Matthew on Money
By
Rev. LAWRENCE KEISTER, D. D.
MATTHEW ON MONEY
By
Rev. Lawrence Keister, D. D.
The occupational training of Matthewis plainly perceptible in the gospelhe has written. When he left thereceipt of custom to become a followerof Christ and then an apostleand even a gospel historian he carriedwith him his financial bent and ability.He always speaks of moneywith the accuracy and discriminationof a man who is accustomed to itspossession and use.
Ideal Givers
Matthew alone of the four gospelwriters mentions the visit of theWise Men. They came a great distancein search of him who was bornKing of the Jews. They knew himon sight, fell down and worshipedhim, and opened their treasures andoffered unto him gifts, gold andfrankincense and myrrh. They givewhile they are in his presence andwhile they are in the spirit of worship.
Their purpose was threefold, to seethe King, to worship him and to offergifts to him. The sight of theChrist, infant as he was, called forththe whole program. There was noother appeal. Their giving was a4part of their confession of faith. Thisis the King whom they came toaccept and honor. They are not mistakennor in doubt. They behold andworship and give.
When men open their hearts theyalso open their treasures. “No manbecomes honest” says Frederick W.Robertson, “till he gets face to facewith God.” Delusion vanishes thenand there and opportunity appears.Then men prize their privilege. Cometo Christ, worship him and go withoutgiving? When men come intothe presence of Christ as did theWise Men they fail not nor falter butact in a way that meets expectations.
A Would-be Giver
In his fourth chapter Matthew tellshow Satan proposed to give the worldto Christ, a great offer and fitting ina sense but one our Lord could notaccept on the terms stated or fromthis would-be giver. How could hereceive a gift from Satan without beingsubordinated to him? How cana Christian do this same thing withoutchange of character and loss oflife?
Were Christ to receive the worldas a gift from Satan he would stillneed to save it from sin if a redeemedworld is what he wants. Satan cannotgive what he does not possess.But whatever his right of ownership5his offer was not intended to aid ourLord but to tempt him to betray Histrust.
Matthew thinks Satan proposed togive only as a last resort and afterother means had failed. Giving appearsto be the hardest thing for himto do or he may regard it as theclimax of his appeal. He was in thepresence of Christ but he proposes togive his own gift in his own way tofurther his own ends. Satan remainsSatan in the presence of Christ, unchangedand unchangeable.
Satan requests Christ to fall downand worship him while Christ replies,“Thou shalt worship the Lord thyGod.” Satan has no disposition tofollow the example of the Wise Menor to adopt their order of procedure.He asks our Lord to accept his giftand then worship him in acknowledgementof his supremacy. He offerstemporal things for spiritual service,earthly greatness for divine recognition.
Unlike the Wise Men Satan is unlikeGod also, who sends his rainupon the just and the unjust. God’sgiving springs from his love, is measuredby it and is the expression of it.God so loved the world that He gaveHis Son. His giving is a real bestowmentand not a deceptive d