AVARICE
But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” (2Kings 5:20)
I came across this incredible story of a pastor who told his congregation at the dawn of a new year to give to him personally as their spiritual father, not the church, their entire month's salaries for his own welfare. He promised them unusual breakthroughs in their finances before the middle of the year, and went further to promise them he would refund to anyone of them who hadn't received his or her miracle several fold in return by then.
Avarice is defined as excessive desire for more than one needs or deserves.This single, uncommonly used word has a long list of synonyms in the dictionary: it is defined as acquisitiveness, avidity, covetousness, cupidity, graspingness, greed, and grabbiness.
The pity behind this nefarious act by the above self acclaimed minister of God is that my own friends take the trouble to share these stories with me as their pastor friend to deride those of us who call ourselves pastors. How does one defend the sacred calling on one's life with all these despicable acts by the increasing numbers of inglorious characters hiding under the guise of the title 'pastor', but who are in fact tarnishing the glory of God and casting aspersions on true ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His grace upon them?
What else can be our reaction to these acts of misdemeanor than pray to God, as Jesus taught us, for mercy on those culprits toying with the name and Person of the Most High, and salvation for the souls of those who make true servants of the Living God their laughing stock? To pronounce God’s wrath and judgment upon them would be like the Prophet Elisha who cursed Gehazi with leprosy for his greed (2Kings 5:27), or like Apostle Peter who brought God's judgment fatally on Ananias and Sapphira for lying to God's Spirit out of greed? (Acts 5:9-10).
We would rather be like Jesus as He taught us in the Book of Mark: 'Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me..." ' (Mark 9:38-39). But alas, these avaricious men who claim they work miracles for Jesus have in fact strayed outside His fold. Nonetheless, rather than forbid and condemn them, we would ask God to let mercy prevail over judgment upon their lives, hoping for a change in their hearts.
©OO-I.
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