,matthew on ,money ,by ,rev4 ,,lawrence ,,keister1 ,d4 ,d4 ,,matthew ,,on ,,money ,by ,rev4 ,lawrence ,keister1 ,d4 ,d4 ,the occupational training of ,matthew is plainly perceptible in the gospel he has written4 ,when he left the receipt of custom to become a follower of ,christ and then an apostle and even a gospel historian he carried with him his financial bent and ability4 ,he always speaks of money with the accuracy and discrimination of a man who is accustomed to its possession and use4 ,ideal ,givers ,matthew alone of the four gospel writers mentions the visit of the ,wise ,men4 ,they came a great distance in search of him who was born ,king of the ,jews4 ,they knew him on sight1 fell down and worshiped him1 and opened their treasures and offered unto him gifts1 gold and frankincense and myrrh4 ,they give while they are in his presence and while they are in the spirit of worship4 ,their purpose was threefold1 to see the ,king1 to worship him and to offer gifts to him4 ,the sight of the ,christ1 infant as he was1 called forth the whole program4 ,there was no other appeal4 ,their giving was a part of their confession of faith4 ,this is the ,king whom they came to accept and honor4 ,they are not mistaken nor in doubt4 ,they behold and worship and give4 ,when men open their hearts they also open their treasures4 8,no man becomes honest0 says ,frederick ,w4 ,robertson1 8till he gets face to face with ,god40 ,delusion vanishes then and there and opportunity appears4 ,then men prize their privilege4 ,come to ,christ1 worship him and go without giving8 ,when men come into the presence of ,christ as did the ,wise ,men they fail not nor falter but act in a way that meets expectations4 ,a ,would-be ,giver ,in his fourth chapter ,matthew tells how ,satan proposed to give the world to ,christ1 a great offer and fitting in a sense but one our ,lord could not accept on the terms stated or from this would-be giver4 ,how could he receive a gift from ,satan without being subordinated to him8 ,how can a ,christian do this same thing without change of character and loss of life8 ,were ,christ to receive the world as a gift from ,satan he would still need to save it from sin if a redeemed world is what he wants4 ,satan cannot give what he does not possess4 ,but whatever his right of ownership his offer was not intended to aid our ,lord but to tempt him to betray ,his trust4 ,matthew thinks ,satan proposed to give only as a last resort and after other means had failed4 ,giving appears to be the hardest thing for him to do or he may regard it as the climax of his appeal4 ,he was in the presence of ,christ but he proposes to give his own gift in his own way to further his own ends4 ,satan remains ,satan in the presence of ,christ1 unchanged and unchangeable4 ,satan requests ,christ to fall down and worship him while ,christ replies1 8,thou shalt worship the ,lord thy ,god40 ,satan has no disposition to follow the example of the ,wise ,men or to adopt their order of procedure4 ,he asks our ,lord to accept his gift and then worship him in acknowledgement of his supremacy4 ,he offers temporal things for spiritual service1 earthly greatness for divine recognition4 ,unlike the ,wise ,men ,satan is unlike ,god also1 who sends his rain upon the just and the unjust4 ,god's giving springs from his love1 is measured by it and is the expression of it4 ,god so loved the world that ,he gave ,his ,son4 ,his giving is a real bestowment and not a deceptive deal4 ,he gives according to his nature and men receive according to their ability4 ,well we know that ,god can give ,knowledge of the way to live4 ,give he will and give he must ,unto all who in him trust1 ,right thru things that lie between ,god can give while yet unseen4 ,but ,god gives ministry instead of mastery4 8,it is the most fantastic of all dreams10 says ,newman ,hall1 8that a man can cut his being into two portions1 call one of them religious and the other mundane1 and administer them on directly opposite principles40 ,as ,christ was not deluded1 divided and directed by ,satan neither can ,christians be if they are to remain ,christians4 ,inside ,information ,the references to money which appear in the sermon on the mount as reported by ,matthew offer inside information on the subject4 ,jesus came to fulfil the law1 not to destroy it1 not to lower religion4 ,our religion must have expression in our life for only life at its best can satisfy us4 ,prof4 ,stalker tells us that 8,the task of religious teachers is to get people to see things as they are10 and we may add1 as they ought to be4 ,jesus requires more than external compliance with the law or formal righteousness and hence his followers must be better than ,pharisees4 ,they must act from right motives when they pray and give alms and be confidential with the ,father who seeth in secret4 ,the ,pharisee's reward1 to be seen of men1 seems utterly insignificant as compared with that of the ,christian1 8,thy ,father who seeth in secret shall reward thee40 8,thy ,father0 and not 8our ,father10 as elsewhere3 for here the transaction is confidential and personal2 8,reward thee0 as an individual who merits his consideration4 ,the approval of our ,father in heaven is worth while as well as good standing in our community4 ,both are possible and ,dr4 ,deems emphasizes the value of both when he says3 8,one good man given to a