Powerball Mania!

Daily Reading: Genesis 39, Luke 16 

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:13

Nestled in the middle of an entire chapter dealing with money is found this simple straightforward declaration to sum up the whole of the parables being taught. We cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve God and money! Sounds simple enough, yet we continue to struggle with this one (or maybe only I continue to struggle with this one). 

This is such a perfect passage to read the Saturday after our country has been caught up in Powerball Mania. I have been amazed to see the crazy things people will do and the long lines they will stand in to purchase their Powerball tickets. Someone told me this past Monday that the odds of winning the jackpot were better than being struck with lightning… while swimming underwater. I also love the comments that people make to me during a national event like this one, “Pastor, I’ve purchased some tickets this week, but I just wanted to let you know, because my goal is to bless the church.” 

While I’m sure (or at least I hope) that if one of my church members won the jackpot they would bless the church, let us be clear about why we play the lotto. We play because we get caught up in the idea of instant wealth. I have talked with enough people to understand that many of us believe, “If I could just win that wealth everything would be good!” My debts would be paid! My relationships mended! My future secure! Statistics show just the opposite for most large money winners of instantaneous jackpots, but that’s for another day. I want to look at a deeper issue. The words I often hear from people of why they play Powerball reveal a bit of the soul of that person and often the revelation is that their hope for their future is in something other than in God. Their hope is that money will give them whatever it is they feel they are missing in life. 

This may not be us. I have heard of one guy who won the jackpot when it was $58 million and he gave the entire amount away. And I heard of a mother and two daughters who won and paid off their debts, bought new cars, set up trusts funds for their kids education and then gave the rest away. So I do have two examples out of hundreds where theirs was a different motive. But, I would ask us each the simple question, “Why do we play Powerball?”

Lord, help me to singularly love and serve you. Amen.