If we view that treasure is the point of our time on earth, we will most certainly not see the kingdom of God in our midst. Rather, Jesus challenges us to invest in extending the love and redemption of God around you. The impact of that focus and perspective is eternal…
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
Matthew 6:19-24 NLT
We might be tempted to separate Jesus’ words about storing up treasures from his words about the health of our eyes. But then he comes back to the issue of serving money in verse 24. We cannot be enslaved to money at the same time we are intent on serving God. They don’t go together.
What seems clear is this is a matter of perspective. Perhaps the interjection about the health of our eyes is adding the idea here that we have to see things differently, not just about money but about the kingdom of God. If we view that treasure is the point of our time on earth, we will most certainly not see the kingdom of God in our midst.
When we are focused on storing up treasures here, focused intently on the wealth people pursue in this world, we run the risk of being filled with a darkness instead of the light of God. Jesus laments this: “And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!”
The darkness of that idea is so deep that we might be entirely confused about our purpose. We might think we are to be salt-of-the-earth good and godly people while we live a life in pursuit of happiness on our terms. And that is precisely what Jesus does not want us to think.
Jesus goes further. If we are devoted to serving treasure on earth, we will be more likely to despise the other. If serving God interferes with serving money, we will choose serving money. You can’t, Jesus says, divide your loyalty.
Instead, Jesus wants us to view the purposes of the kingdom of God as our own. Make that our sole focus. The treasure bank in heaven is where our eyes should be. When we do this, our desires will connect with where our eyes are focused and our heart is set. So invest in things which relate to extending the love and redemption of God around you. The impact of that focus and perspective is eternal.
Amen.
Marc Kinna
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