The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.’ Luke 16:14-15 (NIV)
Jesus touches on a delicate subject. He is teaching us on the dangers of greed. He tells us that we cannot serve two masters. It is impossible. How can we say we love God, while our hearts are devoted to all the delights our money can bring us? His words fall on ears that do not want to hear. The Pharisees begin to scoff. Are they not willing to take their eyes off of their possessions and desires long enough to consider the Lord? Are they so in love with what they want to HAVE that they forget about who they could KNOW?
Before we follow in the footsteps of the people in the story and start sneering at others, could we take a look at our times? What is the world like today? Which direction are we heading? Do the words of Jesus come to us in a time where we are willing to listen? Or do we have difficulty too in taking them to heart? Can we see where greed seeps into our hearts and to the very center of our beings? Do we realize that our entire culture and society runs by it? Can we see that it starts at a very early age to grow within us? Are we willing to accept responsibility for where our desires lean? Can we see that we cannot burn for all these things and still have the same desire after God that is necessary for us to have Him within us? Is it US who are the ones Jesus is talking to? Are we in this context the Pharisees of today?
There may be some who willingly accept the insinuation and immediately seek an attitude of repentance. These may go straight to their knees. They might run to the Lord to seek a cure for our disease. But the rest of us, what do we do? Do we prefer to let our hearts fool us? Are we more than happy to go on thinking that we are giving the Lord the greater part of our hearts? Do we like to think that we can spend our days chasing after this or that and give God moments or pieces of our hearts that are left over? Which kind of person do we want to be? How bad do we want it? Are we trying to love two masters? Or is there already One that takes the first place in our lives?
Dear Jesus, as You direct our attention to where our hearts truly lean, please shine Your Light upon us. Help us to see how much of our hearts we are giving to the Lord. Uncover all the secret longings we have until we can see what we are really in love with. We pray that our first love will be the One Whom we would spend all eternity with! Help us to give ourselves to that relationship before all else. Let us leave behind our money, our possessions, and our former desires. Let us seek You and Your Kingdom. Let us give all away so that we have only One Thing for which to set our love upon. Fan that love into a raging blaze that burns within us for our God! Let that fire inside leave no room for any other master! Let us give all to look to You!
Amen
Searching For Christ 
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