The Greed Model
Someone once said, "If you want to get rich, start a religion." How unfortunate, but there is a lot of truth to that cynical statement. After all, when dealing with religious faith, we are dealing with some of the most important aspects of human existence. We are dealing with the meaning of life, with the hope of eternity, with the belief that we are forgiven by God for our sins. However much Jesus Himself, by model and example, lived a life of self-denial and poverty, however much He warned us against getting caught up in the things of this world, church history is replete with examples of those who have used the power of religion and religious ideas to gain wealth for themselves, often at the expense of the poor.
Read John 12:1-6 and then answer the following questions:
1. What symbolism is found in the act of Mary? In other words, in what ways does it represent the attitudes of the true disciple of Christ? See also Matt. 13:46, Phil. 3:8.
2. What does this story tell us about the importance of the motives of our actions?
3. The texts say that Lazarus, the resurrected Lazarus, was at the table with them. Why does that fact make Judas' actions even more repugnant, more indicative of how blinded he was by his own sin?
It is with good reason that Paul made the famous statement he did in 1 Timothy 6:10. Judas eventually lost his soul over his love of money. From the start, it seems, he was looking out only for number one; he himself, and the desire to gain things for himself, was woven all through his own discipleship. Of course, the other disciples were not totally selfless either, but with Judas it got the best of him.
How can you be sure that greedy motives are not poisoning your role as a disciple of Christ? More so, if you detect some impure motives, how can you be purged of them?
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