“Sermon on the Mount”
Matthew 6:19-24
Mat 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
Mat 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Mat 6:22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
Mat 6:23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Mat 6:24 "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.
Jesus is being consistent here. We must connect this section with what he has already taught us during His “Sermon On the Mount.” The overall theme has been that God doesn’t just care about our outward actions or our ability to perform religiously, but He cares about the state of our heart and our motives behind everything that we do. Bringing all that we have learned so far, and now viewing this in context, what does this passage speak to us?
TREASURE
Mat 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
Jesus is speaking to us. He wants us to have an eternal vision in how we see the world. He is comparing the worth of everything we see here on earth, in comparison to the worth of what we hope for beyond this world. The differences between the two are vast. He is essentially proclaiming that everything we see- the next cool gadget that’s coming out, our house, the food we choose to eat, the car we drive, the clothes we wear, entertainment, and everything else we believe so valuable to us-all of those things are all going to be in a junk yard and one day burn into in-existence. So why do we place so much focus and energy into those things? When we can see that all of these things are not going to matter at the end of our earthly existence and at end of this age, why do we hold onto these things so tightly? Why aren’t we more giving? Why do we spend so much? Why do spend a majority of our thought life and hope life in these things?
Mat 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Christ, our salvation, others salvation, love, heaven, peace with God, redemption, justification, sanctification, atonement, obedience; all of these things transcend earthly things. Everything on earth is going to die. Why not invest our lives, our thoughts, our “inner life”, our purpose, our motives, and our hopes and dreams, into what will live and stay with us forever?
Outside of your job and your involvement in church, do you invest into the eternal or into the earthly “here and now”? This is a difficult reality for most of us when we search our hearts. Much of what we do is selfish. Much of what we do is temporary gratification. What can you do to shift your lifestyle to be eternal and not earthly?
Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
This statement can also be read in reverse; For where your heart is, there your treasure will be also. The whole “Sermon On the Mount” so far has been about our heart’s motives being for God alone. Jesus knows the connection between material possessions and our hearts. This is a warning. Check yourself.
The Eye
Mat 6:22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
Mat 6:23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
How is the eye the lamp of the body? How can your eye be healthy? A healthy eye sees the world correctly rather than a bad eye that is diseased and helpless to see the world as it truly is. A healthy eye will see the world and everything in it as temporary. A healthy eye will see everything that we have been blessed by God with, materials or opportunities, as a way for us to invest in the Kingdom. A bad eye sees everything that we have as something we obtained and are entitled to, to invest and squander away like the prodigal son did with his inheritance. Oh how glorious it is to have an eye that sees the world rightly. May we be filled with light, joy, peace, and purpose when we begin to work on and strive to see the world with a healthy eye. May God grant us the ability to see this way that we may be filled the eternal, never ending pleasures of heaven.
There Can Be Only One
Mat 6:24 "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.
“Money” in the last sentence is translated from the original as “any wealth that we have deified or made into a god”. Who do you serve? Is everything you do and everything that you see a means to obtain more for your earthly gratification, thus serving the god of wealth? Or, is everything a means to invest in the eternal glory of the one who redeemed us from the grave?
Pray and ask God to send the Holy Spirit to reveal to you where you are earthly focused and invested. Pray for the courage, strength, and motivation to put your treasure with God so that your heart may be with Him.
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