MATTHEW 6:19-34 MAY 8, 2011
“SETTING PRIORITIES”
In my freshman year at Jacksonville State University I was a manager on the football team. I worked with the offensive backs. Our quarterback was Ralph Dieter Brock. He was the first player from our 1a school to play in the senior bowl in Mobile, AL. He went on to play Canadian football for several years before playing for the Los Angeles Rams for two years. Dieter gave me one of his jerseys. I treasured it for years. Every couple of years I would wear it; then carefully wash it and put it away. One day I took out my treasured jersey and was dismayed to discover it had deteriorated and was filled with holes. I kept it for a few more years before I was forced to admit, it needed to be thrown away. Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus focuses on what type of person a disciple is to be on the inside. The focus here is not on what we do but on who we are. “Material wealth was important to the people of Israel since it was often seen as a sign of God’s blessings.” (NIV Application Commentary, Michael Wilkins) Yet scripture also taught the Israelites to be careful of greed and coveting. A treasure is what each individual considers to be valuable. A moth is a tiny insect but it can destroy the finest clothing. Rust encompasses anything that destroys, including crops as well as metals. Jesus indicates a contrast between a treasure on earth and a treasure in heaven. “21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus is talking about values. Jesus tells his disciples that it is important to make the right choices if we desire to love and serve God the Father. So how do we make the right choice?
Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV) 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Jesus is not talking about needing glasses or contacts, or even having a diseased eye. From the Message, “Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have! What is the main focus of our lives? A bad eye is making bad moral choices. This is the real meaning of having an “evil eye”. If our eyes are good we will be filled with the light of God’s treasure. We will be filled with the love of God and our greatest desire will be to return that love for Abba and will love others as Abba loves.
Matthew 6:24 (NIV) 24 "No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.” It is now time to choose between two masters. The word serve indicates the work of a slave and not of an employee. Each of us can choose to quit our job. However, once we have chosen to follow Christ, it is to be a lifelong commitment. Love and hate are not simply emotional responses. Our good or bad choices reveal either our love for God or our hatred (rejection) of God. We can’t have it both ways.
Did you notice the 2-2-2 choice? There are two types of treasure, two different eyes, and two masters. Every day we make a choice between two treasures, what we choose to see, and who we will serve. We must not have divided loyalties. Divided loyalties will produce neither peace nor joy but only dissatisfaction and turmoil. Joshua told the Israelites to make a choice, either to love and serve the Lord wholeheartedly or choose other gods. He told them there would be consequences if they failed to abide by their sacred vow to love and serve God. Loving God is a choice we make each and every day of our lives. Ignoring God or doing nothing is a rejection of Him, regardless of how we seek to explain it. The main principle we are to live by is found in Matthew 6:33 (NIV) “33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.”
Jesus anticipated the next response. If we choose to serve God and put him first, then how will life work itself out on a daily basis? We start worrying about what may happen? When our first child was born I discovered a whole new set of concerns. I began worrying about “what if”? The first disciples for the most part were not wealthy men and lived “hand to mouth”. If they did not work they did not eat? They were concerned about providing for their daily needs. Jesus had taught them to ask God for their daily needs. But this was something out of their experience and they naturally began to wonder and have concerns. Matthew 6:25 (NIV) 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” We, like the disciples, are supposed to answer the question that Jesus asked with an affirmative reply. Worry indicates a lack of trust. Jesus was talking to country folks, like us, who saw the birds that Jesus pointed out. They knew, and so do we, that birds don’t worry. They go about their daily tasks without being hampered with “what if”. The country folk also saw the beautiful flowers in the fields surrounding Jesus. If God produces the glorious splendor of flowers to grace His creation then surely God will take care of all of our needs. We need to trust Him.
The central issue is whether or not we trust God. Matthew 6:30-32 (NIV) “O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” When we accept Jesus Christ by faith it is the beginning of a covenant agreement. Remember that there are two sides to every covenant agreement. We tend to focus solely on our side of the covenant vow to follow Christ. The other side of the agreement with God is that God takes care of us. Jesus is saying we are faith deficient. When we worry we are acting as if we do not even have faith!
We must get our priorities in alignment with who we are in Christ. Matthew 6:33-34 (NIV) “33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” As Christians we are to have a totally different set of values. We are not pursuing salvation as Christians that is done. We are to pursue our love for our Father that will naturally produce doing those acts of kindness, our good deeds.
Jesus returns to the topic of worry as he knows our struggles with trusting anyone but our selves. We are to meet the problems we face today with the strength God gives us today. Remember we are to pray for “our daily bread”, not tomorrow’s. He will provide us with the strength we need each day. We are to trust Him. As we learn to trust we will discover the peace and joy that is the fruit that God provides for His children.
Years ago the evangelist George Gardner was holding evangelistic meetings in a community. God was blessing these meeting. Mr. Gardner’s only income came from his speaking engagements. He had several unpaid bills. He was trusting God to take care of his needs. At the final service the leader announced that the entire offering that night would be given to the evangelist as a love offering. The plates were passed and the people gave generously. After the meeting one of the ushers showed Mr. Gardner the total amount from the adding machine tape. When the leader in charge gave the guest preacher a check, it was for one-half of the offering collected that night. That night back at the motel the evangelist could not sleep. He kept thinking about what had occurred. In the early morning hours he finally got up and began reading the bible where it fell open. From Psalm 37:1-2 (NIV) “1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.” The evangelist put the bible down and prayed, “Lord, what a fool I’ve been! Forgive me. Keep the other fellow awake – I’m going to get some sleep!” In the weeks that followed God provided the finances he needed.
Thanks be to God, our Father, who takes care of his children.
Let us pray.
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