Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Can You Be Bought?
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Can You Be Bought?
Listen to today’s devo!
So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. (Matt. 28:15)
Expanded Passage: Matthew 28:11-15
I was pastoring a church in an economically depressed region; jobs were scarce and budgets tight. The church had a large mortgage from when it was experiencing better times, which was now sucking up a large portion of its resources for ministry. A wealthy man met me at the church door. He offered to pay off the church’s debt with the writing of a check. I thought for a moment and then declined his offer saying that I didn’t think it would help the congregation learn how to trust God. They needed to pay off their debts together. He smiled and put his check book away. “I just wanted to see if you could be bought,” he said.
People are always trying to influence us to do something. The internet is full of people selling their wares, including those with the job title of “influencer”! These folks are paid to use their platform as an advertisement for various businesses. Some may say they can be bought.
The guards who were present when Jesus’ tomb was opened could be bought. At one moment they were scared stiff by what they experienced, in the next they were taking bribes to lie about it. Our time, our values—our pride—are all for sale it would seem. Your soul is worth more than money.
Consider whether your integrity or reputation can be bought.
Rich Eckley is professor emeritus of theology at Houghton University (NY). He is an ordained Wesleyan minister and enjoys—with his wife, Lynn—entertaining four active grandchildren.
© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
View all episodes
By The Wesleyan Church
4.8
1212 ratings
Listen to today’s devo!
So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. (Matt. 28:15)
Expanded Passage: Matthew 28:11-15
I was pastoring a church in an economically depressed region; jobs were scarce and budgets tight. The church had a large mortgage from when it was experiencing better times, which was now sucking up a large portion of its resources for ministry. A wealthy man met me at the church door. He offered to pay off the church’s debt with the writing of a check. I thought for a moment and then declined his offer saying that I didn’t think it would help the congregation learn how to trust God. They needed to pay off their debts together. He smiled and put his check book away. “I just wanted to see if you could be bought,” he said.
People are always trying to influence us to do something. The internet is full of people selling their wares, including those with the job title of “influencer”! These folks are paid to use their platform as an advertisement for various businesses. Some may say they can be bought.
The guards who were present when Jesus’ tomb was opened could be bought. At one moment they were scared stiff by what they experienced, in the next they were taking bribes to lie about it. Our time, our values—our pride—are all for sale it would seem. Your soul is worth more than money.
Consider whether your integrity or reputation can be bought.
Rich Eckley is professor emeritus of theology at Houghton University (NY). He is an ordained Wesleyan minister and enjoys—with his wife, Lynn—entertaining four active grandchildren.
© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.