2002.11.3. A Christian and Money (1) - Rev. Young Jin Cho

Repent of Money Wallet

Mark 19:1-10

It was sometime in early July this year when I had a chance to discuss about many things with Rev. Jung Ho Kim who was visiting our church from Atlanta, Georgia. Because Rev. Kim was at the time planning to build a new church building, he wanted to learn about our own experiences in building a new church building. During our discussion, Rev. Kim shared a story with me about an American pastor at a fast-growing United Methodist church in Atlanta, Georgia, whose story had touched my heart. Rev. Kim told me that the American pastor said that one of the responsibilities as a pastor in today's materialistic world is to teach people how to manage their money in a right way with a right mind set. Furthermore, he said that as disciples of Jesus Christ, learning and understanding about what it really means to manage our money in a Christian way would be the one of the most important tasks we face in today's world.

After listening to Rev. Kim's story and further studying the pastor's written works and other materials available to me, I came to appreciate even more about his teaching about how we should manage our money. The pastor's saying, that stewardship is the way to manage one's money, that the discipleship should be beyond the stewardship, and that these are the issues concerning the very truth and moral sense of the Christian disciples, gave me a clear understanding and also made me regret that I have perhaps neglected these important issues for too long a time. If I, as pastor, truly wished our church members to live their lives as sound disciples, and had I truly been concerned with their spiritual and faithful well-beings, I realized that I must also address the issues of the money to our church members with the love of God.

Thoughts like these have led me into decision that I will make series of sermons under the head title named, "A Christian and the Money," for the next six weeks. I hope that in doing so, we could reevaluate our religious values with respect to the money and materialistic things we possess now, and hopefully find the right way to manage those in God's eyes, in doing so, I also ask for your prayer.

I.

Today, I would like to begin my first series of the sermons with a story about Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus who was a tax collector living in a city called "Jericho". At the time the Jews were under the ruling of the Roman Empire and considered tax collectors as sinners. Because the Jewish tax collectors were working for the Romans and were making a great wealth for themselves by collecting taxes from their own people with every imaginable means possible, they were considered as sinners and also traitors by the fellow Jews.

At that time, Romans used a commission system to compensate the tax collectors who collected taxes in excess of the set amount. After reaching the pre-determined set amount, the tax collectors got to keep whatever they could collect from people after that amount. For this reason, the tax collectors exploited the Jews in every imaginable means possible in collecting taxes and as a result, they accumulated huge wealth for themselves at their own people's expense. Naturally, the tax collectors were hated by the Jews who viciously pointed their fingers at them and had labeled them as traitors and sinners against their own people.

Zacchaeus, the tax collector, wanted to see Jesus, who was a friend of tax collectors and prostitutes because that was the day that Jesus was passing through Jericho. But because Zacchaeus was very, very short, he was not able to see Jesus passed the surrounding crowd of people between them. Without giving up, Zacchaeus had to come up with a quick idea. So he climbed up the sycamore fig tree near by to see him better. When Jesus finally spotted him up in the tree, he called out his name and even stayed at his house for a night. Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus with pure joy in his heart, and his life was changed completely after the moment of the encounter with Jesus. From that moment on, he began to live his new life because he was truly born again and transformed into becoming a new person.

II.

There is a message for us in today's scripture.

(1) First, money does not buy or guarantee us happiness. Sadly, however, a lot of people are under the false impression that more money will make us happier and therefore, money will bring us happiness. So very often, we do everything possible and imaginable to make money in hope that this will guarantee our happiness. Do you really believe? Do you really believe that if you had a lot of money, you would automatically become happy?

That was not the case in Zacchaeus. He made money with any means possible. While doing so, even when people called him a traitor and sinner, he was not at all shy about making money off his own people. And therefore, even though he made his money like a dog, he was able to accumulate substantial wealth for himself. But how was it? Was he really happy because he became wealthy? According to today's scripture, he was not. On the contrary, he became the object of the finger-pointing and alienation from his own people made him lonely and alone by himself. His great wealth could not comfort his mind and soul. And that is why he wanted to see Jesus, the Savior who he thought could ease and comfort his void, empty, lonely soul.

Of course money is important and good. Those who have cried over a piece of bread would know the value of money. Money is useful and makes our lives convenient. When I went to Korea last week, I traveled on business class with a thought that I wanted to travel this time with some comfort because the revival I was attending was to start on Thursday nigh so I left Washington on Tuesday and arrived in Seoul on Wednesday. Because of the mileages that I have earned from my previous air travels, I was able to upgrade the seating class and traveled comfortably in business class. I must say I broke what I used to preach to my fellow pastors about how inappropriate it is for pastors to travel in business class which will cause a sense of disharmony among the congregation. Of course it was nice to be able to stretch my leg and it felt good to travel in business class. However, I was not happier because I was on business class. Money may provides convenience, but does not guarantee happiness. It is inconvenient not having any money, but that does not mean we can not be happy without it.

