GOSPEL READING:
Matthew 6:19-2319 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; 23 but if your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Meditation: What do you treasure and seek after the most?
What do you value above all else? Jesus offers a treasure of
incomparable value and worth, but we need healthy eyes - good
spiritual vision - to recognize what is the greatest treasure we
can possess. What Jesus said about seeking treasure made perfect
sense to his audience: keep what lasts! Aren't we all
trying to find something we treasure in this life in the hope that
it will bring us happiness, peace, and security?
God offers us the best treasure possible
Jesus contrasts two very different kinds of wealth - material
wealth and spiritual wealth. Jesus urges his disciples to get rich
by investing in wealth and treasure which truly lasts - not just
for a life-time - but for all eternity as well. Jesus offers
heavenly treasures which cannot lose their value by changing
circumstances, such as diminishing currency, damage or
destruction, loss or theft. The treasure which Jesus offers is
kept safe and uncorrupted by God himself.
What is this treasure which Jesus offers so freely and
graciously? It is the treasure of God himself - the source and
giver of every good gift and blessing in this life - and a kingdom
that will endure forever. The treasure of God's kingdom produces
unspeakable joy because it unites us with the source of all joy
and blessings which is God himself. God offers us the treasure of
unending joy and friendship with himself and with all who are
united with him in his heavenly kingdom.
A life-time investment that constantly grows and lasts
forever
In Jesus Christ we receive an inheritance which the Apostle Peter describes asimperishable, undefiled, and
unfading, kept in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4). Paul
the Apostle describes it as a kingdom of everlasting peace, joy,
and righteousness in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
How realistic and attainable is this heavenly treasure? Can we
enjoy it now, or must we wait for it in the after-life? The
treasure of God's kingdom is both a present and a future reality -
like an investment which grows and matures, ever increasing and
multiplying in value, and producing an endless supply of rich
rewards and benefits.
Seekers of great treasure will go to any length to receive their
reward. They direct all their energies and resources to obtain the
treasure. We instinctively direct our energies and resources - an
even our whole lives - towards that which we most value. To set
one's heart on heavenly treasure is to enter into a deeper and
richer life with God himself. It is only by letting go of false
treasure that one can enter into the joy of a heavenly treasure
that is immeasurable and worth more than we can give in exchange.
Do you seek the treasure which lasts for eternity?
Sin and deception blind the heart and mind to what is good,
true, and of lasting value and worth
Jesus used the image of human vision - the ability to see clearly
and accurately with the human eye - to convey a deeper truth and
reality of spiritual and moral vision that can distinguish between
what is true or false, good or bad, wise or foolish, helpful or
hurtful to body, mind, and soul. Bad eyesight serve as a metaphor
for moral stupidity and spiritual blindness (for examples, see
Matthew 15:14, 23:16 ff.; John 9:39-41; Romans 2 2:19; 2 Peter 1:9;
and Revelations 3:17.) The eye is the window of the heart,
mind, and "inner being" of a person. How one views their life and
reality reflects not only their personal vision - how they see
themselves and the world around them, it also reflects their inner
being and soul - the kind of moral person and character they choose
for themselves. If the window through which we view life, truth, and
reality is clouded, soiled, or marred in any way, then the light of
God's truth will be deflected, diminished, and distorted.
Only Jesus Christ can free us from the spiritual darkness of sin,
unbelief, and ignorance. That is why Jesus called himself the
light of the world - the one true source of light that can
overcome the darkness of sin and the lies and deception of Satan.
Pride, prejudice, and sin blind us to the way of truth,
goodness, and love
What can blind or distort our "vision" of what is true, good,
lovely, pure, and eternal (Philippians 4:8)? Certainly prejudice,
jealousy, and self-conceit can distort true and clear judgment of
ourselves and others and lead to moral blindness. Prejudice and
self-conceit also destroys good judgment and blinds us to the
facts and to their significance for us. Jealousy and envy make us
despise others and mistrust them as enemies rather than friends.
We need to fearlessly examine ourselves to see if we are living
according to right judgment and sound principles or if we might be
misguided by blind prejudice or some other conceit. Love is
not jealous ...but rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians
13:4-6). Do you live your life in the light of God's truth?
Lord Jesus, you have the words of everlasting life. May the light of your truth free me from the error of sin and deception. Take my heart and fill it with your love that I may desire you alone as my Treasure and my All.
Psalm 34:1-7
1 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and be glad.
3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Seeking the right intention, by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.
"We know that all our works are pure and pleasing in the sight of God if they are performed with a single heart. This means that they are performed out of charity and with an intention that is fixed on heaven. For 'love is the fulfillment of the law'(Romans 13:10). Therefore in this passage we ought to understand the eye as the intention with which we perform all our actions. If this intention is pure and upright and directing its gaze where it ought to be directed, then unfailingly all our works are good works, because they are performed in accordance with that intention. And by the expression 'whole body,' Christ designated all those works that he reproves and that he commands us to put to death. For the apostle also designates certain works as our 'members.' 'Therefore,' Paul writes, 'mortify your members which are on earth: fornication, uncleanness, covetousness' (Colossians 3:5), and all other such things." (excerpt from SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.13.45)
