Matthew 6:19-21 (Contemporary English Version)
Don’t store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is.
Today is the first Sunday in Lent. The assigned gospel reading for today is the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness which we had discussed just a few weeks ago, and so I decided to use instead the gospel reading from Ash Wednesday for today. The three verses I’ve chosen for reading here are part of a longer segment, but these three seem to me to lie at the heart of the reading’s purpose.
So, “Do not store up treasures on earth!” and yet, do we really know where our treasures are locked away? Maybe we even prefer the idea of having them nearby so we can access them more freely instead of having them tucked up in some heaven, light-years away. More to the point, do we know what our “treasures” really are? An over-flowing bank account? Lots of electronic gadgets? A home theater with an eight-foot TV screen? Fancy cars? Now, those things might be nice to have, I guess, but are they really the treasures of our hearts?
If home theaters and fancy cars don’t do it for you, how about prestige and fame? Are those what you long for? These are things that the world appears to value – the treasures of earth – but they are also the ones the reading tells us can be destroyed by time and assorted vermin – leaving us with nothing.
If it isn’t, then, all the riches and the fancy toys of the world, what are the treasures of our hearts? Scripture here does a pretty good job of telling us what shouldn’t be seen as treasure as well as what should.
How about being loved by a God who is never too busy to listen to our prayers? That’s a treasure, surely? The writer of Matthew, in the section just prior to the verses I read here, is quite clear on what is proper praying and what is just showing off for the world.
When you pray, Matthew says, “don’t be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the meeting places and on the street corners. They do this just to look good.” Instead, go somewhere where it’s just you and God. And for pity’s sake don’t drone on and on with lengthy words – God already knows what you need.
And then there’s alms-giving, which is another good thing surely? The writer here has opinions on that as well. “When you give to the poor, don’t blow your own horn. That’s what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise.” Instead, give your gifts in secret. God will know, and that’s what matters.
So, what are the treasures that are stored in God’s heart for us? In 1st Timothy we are told to “do good, be rich in good works, and be generous and ready to share.” And, of course, there is the classic line from Micah 6, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
In another place in that same chapter of Micah, God rails against dishonest merchants who use false measures and dishonest weights to cheat their customers. Perhaps, then, simple honesty should be high on our list of treasures.
It is obvious that we have moved beyond materials things and into the realm of ideals for our treasures. If honesty is a treasure, then how about respect? Not the fan-club kind of respect, but maybe the simple knowledge that your friends and co-workers respect you as an honest and decent person? That is a piece of self-knowledge for us to treasure – and God treasures it too.
How about Love? There’s the love that we are given by others – and that is precious indeed. But perhaps even more precious is the love we give to others – those who, for some reason, we feel deserve it – partners, parents, children, dearest friends -- and especially the love we give to those who have done nothing particular to “earn” it except to share this earth with us. Our brothers and sisters in God’s family.
How about the beauty of this rich and varied world around us? The variety to be found in humankind, the creatures we share this planet with, the warmth of the sun or the night sky blazing with stars?
How many of these treasures are we familiar with? How much time and energy do we put into seeking them and recognizing them? And if we do indeed notice them, do we recognize them as gifts from God, given us through the Holy Spirit?
These, and others like them, are the treasures we build up for ourselves as we pass through this life. The fancy gadgets and flashy cars – even fame and adulation – will not transfer with us when we finish this life, but the love and caring, the honesty and respect will, I believe, remain with us because God keeps them for us and holds them safe from decay and ruin.
I saw a meme the other day that stated simply, “To be rich is not what you have in your bank account but what you have in your heart.” It may sound trite, especially since it was accompanied by a drawing of a fuzzy kitten, but it is nevertheless deeply true.
Perhaps it could be a spiritual practice for us during this season of Lent – to look around us, well and carefully with attentive prayer, and truly notice and see the treasures we have accrued along our way. This forty day period is a time each year when God calls us to slow down – and pray to be given the gift of truly seeing the treasure and blessings that are part of our lives. A time to give thanks. A time to cherish those treasures that God sees as blessings.
