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18 Ill-gotten Gain

“Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous -it had become as white as snow” (2 Kings 5;27) ******** A wealthy but eccentric man called his pastor, physician and political friend to his deathbed. Challenging the conventional belief that you can’t take your money with you when you die, he said, “I’m taking mine.” Then he pulled out three envelopes and gave one to each of the three. He explained that each envelope contained $30,000 in cash and that he wanted the men to toss in their envelopes when they lowered the casket. All three did as their friend had asked at the funeral. As the three gathered after the funeral, speaking from a guilty conscience, the minister confessed, “I needed the money for our church so I took out $10,000 and threw $20,000 into the grave.”The doctor then came clean with him admitting he kept out $20,000 for expenses at his clinic. Appalled at their dishonesty, the politician spoke with pride, “I’m ashamed of you gentleman. I threw in a check for the full amount. 1 ” It’s nice to enjoy a little chuckle, yet the subject of ill-gotten gain is no laughing matter.

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