We are often afraid to speak of money in the church. We are concerned that someone will become offended. We do not want to confirm the position held by many that all the church wants is your money. As a result, we respond to this perception in a variety of ways. I know of one church that prints in its Sunday bulletin that visitors to the church are not expected to give financially but that this is the responsibility of the members of that church. I know of another church where the pastor announces that they only speak about giving once a year and that he as the pastor does not know what anyone in the church gives. We are very touchy on the subject and we find that we do not speak of it very often. Generally speaking, our response for most of the year is basic silence on the subject of money.

Yet Jesus is not silent on the subject, nor is the Bible. Perhaps that is because money seems to represent our priorities and what we consider important. A quick glance at our checkbook says a great deal about our lives. Our checkbook is probably more revealing than even a diary would be concerning our priorities. Too often we could be accused of putting more trust in our money than we do in God. We often see our bank account or investments as the vehicle for protecting our future. This is why the Bible is not silent on the subject.

When Charlemagne, the Frankish king, died, the people dealt with it in a unique fashion. Instead of the normal burial, using a shroud, they used his royal robe. They placed his royal robe on him and had him sitting on his throne for all to see. Then they placed a Bible on his lap. They had the Bible open with the King's forefinger on his right hand pointing at a particular Bible verse. The verse was Matthew 16:26: "For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?”