Money, the New York Mets, and Marah
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2026 Blog #35
October 5, 2026
The baseball playoffs are under way but for me the season ended months ago when the NY Mets sank into last place of their division and showed no signs of ever getting out of the cellar of the division. I must confess that the Mets lived up to my prediction. This past winter, when David Sterns was revamping the team, my sister-in-law asked me how I thought the season would go. I told her that all the good players were leaving and that we would be in the cellar-dwellers of the division this year. She laughed and told me that I was exaggerating. Somehow, I knew that I was not.
This plunge into last place came during this year came with a high price. The Mets had the highest payroll in baseball this year with salaries amounting to $ 346.8 million. Money did not equate with success as the Mets finished 20 games out of first place.
I felt disappointment in 2025 when my team had similar high-priced results. In that year, the Mets had a salary budget of $ 323,099,999 million, edging out the Dodgers and the Yankees. For that price, the Mets finished in second place, only 13 games out of first place.
I’m noticing a pattern with the Mets. The more the team spends on salaries, the worse they play. The last World Series that the Mets won was in 1986. The Mets were not underspending on salaries, but the salaries were not near the top of major league baseball. That year, their payroll was fourth in the league. It wasn’t the highest, but it wasn’t the lowest.
According to my Google searching, since 2009, the team with the highest payroll has only won the world series on five occasions. Having such a high payroll, is not a guarantee of success. Money helps us accomplish things, but it is not the only factor in success. What can we learn from this in our lives?
Money is a good resource, but it is not the only, or the best resource. Other factors, such as teamwork, are more important than money. Do we understand that? How many of us wait passively in life “until we have enough money.” How many of our churches delay programs until “we have more money.” Sometimes we view money as magic and are immobilized until we have a quantity of money that we view as a critical mass, even though we have the tools to accomplish great things, but we are reluctant to use them.
One such story illustrating this is recorded in the Old Testament book of Exodus. The people of Israel, during their wilderness wandering, came to a pool of water in Marah. The water in Marah was bitter and made the people of Israel sick. Moses prayed to God and was told to take a piece of wood that was lying nearby. The Lord told Moses to take the wood and throw it in the water. When the wood struck the water, it became drinkable and satisfied the needs of the people of Israel. The wood was already there, but Moses, without God’s guidance, had no idea how to use it.
I’ve heard churches lament that there is “no money” for outreach. How much does it cost to meet a neighbor and pray for that person. How much money does it take to invite a person to come and know God? Does it really cost money to “share” devotional posts and church activities on Facebook and other social media?
Too often, we use the excuses of “not the right time” or “not enough money” to keep us immobilized. Money is no guarantee although some people seem to make money into an idol. Let us all look at what we have and use our assets, inquiring of God, how to use them well. It is time for us to avoid viewing money as the only factor in success.
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