December 12 - God and Money 하나님과 재물

December 12 - God and Money

 

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” – Matthew 6:24

 

 

"But I want both." This is a common reaction when choosing between two desirable things. It's also a natural response to this teaching from Jesus on money (Matthew 6:19–23), part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-2). Those committed to the LORD desire to store treasure or rewards in heaven. They desire to serve Him by making the right choices out of sincere devotion. God-fearing people can also desire to build wealth, feel financially secure, and accumulate possessions and experiences that please them. This is human nature.

Jesus does not say wanting both services to God and material wealth is wrong. What He does say, in crystal-clear terms, is one cannot place ultimate priority on both at the same time. At some moments in life, one must choose which is more important. Christ's calling forces those who follow Him to make such choices. Scripture puts this in the context of servanthood. It doesn't work for a servant to be co-owned by two independent masters—this is why such a thing isn't practiced. The servant can only prioritize one or the other. They might be "loyal," in a sense, to both. But separate masters will command the servant in different, competing directions. As a result, the servant will naturally grow to hate or despise one of the two while growing to love and be devoted to the other.

Jesus is casting human beings as enslaved people either to God or money. He uses the Greek word mammōna, which comes from the Aramaic word for wealth. Those who surrender to following Jesus become servants of God for life (Romans 6:17–18). Those who prioritize building wealth for themselves on earth surrender themselves as slaves to materialism. As enslaved people depended on their masters to provide everything needed, those devoted to money or God also depended on their masters to provide for them. The demands of those two masters will always compete.

So, Jesus concludes that a person cannot serve God and money. This does not mean someone who serves God wholeheartedly will not have money or possessions. Jesus does not suggest that Christians must be poor, needy, or flee from luxury. It doesn't mean being a Christian is incompatible with being "rich." He means that a person sincerely serving God will not organize their lives around acquiring wealth. Money, for a righteous person, is just another tool God gave to be used for His purposes.

We might be poor physically, but no one in this world is richer than we Christians. James tells us to be happy to live as the children of God, living in the richness of God (James 1:9). “One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth” (Proverbs 13:7). Therefore, even though we are poor at present, we need to live like rich people who belong to the kingdom of God. Also, rich people should be happy for being humble in Christ instead of for being wealthy (James 1:10). Wortdly wealth and prosperity are like wildflowers. The beauty stays for a short while and disappears. Christians should not depend on worldly wealth but on God alone.

 

“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.” – Martin Luther.

 

 

Today’s Prayer: The LORD said, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). Pray that unsaved persons will understand that God desires to forgive, so seek that forgiveness.

Prayer Pointer: “There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.” – John Wooden.

Bible Reading: Hosea 12-14; Revelation 3

 

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12월 12일 - 하나님과 재물

 

“한 사람이 두 주인을 섬기지 못할 것이니 이를 미워하며 저를 사랑하거나 혹 이를 중히 여기며 저를 경히 여김이라 너희가 하나님과 재물을 겸하여 섬기지 못하느니라” - 마 6:24

 

 

두가지 바람직한 두 것 중 하나를 선택해야 할 때 "나는 둘 다 원합니다"라고 반응하는 것이  우리의 일반적인 태도입니다. 예수님의 산상수훈(마 5:1, 2)에 나오는 재물에 대한 예수님의 가르침(마 6:19-23)에 대한 우리의 자연스러운 반응이기도 합니다. 주님께 헌신한 사람은 보물 또는 상급을 하늘에 쌓아 두기를 원하며 올바른 선택에 헌신함으로 하나님만 섬기기를 원합니다. 하나님을 믿지 않는 자들은 세상에서 부를 쌓고, 재정적으로 안전을 원하며 자신이 기뻐하는 소유물과 경험을 축적하기를 원합니다. 이것이 인간의 본성인 것입니다. 

