You are currently browsing the daily archive for December 21st, 2006.
I most likely won’t post again before Wednesday Dec. 27…come back then and look for more posts.
In the meantime, hope you have a Merry Christmas
(NOTE: A reader has commented on this post basically saying I am trying to justify greed. Let me know what you think in the comments section….agreed? disagree? thanks….I’m interested!)
I’m sure you’ve heard the verse before, or at least part of it. According to Matthew 19: 24:
“…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Does this mean only the poor are going to heaven? I don’t believe this to be the case, for a couple of reasons.
First, it is important to read this verse in context. A fellow comes to Jesus and asks, “…what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” Jesus tells him, basically, to follow the commandments, which the fellow says he has done all his life. So Jesus tells him to sell everything he has and give to the poor. The young man “…went away sorrowful for he had great possessions.“
In my very humble opinion, it is not the fact that the young man has riches that will keep him out of heaven. It is his love of those earthly treasures that is his downfall, not the treasures themselves. In Luke 12: 33, it is said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” This does not mean you cannot keep your heart and mind on the treasures that await you in heaven and have earthly riches. It is more of a warning to focus on the heavenly treasures as opposed to earthly treasures.
Secondly, people always misquote 1 Tim 6: 10 as saying, “money is the root of all evil.” The actual, full verse is as follows:
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
In other words, money itself is neutral, being neither good nor bad. Loving money, or coveting or lusting after money, is what is bad. Someone who covets or values money above all else will put it above everything else, including putting it above God and the Kingdom of Heaven. It is this misplaced love that is being warned against when it is said, “the love of money is the root of all evil.”
Finally, our God is a just and merciful God. No one knows or can say to what extent that mercy will be offered. Mercy may be extended to those who covet money and material possessions to the exclusion of spiritual treasures. Mercy may even be offered for people to whom we would never ourselves extend mercy, such as murderers. No one knows how far God’s mercy will go in the final judgement.
So, to reiterate, can the wealthy go to heaven? I say yes, they can. The mere fact that you have riches and wealth will not, in my opinion, keep you out of heaven. It’s how you look at that treasure and what you do with it that will be more likely to determine your lot.
I’m being facetious of course, but good grief, parking lots are so annoying because people act like morons in them!
Last night I was driving in the parking lot toward the front of the Kroger in Spring Hill and there were these two ladies walking in front of me down the same aisle. They were walking along at a slow pace, side by side, blocking the lane so I was unable to move at a normal parking lot pace. One of them sort of glanced behind her and saw me there, but they did not speed up or move to the side to share the roadway. They just continued to walk in front of me at their leisurely pace, completely aware that they were in the way, but not caring one bit!
And in the same parking lot, I see people not paying any attention whatsoever to the people exiting the store. At both entrances to the store itself, there are areas marked out to act as sort of crosswalks. There is a line and the word STOP painted on the roadway there so you stop at those places. Rarely do I see anyone stop there if no one is entering or exiting the store. That’s not a big deal I suppose, because if no one is around and trying to enter or exit the store, I don’t stop either.
But I see more people not even slowing down at those stops when people like myself, carrying a baby or pushing a buggy with a baby in it, are trying to cross the street. I guess it all goes back to people believing they always have the right of way, without even thinking. I bet these same people would be indignant if someone didn’t stop when THEY were trying to cross.
And these same people are usually also the ones who think the parking lot is a racetrack. There is no need, and it’s dangerous, to go 35 in a parking lot. I can’t count the number of times I have been trying to back out of a space, unable to see past a larger vehicle parked next to me, when someone flies past down the aisle inches from my rear bumper. I’m slowly inching my way out to make sure I don’t pull out in front of anyone, and they’re going 35-40 through the parking lot…..a place where people will constantly be backing out of spaces!
Then of course there are the people who are so lazy they will circle the parking lot literally 20 times to get a spot 100 feet closer to the door of whatever establishment they are visiting. By the time they get parked, I can be in the store, get what I need and ready to pay by the time they finally park. Or worse, they will trail you all the way down the aisle of the parking lot hoping to get your spot. There’s nothing like some jerk hot on your heels in his car ogling your spot like a vulture in the desert just waiting for an animal to die.
And God forbid these people see a spot open up a row or two over. There will be a mad dash to get to that aisle. You have to keep a watchful eye open so you don’t get run over by someone flooring it to avoid having to walk an extra 50 feet. With obesity running rampant in America, maybe stores shouldn’t even offer parking within 200 feet of the entrance unless you’re handicapped.
Bottom line: slow down in the parking lot, keep an eye out for others so you don’t cause problems for them, and for crying out loud, just find a spot, wherever it is, and park and walk!
