gentleman agreed; a time
and place were set.
Later that week the two of them did get together for lunch. After they had ordered, the pastor
brought up the subject. "You know, your question was a good one." The pastor said the question
forced him to do some thinking. "The Bible is full of references to pledging," he told the reluctant
church member. But the member remained unconvinced. "Come on now, Pastor," he said. He
knew that sometimes pastors have a way of exaggerating.
The pastor told him that he looked up the word, "pledge," in a Bible dictionary. He had written
down some words he found there that pertain to pledging: "Commit, promise, dedicate, devote,
covenant, vow"--very familiar Biblical words. That made the man think more about stewardship.
His pastor explained, "Christian stewardship is merely a reflection of our spiritual commitment to
Christ. Stewardship is first our response to God [and God's love]." The man's attitude about
pledging changed as result of their lunch together.
Jesus exposed the Pharisees as hypocrites. They said one thing, but their lives said something else.
Jesus takes the coin and asks, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" Without a moment's thought
the Pharisees answer, "The emperor's."
Quietly Jesus says, "Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's and to God the things
that are God's."
Prayer: God of all things, may I give all things to you. Amen.
Ronald Newhouse, Texas, USA