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Read: Matthew 6:19-21;
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.; For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 ESVMatthew 6:19-34 deals with one’s perspective regarding true values as so evidenced in our pursuit of wealth and possessions.
It was a common image for the Jews during these days that doing God's commands became virtually equivalent to accumulating treasures with God. It suggests that when you do good things, then God would give you blessings.
This thinking was perhaps influenced by those Pharisees who perverted the promises of God in the old testament, particularly in Deuteronomy.
"Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out." Deuteronomy 28:3-6 ESV
To the Pharisees, material blessing became a sign of righteousness and God’s blessing.
And that is the reality of many right now. We think that anyone who has material things means that they are blessed, thus we strive for material wealth. We store up treasures here on earth. But that is not what Jesus was teaching. He never stopped warning us to not focus on earthly things but to store up treasures heaven, where things we have will never be snatched.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3 ESV
So what does it mean to store up treasures in heaven?
1.It means to keep a very light grip when it comes to the material things of life because our hope is truly anchored in eternal realities
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESVMaterialism means a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.
Materialism is not just a preoccupation on the material world of money and possession, but is a philosophy which operates as though God didn’t exist. And when we live life materialistically, though we may believe in God and claim a relationship to Him, we are in essence living as though He didn’t exist, without faith in His loving care.
2.It means learning contentment, independence of circumstances and condition so these things cannot dictate what we do with our lives
"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."Philippians 4:12-13 ESV3.It means measuring life and making crucial choices by eternal values, by heavenly treasure
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."Matthew 6:21 ESV
4.It means Christ-like living
This is how we should live. This is how the Jews should have lived. But they were blinded. We are all blinded by the idea that "more earthly possessions means security and contentment".This is the truth: that apart from Jesus, we will always and will always pursue earthly things and live our lives filling our hearts with earthly treasures. We'll never be contented.
My dear brothers, STOP! We can never live serving God and earthly possessions at the same time.
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." Matthew 6:24 ESV
So it can be with us. Unless we grasp the significance of these verses and operate by their truth, like the Jews, we ,too, will fail to fulfill our purpose as the people of God.
Matthew 6:19-34 forms a complete section dealing with the subject of materialism and its impact on our relationship with God. Verses 19-24 stressed the pursuit of heavenly treasure in single-hearted devotion to God.
Now with verses 25-34 the Lord makes application.
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?; Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?; And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.; But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?; Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'; For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.; But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.; "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:25-34 ESV
The Father will take care of us. Our primary responsibility is to trust God and give Him implicit, complete, whole-hearted devotion that is free from anxiety about the details of life. Our Father in heaven, who loves us, will take care of us.
The heart of the message of the passage is “stop worrying” or “stop being anxious” over the details of life like food, drink, and clothing. This is stressed three times: verses 25, 31, and 34. These items are illustrations of the details of life that so entangle us. And these are commands, not an option.
And we can learn from this passage that worrying are for those who don't fully trust God. "O you of little faith" implies that worrying means lack of faith. We talk about loving God, how much He means to us, about heaven and God’s sovereignty, but then we live as though none of this really exists when the cares of the world or the details of life draw us away from the pursuit of God and heavenly treasures.
Do not be anxious! Rest your stuffs on Jesus.
This is how these Jews should have lived as the Kingdom of God. Now when Jesus started preaching, those who were there listening on the mount heard things which are opposite on how they were living.
'From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."' Matthew 4:17 ESV
Jesus started preaching in a call for repentance! Why?
Because in the face of those who were listening, He wanted to tell them that they are wrong. That they can never fulfill the Law and that they need someone to fulfill it for them.
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17 ESV
Sometimes, we worry too much with our earthly possessions. And this reality is so critical, because sometimes through these happenings, our faith are put to test. Should we trust God on this or find a way on our own?
Storing up treasures in heaven requires genuine trust to God, and without our intimate relationship with Jesus, trust is impossible!
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33 ESV
Who would dare put his trust to a God who is unseen?; The Jews failed, we all failed!
This is a call to repentance!
Photo by: Nathaniel Callanta
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