The Brinks Truck Crash

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:10-15 ESV). The early morning crash of a Brink’s armored truck on a Miami highway sometime ago held up a mirror to the human condition. The news report relates that while the driver and a fellow Brink’s officer lay bruised and bleeding, a festive atmosphere broke loose outside the truck as thousands of dollars blew n the breeze. Motorists stopped in rush hour traffic, then scooped up cash before resuming their commutes to the office. Thousands of crisp bills and shiny coins rained down an overpass onto a Miami neighborhood. Below, mothers with babies grabbed coins and piled them into strollers. An elderly woman filled a box. A young schoolgirl dumped her book bag and loaded it with coins and bills. Onlookers and participants had plenty of justifications and rationalizations. “Which is more moral,” asked one resident of the impoverished neighborhood, “to return the money and leave your children improvised-or maybe send them to college and enrich the family for generations?” “We deserve a little something,” said another. “The Lord was willing for it to happen here,” one man commented. “There’s a lot of poverty. It was a miracle.” Police estimated that more than 100 people helped themselves to money during the melee. Middle class on their way to work made off with thousands. Money is a powerful motivator. It is no wonder at all that Jesus spent so much time in His earthly ministry helping us understand the dangers of focusing on material things. The philosophy that money and possessions is the end to all of our problems is simply a lie of the devil! Tragically many people have discovered the truth too late to make a difference in their lives. Possessions are not the problem, but focus on them. Our task in life ought to be centering ourselves in the will and purpose of the Lord. Then we will be able to recognize true riches. What would you have done that morning when the Brink’s truck crashed? It is a question worth contemplating. There are those opportunities each day to make similar choices. Ask the Lord to give you the kind of wisdom necessary to choose wisely in your life.