In the last week, people all over the country have stood in
line at convenience stores and gas stations to purchase a lottery ticket for
their chance at becoming King Midas-rich. The lure of a billion-dollar prize is
apparently too great to pass up. No, I
did not buy a ticket. Why not?
Blame it on Blaise.
Who you ask? Few of us remember
the name of Blaise Pascal from our days in either math or science class.
Pascal was one of those over-achieving over-thinkers who paved the way for both
modern science and mathematics. Like most of the great thinkers in
history, Pascal also dabbled in religion and philosophy, which prompted him to
derive what he considered a reasonable, logical, approach to living life – “Pascal’s
Wager”.
The Wager was his probability-based argument to mankind that
since God either exists or He doesn’t, we are all betting our lives on
whichever reality is true. So, he reasoned, why not bet your finite life, behavior, and wealth on the premise that
God DOES exist in the hope that you will gain an infinite eternity in God’s
presence if you are correct? Pascal was trying to encourage others to
live unselfishly to gain eternity with God.
Though his encouragement to good deeds and sacrifice won’t get anyone to
heaven without faith in Jesus, at least he was betting on something that was
worthwhile!
But real truth about how we should spend our lives comes
from the Author of salvation, Jesus:
Don’t collect for yourselves
treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where
thieves break in and steal. But collect for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t
break in and steal. For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
If putting our earthly “treasures” to better use than our
own selfish wealth accumulation doesn’t get us any closer to heaven, then why
does Jesus admonish us to do so? Because in Jesus’ view of things, our
accumulation of whatever can waste or rust away is short-sighted. He
isn’t just saying to take all the money and possessions you have and somehow
“invest” them in heavenly things. I believe Jesus’ Admonition is all
about PERSPECTIVE. Instead of working more and more hours to make more
and more money to buy more and more stuff in the here-and-now, why not
understand what James wrote to us?
You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your
life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then
vanishes. James 4:14
James wasn’t trying to discourage us, but instead trying to
drive the truth home that this life is such a little part of the whole of our existence.
We need to remember that in Christ, we
are eternal and so it makes lots of sense for us to spend our days
“working” with an eternal perspective. How do we do that? By
remembering that the greatest treasure
we have is our knowledge of the Gospel – the promise of God to everyone who
might believe in Jesus. So, we “work” to live lives that honor the
sacrifice Jesus made for us; we share the Truth we know with those who need to
hear it; and we find a way to love the people God puts in our path while we
walk this earth so they will know God loves them, too. That all adds up
to heavenly dividends!
Pascal’s Wager might seem like a good bet, but Jesus’ Words
can change your life. For eternity. That’s what I’m betting on!
Jacob