Once I read a story written by a Korean student who was studying in the U.S. When he first came here to study for his master's degree, dining out was out of the question because his parents back in Korea were supporting him with his tuition and the spending money. After a while, he once made a plan to go out and eat in a Chinese restaurant with his wife and children, and he had never been happier in his life after eating a Chinese noodle which cost him mere $10. When he worked in Korea, he used to spend $50 for a meal with his wife, but that did not make him feel happier than eating $10 Chinese noodle. However, after he went on to study his doctorate's degree and was able to get grants and the benefits, and even pay some income tax to the IRS, he said that he did not feel the same emotions and happiness that he felt then because he could pay for and eat the Chinese noodle anytime he wants to now.

Money does not guarantee happiness. We have to break the idea that we would be happy if we have more money. A story of Zacchaeus reminds us from this very important message.

(2) Secondly, Zacchaeus found life's true happiness in the meeting with Jesus.

Today's scripture tells us, when Jesus looked up and saw Zacchaeus hanging on the sycamore fig tree, told him to come down, and told him that he would stay at his house, Zacchaeus quickly came down and welcomed him gladly. When Jesus came to his life, he found real joy. The verse that says he welcomed him gladly means more than just staying for a night at his house, but it means I believe, Jesus came into his heart as well. Jesus' coming opened the door for Zacchaeus's new life. He finally found the true happiness in Jesus Christ and not in his own wealth. According to the legend of the first church, it was Zacchaeus who was chosen as the 12th disciple instead of Judas. True or not, he could have been undeniably the important figure for the first church.

Zacchaeus, who worshipped his wealth, found the true happiness in the meeting of Jesus Christ. He found the true joy in Christ. Please listen to this message those who mistakenly believe that money will bring happiness. Who was the world's richest man who ever lived in our history? You might consider King Solomon. After possessing and enjoying so much in life, what was his conclusion in Ecclesiastes? Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless! He was shouting out loud that our duty in life is to praise God or follow his commends.

True happiness comes only from Jesus Christ. You must meet Jesus Christ for you to feel real joy in life. Only when you come forward toward Jesus Christ, you will begin your path to the true happiness. And that is the message that Zacchaeus story brings.

(3) Thirdly, when Jesus came into his life, Zacchaeus's wallet repented as well. After receiving Jesus with the happiness, Zacchuaeus said, "here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

How did he acquire that wealth? Did he not acquire all that wealth with all that abuse, insult and humiliation? But when he met Jesus, he proclaimed. If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times of that amount. That is the repentant over one's past. I give half of my possessions to the poor. That is the confession of a born again who have found Jesus Christ.

The religious reformist Martin Luther once said this. Human beings need three kinds of conversion : First of the human heart, then of the human thought and lastly of the human wallet. I thought it was a very appropriate story. A lot of people think it is too worldly to talk about money in church. That it should be forbidden subject. It is understandable reaction of people who have seen the corrupted church which empathize too much on money or the materialism. But if you think money matter has nothing to do with one's faith has not also biblical nor the right thought. That kind of thinking also leads to serving God in one sided or serving God only in spiritual territory.

Our faith is not the matter of only the spirit. It also is not the matter of only the thought. Our faith relate to all the aspects of our lives. That is why it relates to money matter. Our Christ also dealt with this issue while on earth. According to those who study bible, there are 16 out of 38 metaphors in the gospel which deals with how to mange the money. Jesus talked about money and wealth more than the heaven and the hell. In the gospel, one out of 10 scriptures deals with the money and the wealth. In the first four Gospels, 288 verses relate to this matter. If you look at the bible as whole, there are 500 or more verses on prayer, 500 or fewer verses on faith but 2,000 or more verses relating to the money and the wealth.

So it is an out dated biblical teaching to tie religion only on the spiritual aspects. It is very appropriate and right that Martin Luther empathize the conversion of repentance of one's wallet.

Zacchaeus was born again in mind and in thinking. And his wallet also was born again. He was able to lead new life in Christ.

III.

Jesus Christ who came to Zacchaeus is also here in our lives today. Jesus Christ who came to Jericho is calling us as he passes through Washington, McLean. He is calling us to accept him spiritually as well as in money matter. It doesn't mean his disciples have nothing todowith the money or the wealth. If we truly believe Jesus Christ, We have to trust him with the money matter. Our purse has to born again too. We have to repent on our understanding of money and our way of managing money.

In the beginning of the last year, I heard the moving story of Arcola Korean united Methodist church history in New Jersey which I once lead the service. This church is sharing the building with another American Methodist church which has 150 years of history. They began their first service as the building was finished in March of 1843. When they first began, Edward Force had about 60acres of land surrounding the church. His relatives all attended the church except for him. He later accepted Jesus Christ and began attending the Cross street church. He thought this area Paramus would attract a lot of people being so close to New York if there were church here. He began to dream of this place as a place of worship and spiritual growth even though it was plains and bare. He later donated the land and took care of the cost of the building. When he turned 50, he wrote a will to build government operated orphanages with all his assets. He passed away next year but the church that he built still stands after 150 years and now the Koreans are continuing that tradition. Edward force was truly born again. He was born again in life and in his purse.

I will continue on the series of sermons on what it means to be born again with our money next time. Have you found new life in Jesus Christ? Is Jesus Christ the master of your life? How about your wallet? Does your wallet accept the new master? Can you stand before Jesus Christ without any shame?