town is better than the gift of a park or a library and is worth more to a town than a hundred of the most learned men who are not good40 8,lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth10 says ,jesus to ,his disciples and his precept is illustrated by ,his example4 ,your life must not be limited by money4 ,earthly treasures may be stolen or destroyed4 ,money-making may hinder laying up treasures in heaven1 8,for where thy treasure is1 there will thy heart be also40 ,christians are essentially heavenly in character and life and so ,paul says1 8,our citizenship is in heaven40 ,they are industrious1 economical1 thrifty and enterprising but their life centers in the spiritual and the wealth they possess is owned and used1 not for themselves alone1 but for their families and neighbors1 their friends and even their enemies1 the ,church and nation4 ,jesus declares that men must have the light of ,god and singleness of eye in order to see4 ,men must learn to see as ,god sees4 ,no man can serve two masters1 ,god and ,mammon1 only two being mentioned for there are no more4 ,god sees men as they are and is never in doubt while men get things mixed up and try to do opposites4 ,they think of food and raiment when they ought to think of ,god's kingdom and ,his righteousness4 ,they ought to put first things first in order to get other things in their proper place4 ,of course there are people who dislike those who see as ,god sees and do as ,christ directs but good people are not on this account to give away holy things and cast aside the pearls they possess4 ,good people have a right to be good even if 8the dogs0 and 8the swine0 have no appreciation of the higher things of life4 ,the continued possession of 8pearls0 and 8that which is holy0 has the approval of ,jesus4 ,he even commands his followers to ask of ,god who knows what is best for them and who is described as 8your ,father0 when it comes to giving to them4 ,he wishes to be asked for what they want and gives 8good things0 in answer to their requests4 ,this is information every child of ,god should have because it comes from the lips of ,jesus and is inside information as regards ,god's will as set forth in his word and also with reference to our own personal experience4 ,money outclassed ,when ,jesus sent forth the twelve as described in the tenth chapter they were to proclaim the kingdom of heaven1 to heal the sick1 to raise the dead1 to cleanse the lepers and cast out demons1 a remarkable program1 which they were to carry out with no gold or silver or brass in their purses4 ,they were to preach without pay1 serve without salary1 minister without money4 ,they were to outclass money1 the medium of exchange1 which bears the stamp of some established government4 ,they were to take rank among men by doing benevolent work under divine direction and with divine assistance4 ,they were instructed to rely upon the people for the supply of their ordinary needs4 ,no one was permitted to burden himself with two coats and thus belie his message and his ,master4 ,their moral earnestness was to be maintained under all circumstances and in case any refused to receive them or hear their words they were to shake off the dust of their feet for a testimony against them4 8,if ,god's truth is to succeed10 says ,dr4 ,gregg1 8it must incarnate itself3 if ,god's cause is to win a victory it must embody itself in a person40 ,men must be the truth in order to preach the truth in its purity and power4 ,ministers must be sent by ,christ1 receive authority from him1 follow his program1 outclass money and take rank among men as his representatives4 ,a ,teacher ,taught ,peter's mistake with reference to payment of the temple tax which is recorded in the seventeenth of ,matthew was not the only mistake ,peter made4 ,there were others and all were corrected1 the correction in this case being memorable if not also unforgettable4 ,peter promised payment without consulting ,jesus4 ,he thought he knew what ,jesus would do in the case and to confess ignorance would lower him in the estimation of those who received the tax4 ,but ,peter had failed to consider the fact that as the ,son in the house of his ,father ,jesus was free4 ,jesus points out ,peter's error as a friend who will not allow his mistake to be incorporated in his thought and life only to vitiate both4 ,jesus takes account also of those who received the tax for they were not prepared to receive his explanation4 ,his miraculous power is called into service to relieve the situation4 ,and why not8 ,is not his ,sonship called in question8 ,he directs ,peter where and how to get the required shekel4 ,for a little while ,peter returns to his former occupation but his skill as a fisherman is supplemented by the superior knowledge and power of ,christ and so when he makes payment it is 8for me and thee0 because ,peter's position is not the same as that of the ,master4 ,our ,lord is careful where men are inclined to be careless4 ,trifles may make the sum of life but life is no trifle4 8,you may be too superb to pay attention to the small debt due your neighbor10 says ,dr4 ,deems1 8but ,god is so great that he can pay attention to the least of things40 ,matthew's four verses concerning a matter of thirty-three cents have their place and their use in scripture4 ,we soon lose sight of the half shekel and center our thoughts upon ,christ1 who corrects ,peter so faithfully1 who respects the feelings of those who receive the tax and who even takes account of us at this distance by giving us this minute view of himself4 ,little things like this reveal the greatness of our ,lord and just such touches confirm ,prof4 ,stalker's statement that 8the pagan world not only never produced one holy man but never drew the picture of one40 ,god in the ,case ,in the nineteenth chapter we find these words from the lips of ,jesus3 8,it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven4 ,it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye1 than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of ,god40 ,he is stating a thing that is impossible and the disciples ask in amazement1 8,who then can be saved80 ,their question calls forth ,his answer1 8,with men this is impossible2 but with ,god all things are possible40 ,men can be reconstituted but this requires divine assistance4 ,as ,canon ,westcot has said1 8,jesus established fresh foundations for society and a fresh standard of individual worth40 ,is it still hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven8 ,as hard as ever and absolutely impossible as long as he makes riches his object in life1 as long as he compromises with evil for a consideration1 as long as he ruins competitors in business in order to create a monopoly4 ,but does the ,church know what ,jesus meant to teach8 ,yes1 if it knows itself and its duty1 which is 8to show to the world its chief concern is morality1 not money2 principles1 not profits2 the faith of the crucified ,christ1 not the favors of men who have accumulated fortunes without righteousness40 ,six words contain the solution of the whole problem1 8,with ,god all things are possible40 ,god can so completely transform a rich man that he can forget he is rich4 ,he can think of himself as a man and as a servant of ,god4 ,he can see himself as a sinner before ,god and also as saved by grace thru faith in ,jesus ,christ4 ,he enters the kingdom not as rich but as believing4 ,in the ,simple ,life we read3 8,if there are people at once rich and content1 be assured that they are content because they know how to be1 not because they are rich40 ,god can trust saved men with money1 to possess it1 to invest it and to use it in the interest of ,his kingdom4 ,but he cannot permit men who worship wealth to enter ,his kingdom4 ,this is impossible4 ,an unchanged nature cannot enter the kingdom of ,god and could not find happiness there because it is out of harmony with the laws and the life of the kingdom4 ,use or ,misuse ,two verses of chapter twenty-one suffice to record the manner in which ,jesus treated traders in the temple4 ,they were out of place4 ,with no appreciation of the temple as a place of worship they naturally used it for their own ends and ,jesus as naturally came in conflict with these mercenary men4 ,after he cast them out he told them what the temple is for1 8,my house shall be called a house of prayer3 but ye make it a den of robbers40 ,such perversion is not permitted and their misused opportunity is suddenly forfeited4 ,men who misuse ,god's house invite their own overthrow4 ,they are driven out by the very ,one who invites sincere souls to enter4 ,their punishment fits their sin4 ,they have no place in the house of ,god1 no part in his salvation1 no share in his service4 ,the use and misuse of opportunity are set forth in comparison and in contrast in chapter twenty-five4 ,two of the servants in the parable of the talents proved worthy of their trust while one failed to appreciate his opportunity4 ,did the unequal division anger the man who received the one talent8 ,the opportunity of the three servants is essentially the same1 which appears plainly when their lord reckons with them4 ,in identical terms he commends the two who so used their talents as to increase their holdings4 ,how could he commend the servant who brought back his lord's money without increase and in addition lodged a complaint against him8 8,the servant with the one talent considered himself a brilliant example of a harmless man10 says ,dr4 ,deems4 ,his talent is returned unused and without loss or increase4 ,he is condemned on two counts1 inactivity and insincerity4 ,if he really thought his master was exceedingly strict why did he not act accordingly8 ,his conduct belied his profession4 ,our thoughts are usually called to the man with the one talent but the man with the two and the man with the five deserve our attention quite as much4 ,the men with the most do the best4 ,they are trustworthy4 ,they are faithful servants and are left in possession of what they were given and what they gained4 ,the man who had most of all received the unused one talent as an additional trust and as a mark of his lord's complete confidence4 ,equality of possessions is not the purpose of ,god toward men but equal opportunity to use well what they have4 ,talents are a test of character4 ,a servant of ,god can safely become a custodian of wealth4 ,he must enter into partnership with ,god before he can expect to hear him say1 8,well done1 good and faithful servant3 enter into the joy of thy ,lord40 ,devotion or ,desertion ,the anointing of ,jesus in ,bethany in the house of ,simon the leper is told in eight verses of the twenty-sixth chapter while the next three verses give an account of ,judas