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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-10-19, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2017. From the Minister's Study Jesus speaks about greed: He taught us a lot By Rev. Mark Royall Huron Chapel Evangelical Missionary Church, Auburn When you read the Gospels, you soon come to realize that Jesus talks a lot about money and greed. Out of the 38 parables He taught, 16 of them were concerned with how to handle money and possessions. In the four Gospels, an amazing one out of 10 verses deal directly with the subject of money. Why did Jesus focus so much on money and possessions? Probably because we focus so much on money and possessions. Jesus taught us how we are not to store up treasures here on earth where they are subject to decay and theft. Rather, He teaches us to invest and store up our treasures in heaven because these investments don't disappear. Instead these heavenly treasures have eternal value. Then having said this Jesus adds on this little tidbit of insight saying, "Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!" (Matthew 6:22-23) What Jesus is saying is simple. When there's light in a room, your eye will take in that light allowing you to see. You will see by the light. You will see where objects are and be able to move yourself about a room without stumbling or falling. But if your eye is blinded - if your eye isn't working - then, even though there's light all around you, your whole body is, in a sense, in the dark. When your eye is not working, then, for all intents and purposes, your whole body is in darkness, whether or not the whole room is flooded with light. iVcttelr Cfwidicut reljalt sfu 7 October 22: Eph.4:22ff "Love is Not Easily pAngered" o� ! Lac - 40 Days LJ of Love #5 12:00 NOON at H&B Shannon's 316 Hamilton Street, Blyth Evangelical Missionary Church Mondays 7:30 pm • Blyth Small Group at H&D Snell's Tuesdays 7:30 pm • Wingham Small Group at G&M Lisle's Wednesdays 10:00 am • Women's COFFEE BREAK Bible Study at Blyth CRC Wednesdays 6:30 pm • Heirborn (JK•Gr.6) & Youth Group at Huron Chapel, Auburn Pastor: Ernest Dow -• 519-523-4848 + getlivingwater.org Jesus attaches this illustration to warn us about storing up treasure here on earth because He knows how our greed for material things blinds us. In fact, we can be blinded to the point where we don't even realize when greed is a problem. We see greed in others, but not in ourselves. We think we are seeing clearly, but we are often blinded to our own greed to the point that we stumble and fall. Back in 1635, a member of the First Congregational Church of Boston named Robert Cain was disciplined by the elders of the church for the sin of greed. The story was that a Robert Cain was doing very well as a business man. There was nothing wrong with that except, he was selling his product for a six per cent profit. The church had decided together a few years earlier that members of their church would only be allowed to sell their product at a four per cent profit. At first I thought this was being silly and legalistic for the church to make such a rule for their members. I mean, where in the Bible does it say four per cent? However, when you understand the context in which they made their decision and really, the heart behind the decision of these church members, you realize it isn't silly at all. In fact you respect what they were trying to do. The fact is Jesus has to say to us, `watch out you might be greedy'. Greed hides itself. It blinds you in a way that other sins may not. So these Christians of the First Congregational Church of Boston sat down and said, look, Jesus talks about money a lot. He is constantly cautioning us about greed. But how do we know when we are being greedy? We know when we commit adultery or steal from someone, these sins are obvious, but how do we know when we have crossed the line to becoming greedy? ANGLICAN PARISH OF NEW BEGINNINGS BLYTH ,Trinity (J� 9:15 am Church Office 519-357-4883 BRUSSELS St. John's 11:15 am Church Office 519-887-6862 Everyone Welcome! COME WORSHIP WITH US! BRUSSELS United Church Welcome to Sunday morning worship & Sunday School at 11:00 am Hillary MacDonald (905) 246-7386 Macdonald.hillary@gmail.com Everyone welcome emide€4 eommIA Vac eitaftel You're Znvitec( to come worsh p with us. Sunday, October 22 at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. 650 Alexander St. (former Blyth Public School) Sunday School for children 4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m. Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers during the sermon. Coffee & cookies after the morning service. For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621 Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173 SAME HURON CHAPEL SERVICE TWO TI ISI ES 9arri oft Ilam Every Sunday in Auburn - huronchapel.com So, as a Christian community, they said, let's sit down together and say for our time, for our place and context... let's decide together what is a greedy lifestyle. And by consensus, they decided on four per cent. Then they said, now let's us hold each other accountable to this lest we become greedy'. So it wasn't a silly decision. It was a mutual one. It was consensual, and together they made this decision for their time and place because they wanted to protect themselves from greed. Robert Cain would have known about the standard. He would have been part of the decision of four per cent and would have voluntarily agreed to be accountable to it as a member of the church. However, he chose to ignore it and therefore the First Congregational Church of Continued on page 22 ?'(n re Si;wiled g 3ain zIs S1n Vor5 iry�': SUNDAYS Morning Service Evening Service 10:00 am 7:30 pm BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743 MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15 We invite you to join our church family in: Worship & Sunday School - 11 am Coffee & Snacks following the service Come out and meet our new minister, Rev. Charmila Ireland Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm - Soup & More 2 - a free community meal held in Melville's basement, and made possible by the Brussels churches working together. Nursery care available 519-887-6687 64, Blyth United Church Est. 1875 Worship Service at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, October 22 The doors are open and so is Christ's table. Join us this Sunday for Holy Communion. All are welcome. WELCOME TO THE TABLE Hillary MacDonald OFFICE: 519-523-4224 THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS. OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Brussels: St. Ambrose Saturday 6:00 p.m. 17 Flora Street Wingham: Sacred Heart Sunday 9:00 a.m. 220 Carling Terrace Listowel: St. Joseph's Sunday 11:00 a.m. 1025 Wallace Avenue N.