Deceitfulness of Riches

As I was preparing my sermon this week on thankfulness I read through various portions of the gospels and I was thinking long and hard on something that didn't make it into the message so I thought I would write a post on it.

This week I read these two parables:

Matthew 13- Parable of the Sower, v. 1-9, and the parable explained, v. 18-23
and
Matthew 22- Parable of the Wedding Feast, v. 1-14

In the post, I will focus my comments on a common theme in both, the deceitfulness of riches.

Just a little background for me personally and what life stage I'm at. I'm am currently 32 years old and have a growing family (5 kids). I'm no longer a twenty something and my oldest son is 8 years old. As I grow into my thirties, I'm seeing people my own age changing lifestyle to be at home more, think about the future more, and planning more. I live in America, so culture has large opinions on what what those decisions should look like in terms of working life, material accumulation, and future goals. I find myself re-thinking goals and what I envision the present and future to look like. I'm very glad for the Bible.

Matthew 13:7

Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

Matthew 13:22

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

In this parable, Jesus speaks of the seed of word of God and what keeps it from being fruitful. He only mentions 4 things: not understanding, not having deep root, the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches. I find the seed in the thorns to be a very scary warning. The way it reads, one can understand the word (the first seed), one can receive the word with joy (the second seed), and have deep root (the third seed did not get scorched by the sun) and still be unfruitful for the kingdom of God. Why? At some point after having all these good things the hearer become deceived by the cares of the world or the deceitfulness of riches. The seed had grown and had deep enough root to not be scorched by the sun, but the thorns grew and choked what was there. Lord, help me not to be deceived.

Matthew 22:5

But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business

I can't help but fast forward to judgement day when actual people are standing before the creator of the universe to give account for there life and realize they gave up paradise with the Lord for more work and riches in this life. At the same time, I know the pull to have more now. In Matthew 25:34 Jesus explains that there is a "kingdom prepared foy you (and me) from the foundation of the world". Yet, many will not see this kingdom and some will be deemed "not worthy" as the king said in Matthew 22:8 because of the deceitfulnes of riches in this world.

I pray that we God would remind us of his warnings and lead us not into temptation.