Second Wednesday of Lent by Kolby Golliher 2/24/21

 

Scripture Reading: Psalm 49

"People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish." -Psalm 49:12 NIV

Psalm 49, like many of the texts we read during the Lenten season, is a sober reminder of our mortality. As if we really need another reminder this year, right? We’re now more than 11 months into a global pandemic that has completely altered the way we live. One of my seminary professors last semester pointed out to me that perhaps the reason many people can’t stand to wear a mask in public is because it reminds us of our mortality, of the fact that we all must die eventually. We have a dis-ease with our disease.

Rather than facing the reality of death, some choose to cope by doing whatever they can to get ahead in this world, hiding behind the power that comes with wealth. Psalm 49 rebukes any attempts to take our salvation into our own hands. Its pointed message strikes deep, revealing the truth of what this coping really is: a delusion. Many have devoted their lives to acquiring wealth, to storing up riches in this life, and what do they ultimately have to show for it? As the satirical Onion puts it, the world deathrate is holding steady at 100%. Jews and Christians alike know that our salvation comes only from God, not money.

In my striving to follow Jesus closely and consistently, the more I come to realize the futility of materialism. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, understood this especially well. At the height of Wesley’s career, he brought in more than $160,000 in today’s dollars annually. However, he decided very early in his life that he would live on a modest $20,000 and give away any extra income he made to charity. So Wesley did just that, because he knew where his real treasure was stored (see Matt. 6:19-21).

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a long road away from living a true minimalist lifestyle. It’s difficult to escape the consumerism that defines our culture. Nonetheless, both Psalm 49 and the example of Wesley challenges us to consider our own underlying beliefs about wealth and salvation.

 

Lord,
You and you alone are the giver of every good and perfect gift. Grant that I may be a faithful steward of all that you have given me. Teach me to be generous with my giving as you have generously given everything to us in the sending of your Son. Remind me today and every day not to place my hope in the treasures of this life but in the hope of the resurrection. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

--Kolby Golliher