Vol. 3 #16 July 18, 2004

For The Love of Money

Written by Christopher Mentzer

The following story comes from Snopes.com under the Urban Legends Page:

The upstate New York man was rich in almost every way. His estate was worth millions. He owned houses, land, antiques and cattle. But though on the outside he had it all, he was very unhappy on the inside. His wife was growing old, and the couple was childless. He had always wanted a little boy to carry on the family legacy.

Miraculously, his wife became pregnant, and gave birth to a little boy. The boy was severely handicapped, but the man loved him with his whole heart.

When the boy was 5, his mom died. The dad grew closer to his special son. At the age of 13, the boy's birth defects cost him his life, and the father died soon after, of a broken heart.

The estate was to be auctioned before hundreds of bidders. The first item offered was a painting of the boy. No one bid. They waited like vultures for the riches. Finally, the poor housemaid, who had helped raise the boy, bid $5 for the picture and easily took the bid.

To everyone's shock, the auctioneer ripped a handwritten will from the back of the picture. This is what it said. "To the person who thinks enough of my son to buy this painting, to this person I give my entire estate." The auction was over. The greedy crowd walked away in shock and dismay.

How many of us have sought after what we thought were true riches only to find out later that the Father was preparing to give us His entire estate if we only sought after His Son alone?

As we see in this story, the people at the auction were bound and determined to get their hands on the wealth of the father more than care about his son. How much more do we see the same thing today in that people want to good gifts, which come from God (Jas. 1: 17) and yet reject His Son, the most perfect gift given to the world (John 3: 16). The Jews rejected Jesus in His time and continue to do so today. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14: 6)

There are others who rather seek treasure of the world and put God second. The apostle John warned, “15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2: 15-16) Peter adds to this thought with an additional warning, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3: 10) That which is of the world is temporary and will disappear forever at the end of time. It won’t do you any good come the Day of Judgment.

Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: 20. but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21. for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21) “But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6: 33)