A time to remember that “your heart will always be where your treasure is.”
So, “Do not store up treasures on earth!” and yet, do we really know where our treasures are locked away? Maybe we even prefer the idea of having them nearby so we can access them more freely instead of having them tucked up in some heaven, light-years away. More to the point, do we know what our “treasures” really are? An over-flowing bank account? Lots of electronic gadgets? A home theater with an eight-foot TV screen? Fancy cars? Now, those things might be nice to have, I guess, but are they really the treasures of our hearts?
If home theaters and fancy cars don’t do it for you, how about prestige and fame? Are those what you long for? These are things that the world appears to value – the treasures of earth – but they are also the ones the reading tells us can be destroyed by time and assorted vermin – leaving us with nothing.
If it isn’t, then, all the riches and the fancy toys of the world, what are the treasures of our hearts? Scripture here does a pretty good job of telling us what shouldn’t be seen as treasure as well as what should.
How about being loved by a God who is never too busy to listen to our prayers? That’s a treasure, surely? The writer of Matthew, in the section just prior to the verses I read here, is quite clear on what is proper praying and what is just showing off for the world.
When you pray, Matthew says, “don’t be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the meeting places and on the street corners. They do this just to look good.” Instead, go somewhere where it’s just you and God. And for pity’s sake don’t drone on and on with lengthy words – God already knows what you need.
And then there’s alms-giving, which is another good thing surely? The writer here has opinions on that as well. “When you give to the poor, don’t blow your own horn. That’s what show-offs do in the meeting places and on the street corners, because they are always looking for praise.” Instead, give your gifts in secret. God will know, and that’s what matters.
So, what are the treasures that are stored in God’s heart for us? In 1st Timothy we are told to “do good, be rich in good works, and be generous and ready to share.” And, of course, there is the classic line from Micah 6, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
In another place in that same chapter of Micah, God rails against dishonest merchants who use false measures and dishonest weights to cheat their customers. Perhaps, then, simple honesty should be high on our list of treasures.
It is obvious that we have moved beyond materials things and into the realm of ideals for our treasures. If honesty is a treasure, then how about respect? Not the fan-club kind of respect, but maybe the simple knowledge that your friends and co-workers respect you as an honest and decent person? That is a piece of self-knowledge for us to treasure – and God treasures it too.
How about Love? There’s the love that we are given by others – and that is precious indeed. But perhaps even more precious is the love we give to others – those who, for some reason, we feel deserve it – partners, parents, children, dearest friends -- and especially the love we give to those who have done nothing particular to “earn” it except to share this earth with us. Our brothers and sisters in God’s family.
How about the beauty of this rich and varied world around us? The variety to be found in humankind, the creatures we share this planet with, the warmth of the sun or the night sky blazing with stars?
How many of these treasures are we familiar with? How much time and energy do we put into seeking them and recognizing them? And if we do indeed notice them, do we recognize them as gifts from God, given us through the Holy Spirit?
These, and others like them, are the treasures we build up for ourselves as we pass through this life. The fancy gadgets and flashy cars – even fame and adulation – will not transfer with us when we finish this life, but the love and caring, the honesty and respect will, I believe, remain with us because God keeps them for us and holds them safe from decay and ruin.
I saw a meme the other day that stated simply, “To be rich is not what you have in your bank account but what you have in your heart.” It may sound trite, especially since it was accompanied by a drawing of a fuzzy kitten, but it is nevertheless deeply true.
Perhaps it could be a spiritual practice for us during this season of Lent – to look around us, well and carefully with attentive prayer, and truly notice and see the treasures we have accrued along our way. This forty day period is a time each year when God calls us to slow down – and pray to be given the gift of truly seeing the treasure and blessings that are part of our lives. A time to give thanks. A time to cherish those treasures that God sees as blessings.
A time to remember that “your heart will always be where your treasure is.”
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