Another Word from Luke 12

I'm pretty sure you've heard the expression, "Put your money where your mouth is." It's something we say when we want people to back up their claims and opinions with concrete actions.

But when it comes to the Christian life, I wonder if a similar but more transformative expression might be, "Put your money where your heart is." Because you see, in today's word from Luke 12, Jesus had a lot to say about the relationship between our money and our heart. 

He told a parable in which a man thought his money could give his heart security. And so, he spent his life getting riches for himself, only to discover that it could all be taken from him in an instant. Which meant, of course, that his heart could be taken from him, too. “That’s what happens," Jesus said, "when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.” (12:21, The Message)

Then Jesus mentioned our worries about money. “Don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes," he said, "or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There's far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, and more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body." (12:22-23, The Message) “What I’m trying to do here," he said, "is get you to relax — not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving." (12:29, The Message)

But most challenging of all, Jesus said that his real point wasn't, "Put your money where your heart is." No, the deeper truth, he said, is that "Wherever your money is...your heart is already there!" "The place where your treasure is," he told us, "is the place you will most want to be...and end up being." (12:34, The Message)

So as we get ready for November and December — and all the financial worries, desires, and temptations that come with them — where's your money going to be? And more important, based on where your money is, where's your heart going to be?

May we always be fully invested in the generous grace and other-focused love of God. Amen.