Luke 12: 34

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Although I am a poor substitute for a professing Christian in our church choir I do like the weekly reminder of the call of Jesus of Nazareth. In Acts there is the story of one of his followers after the Resurection when his followers formed communes to share all their goods. One of them, Annanias, lied to Peter and to God about how much he was withholding from the community. Peter knew better and said: ” “Why is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?” Annanias died on the spot.

Donald Trump, who is famous for bragging about his wealth, cheating on his taxes, getting hold of his inheritance before his father Fred was willing to hand it over, failing to make charitable contributions he promised to make while cheating the contractors who built his empire and the students who attended his colleges, should remember that its reported the same St. Peter, who said that Annanias was filled with Satan, guards the entrance to heaven. What are Trump’s chances?

Elsewhere in the Bible Jesus tells the rich young man that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven. Of course, like so much in the Bible this is cherry picked out by the prosperity gospel preachers who believe great wealth is a sign of God’s favor. I tend to agree more with Balzac’s observation: “Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.”

Back in the seventies a lot of TV preachers with their Lear Jets and mansions got tossed in prison for their misuse of church funds. That doesn’t happen so much any more and many of them are richer than ever. No wonder they have come to the conclusion that Donald Trump has the “mandate of heaven.” There’s not much more Jesus in their Churches than there is Lincoln in the Grand Old Party.

About the author