Filthy Rich

Habitat for Humanity provides affordable housing for families who would otherwise never be able to live in a decent home. Millard Fuller of Habitat for Humanity once led a workshop for pastoral students at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He pointed out that every year, there are three homes costing a million dollars or more built in the United States for every one Habitat home. The students and pastors in attendance pointed to greed and selfishness as the reason the church never had enough money to assist others creatively.


Millard then asked this seemingly innocent question:
“Is it possible for a person to build a house so large that it's sinful in the eyes of God? Raise your hand if you think so.” All 200 of those present raised their hands.

“Okay,” said Millard, “then can you tell me at exactly what size, the precise square footage, a certain house becomes sinful to occupy? Silence from the pastors. You could have heard a pin drop, until a small, quiet voice spoke up from the back of the room: “When it is bigger than mine.”

This true story well illustrates the problem we face in trying to communicate to America about wealth.  I've been in a sermon series for the last couple months on the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus addresses the issue of the proper handling of wealth numerous times here and elsewhere in the Gospels.  But we too often miss the significance of these words because they are spoken to the "rich."  And in our minds, the rich are always someone else.
 
But the truth is, I am filthy rich.  I live a life that would be the envy of kings a few hundred years ago.  I live in the richest nation on the planet, and our leisure and luxury is unsurpassed.  So when Jesus begins talking about how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, he means me (and probably you too, if you have a computer with which you can read this).