 

예수님은 하나님께 대한 봉사와 세상에서 물질적 부를 소유하기 원하는 것이 잘못이라고 말씀하지 않습니다. 예수님의 말씀의 요지는 두 가지 모두에 동일한 우선순위를 둘 수 없다는 것입니다. 인생의 삶에서 어떤 순간에는 어느 것이 더 중요한지 선택해야 합니다. 그리스도의 부르심과 주님의 제자가 되는 삶을 살기 원하는 자들에게는 선택이 요구됩니다. 성경은 이 선택의 문제를 종의 입장에서 설명합니다. 종이 두 명의 다른 주인에게 공동으로 소유될 수 없기 때문에 그런 일을 하지 않습니다. 종은 두 주인 중에 우선 순위를 정해야 합니다. 어떤 의미에서 종이 두 주인에게 충성할 수도 있습니다. 그러나 주인들은 각각 다른 경쟁의 방향으로 명령합니다. 결국 종은 하나를 미워하거나 다른 하나를 사랑하고 헌신하게 되는 것입니다. 

 

사람은 하나님, 또는 돈의 종이 된다고 예수님께서 말씀하십니다. 예수님은 부를 뜻하는 아람어에서 나온 헬라어 “말모나” 사용합니다. 자신을 포기하고 예수님을 따르기로 한 사람들은 평생 하나님의 종으로 살아야 합니다(롬 6:17,18). 세상에서 자기를 위해 부를 쌓는 것을 우선하는 사람은 물질의 노예가 됩니다. 종들이 필요한 것을 받기 위해 주인을 의존하는 것처럼, 돈이나 하나님께 헌신하는 사람들도 자신들을 부양하기 위해 각자의 주인에게 의존하게 됩니다. 하나님과 돈, 이 두 주인의 요구는 항상 경쟁하게 되어 있습니다.

 

그러므로 예수님은 하나님과 돈을 같이 섬길 수 없다고 말씀합니다. 전심으로 하나님을 섬기는 사람은 부유해서는 안된다는 것도 아니고 믿는 자들은 가난해야 하고 사치에서 떠나야 한다고 제안하는 것도 아닙니다. ㄱ리스도인이 되는 것과 부자가 되는 것은 서로 양립할 수 없다고 하는 것도 아닙니다. 진심으로 하나님을 섬기는 사람은 부를 얻기 위해 살아가지 않고 의로운 사람에게 재물은 하나님의 목적을 위해 사용하도록 주신 하나의 도구일 뿐입니다.

 

우리가 물질이 없어 가난할 수 있지만 그리스도인들보다 더 부유한 사람은 없습니다. 야고보는 우리가 하나님의 자녀로서 하나님의 풍성함 가운데 살라고 말합니다(약 1:9). "한 사람은 부자인 척하지만 가진 것이 없고 어떤 사람은 가난한 자이나 재물이 많으니라"(잠 13:7). 지금은 가난하더라도 하나님 나라에 속한 부자처럼 살아야 합니다. 또한 부유한 사람들은 부유한 사람으로 사는 것이 아니라 그리스도 안에서 겸손하고 행복하게 살아야 합니다(약 1:10). 세상의 부와 번영은 들의 꽃과 같고 세상의 아름다움은 잠시 있다가 사라집니다. 그리스도인들은 세상의 부에 의존하지 말고 하나님만 의지하고 살아가야 합니다.  

 

"나는 많은 것을 내 손에 쥐고 있었지만 모두 잃었습니다. 그러나 내가 하나님의 손에 맡긴 것은 무엇이든 여전히 소유하고 있습니다." – 마틴 루터

 

 

오늘의 기도: 주님은 “너희의 죄가 주홍 같을지라도 눈과 같이 희어질 것이요”(시 1:18)라고 말씀하셨습니다. 구원받지 못한 자들이 그들을 찾아 용서해 주시기를 간절히 원하시는 하나님의 마음을 이해할 수 있도록 기도하십시오. 

기도 지침: “마음의 진정한 평안을 얻기 까지는 필수적인 많은 것들이 있다. 가장 중요한 것 중에 하나는 기도하지 않고는 얻을 수 없는 믿음이다.” – 존 우든

성경 읽기: 호세아 12-14장; 요한계시록 3징