How Great is Your Darkness?

Jesus said: if your light is darkness, how great is your darkness! (Matt 6:23) In other words, if you call darkness light, your darkness is pitch black. He said this to his disciples in the context of loving money more than God (& his needy people). Jesus contrasted money with God. He said no one can follow two masters at a time. They would despise one and please the other. People cannot love both God and money. Light is something people use to see other things. If money is their light, it means they see or value everything else from the perspective of money. Jesus told people that if they consider money as their light and guide, their darkness is great.

The Pharisees and lawmakers failed to love God or his people more than money. They were greedy and arrogant. They calculated everything—including the worth of their family ties—in terms of money. How similar are the present-day American and Kerala Christian people? Daily, we hear reports of churches, families, and relationships ripped apart by money-related conflicts. Couples get divorced for money. They tell blatant lies and indulge in filthy personal battles for a little more money. 

This is why the darkness of Prosperity Theology of American Christianity looms larger than the rest of the world. Their sole deity is the dollar. I once believed that America’s heart was darkened by their insensitivity to the sufferings of other Christians. Now, I see that it’s not just their hearts but their minds that are clouded by the love of money. Why? Because even their perspectives are tainted by greed. They view everything through a lens of monetary gain. I will use the following illustrations to help you understand my point.

When I was a child, I collected stamps from different countries. Someone asked me why I did it. I said, ‘I do it because I love stamps.’ Usually, people store and save what they consider as valuable to them. My mother used to collect good jewelry. Jesus said: where your treasure is, there your heart will be. He was talking about greedy people who love wealth and hoard it. They do not share their wealth with the poor (God’s poor people) but find satisfaction in holding lots of wealth as money and properties. Jesus gives them a simple test: look at what you collect? If you collect money & properties more than anything else, your heart is not in anything else. Your heart is safely cushioned in your wealth. It finds complete solace in what you do possess. However, the reverse is also true. You are possessed by your demigod –mammon. 

Many people collect a lot of money and property. They consider it a precious investment that would help them weather the storms of their life, and rightly so. However, little do they realize that it is addictive. After a particular stage, people compete to know who is wealthier and can lead a more luxurious life. They do it, obviously, because they love money more than people. If you love people, you will share more with those in need and care less about your wealth status. It feels good to have a lot of money against your name. To some people, it means security against poverty and hardships in life. To others, it is a way to feel better about themselves and their lifestyle. Whatever the reason, it is still a wonderful addiction. 

Wealthy people also get into much trouble due to their excess wealth. It is like the excess fat in our physical bodies. It does more harm than good usually. Still, wealth is the number one addiction in the world that nobody worries about so much. Jesus talks about a wealthy man who went to hell. He had lived a luxurious life. However, he did not care to see a beggar –his nearest neighbor– all his life. The beggar was right there for him to help. But the rich man never understood his miseries. He may have no time left after his local synagogue’s special Jewish prayer meetings. The synagogue taught him Moses’ law summed up in the Greatest commandment: Love God, love others. However, he ignored Moses while he was alive. Perhaps he was too tired after the day’s business. Even so, he paid a great price for ignoring the beggar lying at his feet. 

Jesus talks about another wealthy man who thought to himself about his various projects after he made a hefty profit. He wanted to build bigger barns and live in luxury. Yet, the wealthy man needed to be more mindful of how his wealth could have helped the people of his community in need. Jesus said: what would happen to all his beautiful plans if he died that day? Many wealthy people plan to increase their wealth and luxury. In the end, they leave it all to somebody else and die. In a sense, it is a significant loss. Wealth helps alleviate poverty and make lives better for middle-class people. Most of the affluent people leave their wealth untouched and unused. What is more, it has no value in the afterlife.

A poor or a middle-class man may leave behind a few dollars. But a rich Trillionaire will leave behind billions. In a split second, he will be poor by trillions of dollars. What if, like the rich man who ignored the poor beggar, he reaches hell? What if God says to him you had all your luxuries in your earthly life, and the people who died poor because you hoarded wealth lived in dire circumstances. Now, they will be comforted. And, you will receive their agony because every dollar you did not use will speak against you in eternal life. It was not helpful to you then, but you did not share it with somebody who needed a life-saving medicine or food to survive. The darkness of such people will be great, won’t it be? Selah!