How did it become that the most significant decisions in a church are the ones that involve money? Like, getting something approved in the budget carries more weight than other commitments, because then it goes “all the way up” to the board and we hold to it. And seemingly major decisions that don’t involve any money are made much more casually and can be changed or forgotten without much process or accountability.

Maybe this is what Jesus was talking about….

“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?” – Matthew 23:16-17

Here’s my modern day version….

“You’re missing the point entirely! You say, ‘If someone makes a promise to the church congregation, it doesn’t mean anything; but if they make a promise regarding the church’s money, it does.’ How foolish! What’s more important, the money or the church that makes the money meaningful?”

The problem with this is that it gets fuzzy as to who we’re serving.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. – Matthew 6:24