Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, January 30, 2023
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
This is another take on the “treasure in heaven” text from yesterday. I kind of chuckle when I read it because I imagine fancy cars in place of horses and chariots. Every time I pass a Corvette or Porsche or similar car I say, “How’s that midlife crisis going?” (Because yes, I’m kind of judgmental and snarky sometimes…) Honestly I have no idea what makes a person buy that kind of car—just because I never would doesn’t mean they shouldn’t. But they do just scream “Look at me! Look how cool I am!”
It wasn’t just Jesus telling us what really matters when it comes to possessions. The psalmist wrote these words hundreds of years before Jesus, after all. There is something at the core of our faith tradition that recognizes our weakness for conspicuous consumption and seeks to return our hearts to what truly matters, that greatest of all commandments, to love God and our neighbors as ourselves. And maybe it’s possible to drive an Audi R8 ($160K-$222K) and still take pride only in our love for God. Maybe.
What is my most prized possession? Do I take more pride in it than in my faith?