Serial The Anointed: 15. A Lot Of Money To Lose

A silhouette of a man lifting his hands in worship against a backdrop of an evening sky. Next to this man are the words: "The Anointed - a faith-based serial." — Follow along with this thrilling serial about the highs and lows of Pastor John.

On Canna, both John and I had confronting encounters with Jesus. This led to a newfound brotherhood. Then John makes an unexpected decision…

From that evening, our relationship changes. On Canna, we both confronted our darker sides, emerging both broken and more healed. A brotherhood has formed that’s hard to put into words. Maybe for the first time in our twenty-year relationship, we’re truly becoming friends.

The next day we take the ferry to the wild mountainous island of Rum. It’s a long day’s hike from the landing spot through the village to the mausoleum in the middle of the island. The mausoleum is where the first Earl of Rum is buried with his wife and daughter. It’s a bizarre sight. A large marble building in such a remote location. The wildness here, with the rugged mountains in the background, is stunning. I can imagine this was the Earl’s favorite spot on the island.

We set up our tents along the river. The weather is still beautiful. After dinner, John sits on the rocks above the bay writing for a few hours. I try to contain my curiosity and write in my journal, but eventually, I give in. I boil water for two cups of tea and head towards John with two hot mugs. He doesn’t hear me coming and is startled when I suddenly appear behind him. “Tea?” I ask. John nods, and I sit next to him.

“John shows me a list of names and amounts. ‘I want to give away all my money.’ ‘All your money?’ I ask him, surprised.”

When I ask what he’s writing, he shows me a list of names and amounts. “When you confronted me the day before yesterday about all those people I’ve financially exploited and manipulated, according to you, I dismissed it as nonsense. But Jesus showed me yesterday that I indeed took advantage of people. He even showed me their faces and sorrow. Abigail and I have broken a lot with some of them.” I nod, not sure what to say. “I want to give away all my money.”

The mausoleum is where the first Earl of Rum is buried with his wife and daughter. It’s a bizarre sight. A large marble building in such a remote location. (image courtesy of Canva)

All your money? I ask him, surprised. “I want to start over. I want to learn to live and trust Jesus again. Hence the amounts.” John shows me the list. There are about fifty names with amounts ranging from five thousand to fifty thousand dollars. I do a quick calculation and see that it totals about 1.2 million dollars. Does he really want to give all that away? Would he have anything left? It’s a lot of money to lose…

‘I do a quick calculation and see that it totals about 1.2 million dollars. Does he really want to give all that away?’

“What will you have left if you give all this away?” I ask. “Nothing, absolutely nothing, but that’s an adventure too. You know, I’ve lived for money for years and look where it got me. I’ve lost everything, but I’ve found Jesus again. I’m not going to let it be taken away by holding onto money that I’ve extorted. I really feel this is what Jesus is asking of me.” “What will you do then if you have no money?” I ask. “When I get back, I’m thinking of looking for a job. A whole new start.

Oh well, I’ll see. I feel like I have a lot to make up for first. There are a few people I really need to personally visit to ask for forgiveness.” I notice that there really seems to be a change in John. When he told me yesterday that he met Jesus, I was like, “Yeah, right!” But now, I seem to be sitting with a different John. Funny to see such a cliché as ‘Jesus changes people’ actually happen right before my eyes.

‘I lie awake for a long time thinking about John’s choice. I don’t even think Zacchaeus went that far.’

“What about Mia?” I ask. Mia is the young woman in the church who got pregnant by John, which ultimately led to his resignation. “Have you been in contact with her?” John shakes his head. “Shortly after I was removed, she had a miscarriage. I did receive a letter from her saying she never wants contact with me again and never wants to hear from me again. I do feel very sorry for her. It’s also a bit ironic. I had to resign because she was pregnant with me, and as soon as I resigned, she lost the baby. Life can be very strange… I’m not sad about not becoming a father again soon, but for her, I feel terrible.” I nod.

That evening we go to bed early. Tomorrow morning we want to get up at four o’clock to climb some mountain peaks very early and watch the sunrise from there. It’s very cold at night. I’ve put on all my clothes and my hat, but it’s still hard to get warm. I lie awake for a long time thinking about the choice John is making. I don’t even think Zacchaeus went that far…

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Matt Vlaardingerbroek, a former seasoned church planter and pastor in Holland’s inner cities, brings Bible stories to life through ventriloquism and magic. He’s authored three books, and founded www.creativekidswork.com, providing over 1,500 innovative Sunday school activities worldwide.