Money.
Money makes the world go round. Or so the saying says. I disagree. I believe that
God makes the world go round and that money is just a tool in which we use to offer
up a means of exchange. As we begin to study more and more of the Ladder, we
grow and understand that the Ladder instructs us on the path that makes the
most of our salvation, that draws us closer to God and worship in Christ. Our
journey has already reached the halfway point, from here the journey becomes
more perilous and dangerous and our chance of falling off increases. I therefore
implore you my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, that you read my words carefully,
that you take heed as to what I’m going to say. The Ladder is perilous. Be careful.
St.
John tells us, “Avarice, or love of money, is the worship of idols, a
daughter of unbelief, an excuse for infirmities, a foreboder of old age, a
harbinger of drought, a herald of hunger. The lover of money sneers at the
Gospel and is a wilful transgressor. He who has attained to love scatters his
money. But he who says that he lives for love and for money has deceived
himself.” In today’s society we are
all about get rich quick schemes, whether that be in the form of
cryptocurrency, traditional finance, or other means we are always seeking a way
to make it rich. However this is nothing new to mankind. As history will tell
us, miners went west searching for gold in California, the ancients went
searching for El Dorado and people have been obsessed with money since its very
creation. The accumulation of wealth that we see in the world today is a sign
that people have fallen from the straight and narrow and taken their own path. The
world in which we live is constantly trying to have more money and more ability
to spend the money on things that they do not need. We see this in the protestant
churches around the world, preaching that God himself wants us to wealthy and
happy and live our best life now. They are simply being deceived dear brothers
and sisters, deceived and misguided by spirits that have out for us pure and
utter destruction. They do indeed want us to live our best lives now, so that we
cannot enjoy the eternal life and happiness in Jesus Christ at the Second Coming.
St. John says, “The
beginning of love of money is the pretext of almsgiving, and the end of it is
hatred of the poor. So long as he is collecting he is charitable, but when the
money is in hand he tightens his hold.” People forget to alms give and they certainly withhold
the tithe to the Church. They don’t want their “hard earned money” being given
to an organization that they fill like will misuse it, and will not seek their
best interest. But the Church, is the organization that has the souls of people
as its protectorate and they will do what is right and just every time.
In response to the love of money,
we must therefore shun the love of it, and simply believe it to be as it is. A
tool. Comfort and love of money should never be in the heart of a Christian. We
should seek to turn away from fancy things and live a simple life. This simple
life is summed up once again by a favorite saint of mine, that of St. Paisios
of Mount Athos. St. Paisios lived with nothing but a couple cardboard boxes and
blanket. He refused to accept even the tiniest bit of comfort and when someone
bought him a new way to make tea he refused it saying it was of the devil. We
have been given what has been accorded to us. Will it always be fair? No. Will
we have everything that we desire? No. But in turn we must understand that we
will not lack for anything in the Kingdom of God. God will always provide for
those he loves and he loves all of us. I am ashamed of people today asking the
government for more money, more stuff, more wealth for themselves, when as long
as they are surviving and being able to provide for their families they have enough.
In the same way, companies and organizations that seek profits do so at a much
higher cost than what it takes to make items these days and many items could be
sold for a lot less to allow the people to have more freedom with their money. In
the next lesson, St. John will discuss poverty and will outline its necessity
for our souls. However, here he simply gives us the knowledge by which we are
to flee from the love of money. St. John says, “Those
who live in obedience are strangers to love of money. For where even the body
has been given up, what is left to be one’s own? Only in one way can they do
wrong, namely by being ready and quick to go from place to place. I have seen
material possessions make monks patient to remain in one place. But I praise
those who are pilgrims for the Lord.” If we have surrendered
ourselves to obedience as I have discussed previously on this discussion of the
Ladder, then we will have already surrendered ourselves to being guided by our
spiritual father and the elders of the Church. In doing so, we empty ourselves
of all desires. I would be amiss if I said that I had completely overcome this
temptation as I myself love to spend and do things with my money that I earned
in my job. I love new things, and I love being able to show the new things to
my friends and family. Unfortunately, God has called us rather to use that
money to help others. In one of my previous discussions I talked about Panayiotis
who was helping spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Kenya by restoring
churches there. That my friends is a reward that will be accounted to you for
eternity, not whether you spent $6k on a new vacation to Disney World’s Starcruiser
Hotel. God will allow you to hang your head in shame on the day of judgement
for that one. May we spend our money wisely and spend more time in prayer not
with our money.
Amen.
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