Eye Opener
Ill-gotten wealth is a curse
Why do people especially the dishonest and corrupt government officials and employees like to possess money which they do not own? The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evils. Per se, possessing money is not a sin when acquired through hard labor and honest endeavor. It is surprising to note, that when top government officials, employees and politicians took their oath of office, they have sworn to uphold the provisions of the Constitution and render public service and duty with utmost honesty and prudence and they invoke the divine help saying, “so help me God.” Curse is to bring great evil upon, according to Webster.
Many dishonest government officials and politicians have repeatedly amassed wealth through illicit and illegal means. Not only thousands but millions of pesos are lost in the coffers of government through taxes, revenues, etc. and the evil deed is never ending. Many of these corrupt and dishonest high government officials and politicians go to church regularly, even daily church devotion. But it seems that they do not practice seriously the teachings given by priests and ministers through the Word of God. They are not aware that when they dishonestly get money from the government, thousands of poor and afflicted people are affected since the money intended for them vanished into thin air. But in the final analysis, they are answerable to God Almighty. They will be made to account what they have done while serving as top government officials during their life here on earth.
Yes, the dishonest and corrupt politicians and government officials and employees may have owned several mansions, expensive cars and jewelries and secret bank deposits and magnanimous living, yet when they die, not a single centavo they will bring.
Philippine laws are inadequate to confiscate the ill-gotten wealth. And there are laws to this effect, the enforcers of the law seem incapable to implement them. Why? Politics and influence peddling are still strong in the Philippines and money can buy reportedly to one's misdeeds. It is only difficult for our laws to force the dishonest politicians and top government officials who have stashed the coffers of the government to return the money they did not own.
In the Biblical times, Zaccahaeus, the chief collector and an influential Jewish government official returned four-folds of the money he stole from the people. Luke 19:8, “Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore four-fold.” And Jesus answered him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:9-10. Judas is another person in the Bible who also returned the 30 pieces of silver. Matthew 27:3-6, “Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing the He (Jesus) had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I, have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” and they said, “What is that to us? You see to it.” then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.”
Will our dishonest and corrupt government officials and politicians follow the examples set by Zacchaeus and Judas by returning the money they had stolen from the government; confess your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour and redeemer and go and sin no more.