Detestable in God's Sight

Good Morning,

Luke 16:13-15 (NIV)
"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
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."

"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." I think, no I don't think...I KNOW...that too many people have overlooked these words in these verses of Scripture. The Amplified Bible puts it this way, "But He said to them, You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted and highly thought of among men is detestable and abhorrent (an abomination) in the sight of God." I sort of like that a bit more because it's even stronger in it's language and implication as to what God thinks about much of mankind.

Look around you today. We can all now see what unmitigated greed does. Greed which we were told by men was a good thing, but, as we read in today's Scripture, was looked on by God as "detestable and abhorrent." Not only is this greed detestable in God's sight, but eventually, as we now see, can bring ruin to individuals and even to whole societies and nations. Yes, for years people have put up that "good front" which was shown to the world and that the world bought into and even thought was good. But now we see how much of an "abomination" this kind of thing really is.

People in and of the world, who have no true knowledge or love for God, simply haven't cared about what their greed and ambitions about money can do, and now have done, to people. It is what has been taught for many years. Even presidents and other elected officials have said what a marvelous thing this greed thing is. We've been told that this unregulated wealth that was being touted as a great thing would be OK, because it would help everyone, not just those few whose bank accounts rose to ridiculous numbers. We saw, exactly as Jesus said, people who justified themselves, declared themselves as just and upright, and who truly cared only about themselves and what they could gain.

Jesus also said, "What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight." These are the words that we need to take to heart. This is the thought and idea that Jesus talked of that we truly have to have implanted in our hearts and minds. Do we think of this as simply a "blip" that has happened in the world and that eventually all will be well? Or, do we take measures to cause change in the way the world thinks about these things? Change to think as God would think, not men. Jesus said that we can't serve both the world (read money) and God. Can't be done.

We see what the results of serving money eventually bring. We also see what serving God eventually bring. I think the choice is obvious, don't you?

Love, peace, and blessings,

David