Matthew 10
Do you find anything missing in the instructions for the twelve apostles when Jesus sent them out as we heard in today’s gospel? For modern Christians, this way of missionary plan and instruction may look involving too much risk – because these instructions of Jesus ignore financial planning. On the opposite, Jesus tells the apostles not to bring money or spare gears. In modern Christianity, fundraising is so essential, isn’t it? Perhaps Jesus didn’t have to pay attention to this critical aspect of church life, because he could feed thousands of people at any time with his divine power. But we can’t! We need money to do anything in the church! Jesus has divine power, but we need the power of money!
Everything is tarnished when it contacts money. The arts, literature, science, social activism, and all other spiritual activities are disgraced and even degraded when they are influenced or controlled by money. But most of all, when religion is wedded to money, it is not merely tainted but unfortunately deformed. When we rely on the power of money, we no longer worship God. And when we no longer worship God, we lose our identity as Christians. I don’t know what I have to call this lost identity.
Jesus knew the danger and threat of money better than anybody. That’s why he clearly instructed his apostle not to depend on money or material goods in their ministry. Jesus didn’t tell them not to eat or rest. But the apostles had to learn to trust God for these necessities. This is what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us our daily bread.” Jesus promised the Father in heaven would give us what is necessary for us. But he told us to look for heavenly things first.
This is a great challenge to me: to trust God only and not to be bound by financial security in ministry. Jesus might be a poor financier, but he is still God.
