For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers…Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. [Titus 1:10-11 (KJV)]
Demas was a fellow worker of Paul’s during his ministry but, during Paul’s second imprisonment in Rome, Demas left abruptly. Paul wrote Timothy that Demas had deserted him because he loved the good things of the world. How sad it had to have been for Paul to write that he’d been forsaken by one of the men he’d trained, a man with whom he ministered, a man he loved. We don’t know if Demas forsook the Lord along with Paul or whether the worldly things he loved in life were fortune, fame, or flesh. Nowhere in Scripture do read any more of Demas or if he ever returned to the faith.
In John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian and his companion Hopeful come to a hill called Lucre where they encounter Demas. Not a word we use nowadays, “lucre” is a Middle English word for money and both the King James Version of the Bible and Bunyan’s allegory were written in Middle English.
On Lucre hill, and just a little off the Way, is a silver mine. The ground around the mine is quite unstable (Bunyan calls it “deceitful”) and often collapses, causing severe injury or death to anyone who’s ventured too close. Calling to the Pilgrims and inviting them to step off the path is Demas. He promises that, with a little effort, they’ll become rich. Whether it’s merely curiosity or the lure of earthly treasures, Hopeful is tempted to step out of the Way but Christian cautions him. The Pilgrim asks Demas about the danger and whether the stop might hinder people on their pilgrimages. Although Demas assures them it’s not very dangerous if one is careful, his blush gives away the deceit in his answer.
Although Christian calls him an enemy of the Lord of the Way, Demas claims to be one of their comrades. Christian knows better and says Demas is the great-grandson of Gehazi [2 Kings 5:20-24] and the son of Judas [Matthew 26:14-15]: both men who betrayed the Lord for money. As Christian and Hopeful go on their way, other Pilgrims heed Demas’ call and disappear into the pit.
Christian and Hopeful then see a strange monument beside the Highway that looks much like a woman. Its sign reads: “Remember Lot’s wife!” They realize it is the pillar of salt that once was the woman who looked back at Sodom with a “covetous heart.” That she escaped one judgment (Sodom) only to be destroyed by another was a lesson not lost on the men. Serving as both a caution about sin and an example of God’s judgment, the monument stands in sight of Demas and the Pilgrims who prefer earthly treasures to the Way. Those tempted by Lucre’s promise could see the monument’s reminder if only they’d lift their eyes!
As others did before him and more have done after, Demas lost his way because of the allure of lucre. Bunyan’s lesson is clear: the lure of riches can lead us to a slippery and deceitful slope. Don’t venture too close or you may plunge into the depths! Run from sin and don’t turn back. Heed God’s warnings and “always remember Lot’s wife!”
While recovering from foot surgery, I had home visits from Mike, a physical therapist. He told me of a day, more than eighteen years ago, when he visited a new elderly patient. The obviously wealthy man lived alone in a beautifully appointed 6,000 square foot penthouse overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Mike remembers him as the most unpleasant, uncooperative, bitter and miserable person he’s ever met. After that visit, the therapist drove to a nearby town for another new patient visit. Although less than an hour’s drive northeast of the affluent man’s luxurious home, it was a world apart. Today, the population in the first town has a median age of 65.6, a median household income of over $90,000, and a poverty rate of less than 10%. Just thirty miles away, the second town has a median age of 26, with a median household income of less than $29,000, and 41.6% of its population live below the poverty level. Although the numbers were different eighteen years ago, the disparity would have been the same (or even worse).
Yesterday’s devotion made me do some hard thinking about my commitment to Christian missions. Unfortunately, there are large segments of the world’s population that have never heard of Jesus. According to the Joshua Project (an organization that gathers, integrates and shares information to facilitate the implementation of the Great Commission), 41.6 % of the world’s population is considered “unreached,” meaning they have little or no history of Christianity and the number of native Christians and available resources are so minimal that outside assistance is necessary if the Gospel is going to be heard.
When I was a little girl, I once went to mass with my Roman Catholic cousins. Before leaving for church, my mother pressed two shiny quarters into my hand. “For the offering,” she reminded me. Part way through the service, long-handled offering baskets were extended down each row and people dropped their offering envelopes and money into them. “Who will know?” I thought as I reached into my pocket and pulled out just one quarter for the offering. Almost immediately, another basket came down our row. “God saw me!” I thought in a panic. “God knows I was holding out on Him and now the priest has sent the basket back.” I quickly reached into my pocket for the second quarter. As I dropped it into the basket, I heaved a great sigh of relief; I was safe from Hell for at least one more day. My only consolation was that I clearly wasn’t the only sinner; other people had dropped money into that second basket. Looking back, I think the second basket probably was for a special offering of some kind. To my child’s mind, however, that second basket was for those of us who hadn’t given God what belonged to Him.
Some things never change and, aside from death, it’s said that taxes are the only other sure thing in our lives. Along with a poll (or head) tax, the Romans had a variety of other taxes including customs taxes, property taxes, import and export taxes, crop taxes, toll bridges, sales tax, and special taxes when there was a war or building project to finance. Sounds a bit like nowadays! Yesterday was April 15, the day the IRS demanded what is theirs. When you put “the” and “IRS” together you get the word “theirs” and, once we’ve filed our taxes, it sure feels like the government considers most of what’s ours to be theirs!
A college admissions conspiracy is in the news and we’re learning about parents bribing test takers, proctors to correct answers, and coaches to recommend college acceptances. There have been allegations of false references, fake ethnicity, made-up athletic credentials, Photoshopped pictures, sham charities, and bribes disguised as charitable donations!
Devotions of the Heart 