This morning's text is taken from Luke Chapter 11

verses 37 through 42.

If you don't have your Bible with you this morning,

there's a Bible in front of you in the pew pocket so you can follow

along. That's Luke 11. 37 through 42. While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him. So he went in and sat at table. The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first

wash before dinner. And the Lord said to him, Now you Pharisees cleans the outside of the cup and of the dish.

But inside you are full of extortion and wickedness.

You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give alms, give

for alms those things which are within and behold everything is clean for you.

But woe to you Pharisees, for you tithe mint and rue and every herb and neglect justice

and the love of God.

These you ought to have done without neglecting the others.

There are personality types like Eior and Puddle Glam and Charlie Brown who almost always see the dark side of everything and who have a lot harder time being

hopeful in any circumstance than other people have. But if you have a theology like mine,

then pessimism becomes a living contradiction of God all the time, and you can't keep yourself in it very long if you live according to your biblical theology.

And that theology puts Isaiah 64.4 and Romans 8 right at the middle of life.

Isaiah 64.4 says, what God is like you, who works for those who wait for him.

Of course, parts of Romans 8, God works all things together for good for those who love

him and nothing, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not financial shortfall, not broken relationships,

not terminal diseases, not war in the Mideast, nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

If you have a theology like that, then you just can't be a puddle glum or an eor or a Charlie Brown consistently.

You have to break out of it real fast, which means that as I was reflecting on money and financial

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