Jump to content
JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

Q2. Thorny riches, worries, and pleasures


Recommended Posts

I think worries/cares is the most dangerous thorn because it is the easiest and most often thorn that is part of our lives. Even when we have pleasure and riches we still worry; worry about not being rich or even feel guilty about the pleasures we seek. Being consumed with life's worries willchoking our spiritual life. Worry competes with faith for our time and our very life-force. It strangles our relationship with God and the growth of the Word in our life.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 90
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

They all point to not having faith in Jesus,and they all to me are equally more dangerous. However, Worries and cares of this life could get so bad for a person that they may come to the conclusion that they need help from a Higher power, Jesus. They realize that they cannot depend on themselves. Pleasures can control a person so that they may become addicted to the pleasure and it would be hard for them to break away from it. But those same pleasures could cause problems for a person and they later realize that they need to give them up. Riches make a person believe in themselves highly. The depend on their money and possession and think they have need of nothing else. Jesus said it is impossible for a rich man to enter in to the Kingdom. In any case, but with God all things are possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Q2. (Matthew 13:22; Luke 8:14) Which of the thorns that Jesus mentions do you think is the most dangerous: Riches, worries/cares, or pleasures? Why do you think so?

I think pleasures is the most dangerous of the thorns because people will do anything at any cost to make themselves happy. Their thinking becomes warped, right is wrong, and wrong is right. They know things are wrong and make excuses that God understands. They lose sight on God and the things of God.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Q2. (Matthew 13:22; Luke 8:14) Which of the thorns that Jesus mentions do you think is the most dangerous: Riches, worries/cares, or pleasures?

I think the most dangerous thorn is riches.

Why do you think so?

I think so because riches can bread the other thorns i.e. worries/cares or pleasures. A person who is rich he/she can be so much concerned of his/her riches and if anything goes wrong with the riches, he/she becomes worried and with little faith he/she can fall away. Furhter, a person with riches is in a position to have all the pleasures to the extent of forgetting the Word of the Lord.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Which of the thorns that Jesus mentions do you think is the most dangerous: Riches, worries/cares, or pleasures? Why do you think so?

I feel they all are equally dangerous but in having to choose one it will be Riches. The Bible says the love of Money is the root of all evil, money can become like a God which is Idolatry and can led to all other type of sins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Q2. (Matthew 13:22; Luke 8:14) Which of the thorns that Jesus mentions do you think is the most dangerous: Riches, worries/cares, or pleasures? Why do you think so?

I feel that all the thorns are dangerous but if I had to choose one I would say riches is the most dangerous. We live in a society today where materialisc things seem to have priority. We seek and love riches rather than God. Our focus is more on how may things can I accumulate to give me that security I am looking for. We will cheat, lie and kill for things. We forget about God and concentrate on our things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

Q2. (Matthew 13:22; Luke 8:14) Which of the thorns that Jesus mentions do you think is the most dangerous: Riches, worries/cares, or pleasures?

These torns have a different effect on different people. Some people almost never worry about anything, yet others can worry about anything. Some people can make money and not becontroled by it while other people's main focus is on how can i make another dollar. The same is true of pleasure. It is a personal thing. Each one of us will be tempted on our weak points. Whatever removes your focus from God is dangerous for you. Whatever you rely on yourself to supply for you instead of relying on God for is your danger.

Why do you think so?

Anything that removes your focus from God, removes you from God. Satan will try until he finds our weak spot and then work on it to remove us from God. We have to give our weakness to God and work with Him to improve our character until it is not a weakness in our armor anymore

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Hmm, that’s a bit tricky to choose one since all three thorns are extremely dangerous! Each one is a hindrance to coming to Christ and is detrimental to faithfully following Christ.

  1. Pursuit of riches distracts one’s focus from the truly important things of earthly and spiritual life, and the power that generally comes with it is so very corrupting.
  2. Pursuit of pleasures is self-indulgent and mind-numbing like a drug, completely focused on self. Pleasures are comfortable, and being so self-satisfied often makes one apathetic and unfeeling.
  3. But yielding yourself to the worries and cares of the world feeds the fear, doubt, and unbelief that are the antithesis of faith itself. Worry/anxiety/fear transcends both riches and poverty. Without faith it is impossible to please God [Heb. 11:6]. That word “impossible” is quite strong. Being consumed with worry can often be what drives a person to seek riches and pleasures. I guess I’d have to choose that as the most dangerous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

I think they all are dangerous. Worry interferes with one’s faith and pleasure has a certain selfishness about it. Riches are a whole another story that I would keep at the top of the list because one can get just about anything one wants (pleasure) or don’t want (worry and some pleasure) with riches. The Bible also says, “No one 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” (Matthew 6:24).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