in the act of selling the ,master4 ,in the first account we have devotion and in the second desertion4 ,extremes have done what they often do and here we behold them each confronting the other4 ,a woman poured precious ointment on the head of ,jesus as he sat at meat4 ,her devotion transcended all ordinary bounds being justified by ,his transcendent ministry4 ,had ,he not taught her lessons which no other teacher ever unfolded8 ,had he not befriended her when ,lazarus lay in the tomb8 ,her ministry1 so sincere and so timely1 fills a place in his life and work and hence her deed of devotion is accepted with approval and even woven into the gospel record as a memorial of her4 ,do we wonder why the disciples become critics1 if not opposers1 and ask with indignation1 8,to what purpose is this waste80 ,they saw no reason for it1 no excuse4 ,unaware of the near approach of ,christ's death and burial they were quite well informed as to the cash value of the ointment4 ,they were living on a business basis and thinking of an empty treasury and the needs of the poor4 ,but ,jesus explained to them just why they made complaint and why this woman anointed him4 ,it is apparent that the disciples are not yet free from commercialism or they would know that devotion to ,christ always helps and never hinders ministering to the poor4 ,they are devoted to ,jesus and whether they know it or not they are concerned about ,his approaching death and ,his victory over sin4 ,but this woman surpassed them in devotion and in anticipating that victory4 ,of course there came a time when no ointment was too precious to measure the interest or express the devotion of these same disciples4 ,right after ,mary's act of devotion ,matthew places ,judas' deed of defection4 ,life is logical in its course and outcome4 8,whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap40 ,faith in ,christ is not the same as doubt and denial1 at the beginning1 in its process1 or at the end4 ,the two are radically different and this difference must appear at the end if nowhere else4 ,extremes may meet but they are still extremes4 ,the devotion that anointed ,jesus for his burial may have incited ,judas to betray him4 ,he is indignant and must act and the nature of his act was determined by his own character4 8,then one of the twelve1 who was called ,judas ,iscariot1 went unto the chief priests1 and said1 #8,what are ye willing to give me1 and ,i will deliver him unto you8' ,and they weighed unto him thirty pieces of silver40 ,judas assumed the right to sell ,jesus as ,satan assumed the right to bestow the world as a gift4 ,the chief priests gladly act on the assumption of ,judas and ,jesus was sold by the latter and purchased by the former as though he were a slave4 ,the bargain is satisfactory to buyer and seller1 the purchase price is paid and accepted and the transaction is complete6 ,if this contract takes any account of the innocence of ,jesus1 his wonderful teaching and his miraculous ministry it is as so many counts against him4 ,men always throw the cloak of charity over their shoulders when they propose to do an uncharitable thing4 ,they will build the tombs of the prophets who are dead while they arrange to betray ,god's living leaders4 ,they take care of their reputation but neglect their character4 ,they do popular things which in no way commit them to the cause of ,christ4 ,but men cannot remain indifferent to ,christ4 ,he literally compels decision1 and men must choose1 their choice lying between sale and service1 the defection of ,judas and the devotion of ,mary4 ,there is no resting place between the two4 ,the ,christ leaves no room for doubt and indecision for just as sure as he did he would not be the ,christ4 ,recapitulation ,matthew's references to money are found here and there1 not random remarks or unrelated statements1 but parts of the truth1 which fit together in an 8orderly procession of thought40 ,they embody an ideal1 reveal motives1 describe character and show us the evil use of money lest we be deceived and misled4 ,the ,wise ,men gave in recognition of ,christ as the promised ,king while ,satan proposed to give in order to dethrone ,him4 ,christ came to fulfil the law1 to raise religion to its proper level4 ,according to ,him1 motives count1 and in prayer and alms-giving point unerringly to the source of reward4 ,our earth-life is not to be earth-bound4 ,men are called upon to lay up treasures in heaven wisely anticipating their appearance there4 ,christ gives authority to men whom he sends forth as his representatives4 ,they are not to rely on cash or clothes but to trust ,god for the truth they teach and power to sustain them1 and the people for food and shelter4 ,peter's mistake about the tax arose from inadequate knowledge of ,christ after years of instruction and at the close of the earthly life of ,jesus4 ,riches are an obstruction to rich men but not to saved men4 ,a right idea of ,god and a right relation to ,god prepare men for a right use of money and any talent they possess4 ,the woman who anointed ,jesus manifested her devotion and the man who betrayed ,him gave vent to his disappointment and proclaimed his disaffection4 ,transcriber's ,notes --,silently corrected a few typos4 --,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4 --,in the text versions only1 text in italics is delimited by underscores4