It depends on which of those 3 a person pursues the most.  Almost all human motivation can be summed up by the need to have these three needs met (status, stability and pleasure).  So it is our misdirected attempts to fulfil these needs which sabotage the Kingdom message taking root in our hearts.  It is not sinful to experience these needs.  However, when we can become impatient or doubt God’s ability to meet all our needs, we seek whatever means is available to help us achieve our goal.  Spiritual growth is a slow and steady process similar to that of a seed being planted in ideal conditions so that it germinates in its designated time.  The danger is in riches, worries and pleasures causing this process to be taken out of God’s hands and out of conditions necessary for our spiritual survival.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

All of the thorns Jesus mentioned are dangerous if not checked.  Materialism.  Those who strive to constantly have more is dangerous.  There is nothing wrong with being wealthy, but it is in what you do with it.  Do you help the poor and unfortunate?  All the things mentioned are cause for worry if used to excess.  We need to be nurtured like a sapling.  If we are around the wrong type of nutrients we get into trouble just like a sapling receiving the incorrect type of nutrients.  Moderation and being careful.  The Christian life is filled with good fun.  We place our concerns with God.  We do our part and place with him our concerns.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

I would have to go between worries and pleasures. Riches in itself aren't the problem because Abraham, King David and Solomon were all blessed with riches. It's the love of being rich (love of money) is the problem. I find worry and pleasure both the most severe. It's OK to be concerned, but worry tells me that a person doesn't trust in a loving God to care for them and they are putting emphasis on their inability rather than Gods ability. I am thinking that pleasures in itself is not bad when we find how God has blessed us, but when pleasures becomes putting your heart to the love of this world and your affections for things above are becoming desensitized, I believe that is troublesome. So, in the way we interpret the three, I would have to be a toss-up between worries and pleasures.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

My choice is ". . . the lure of wealth. . . ." (NRSV).  What person (I would think a few) would not admit they would not like to make/have more money (wealth) that they could furnish their family with a better life style?  Who (I would think a few) would say, "O.K. that is enough money?"

 

While some live in excess, many live in need.  Luke's "poor widow" in Chapter 21 gave out of "her poverty has put in all she had to live on" (21:4).  The others had "contributed out of their abundance" (21:4).  Christ tells us that she "put in more than all of them" (21:3).  For many that day only gave out of their "abundance" (4).

 

The story of this "poor widow" in Luke 21 makes me wonder just how Christ determines the actual worth of riches/wealth?  If these "two copper coins" were considered more than the "all" that the others gave, just think, who would be considered rich in "wealth" if determined by Christ.  It sure is worth a serious thought.

 

In 1 Tim. 6:9 the "rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful ****, which drown men in destruction and perdition."

 

In 1 Tim. 6:17 we find, "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God. who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; (18) That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, will to communicate;"

 

Just think how many times Jesus uses the word "rich" and it's variants where He attaches a warning.

 

The word "rich" and it's variants is mentioned in approximately twenty-five verses in the Gospels.  Of these, approximately nineteen times by Christ.  Of these approximately twelve times are mentioned by Christ where one can detect a warning, "the lure of wealth."  It seemed to be hard for even Jesus to use the word "rich" or it's variants with attaching a warning.

 

Did not Christ in Mat. 6:24 compare "mommon" (money) as a "master?"  ". . . You cannot serve God and money" (mat. 6:24).

 

I have chosen "riches" as the most dangerous for Christ said of it as a "master."  We are left with the choice of which "master" we will serve: "money" or "Christ?"

 

Hopefully, it will be Christ!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...
On 9/16/2010 at 2:34 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q2. (Matthew 13:22; Luke 8:14) Which of the thorns that Jesus mentions do you think is the most dangerous: Riches, worries/cares, or pleasures? Why do you think so?Probably the one that is most likely to threaten one's belief is the pleasure aspect of our lives, just because it's hard to control. One can easily fall prey to pleasures of sexual encounters and, adulterous relationships which can impact our belief in Christ's teachings. 

I think wealth has the potential to be come between a follower and his/her dedication to God but I would not say this makes them bad Christians. I think wealth can only serve to deceive if you use it to deceive. A righteous person will do good, whether or not they're rich or poor. It wouldn't be fair to assume one will falter just because they have money, or come into money. A good example of this is Bill Gates, who after having made many millions, dedicated his life to charitable work. Will he get to the Kingdom? I hope so.

I have nothing now-- no home, no job, no money except for disability checks-- and I still make provisions for my family from what I have left in my savings account, in the event I expire prematurely.

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

Matthew ch6v24-26     No one  can serve  two masters, for  either  he will hate the one and  Love  the  other, or he  will  be devoted to  the  one despise the other.  You can not serve God and money. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Matthew ch6v24-26     No one  can serve  two masters, for  either  he will hate the one and  Love  the  other, or he  will  be devoted to  the  one despise the other.  You can not serve God and money. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...