Treasuring Your Treasures

We are also commanded to be generous and share what we have with others rather than devoting ourselves to collecting treasures. This is the test that reveals what treasures you have. Is there anything that you are unwilling to give to another? A treasure is something that you value and really want to keep, just like the watch collector and Hetty Green. The one who is good, does good works and generously gives is one whose heart is in heaven. Their treasure is in heaven and not here on earth. Where is your heart?

The Lamp. Jesus’ next statement was easily understood by His Jewish audience because it was based on a Jewish saying of His day.

The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (NASB) Matt. 6:22-23

The first part of Jesus’ statement tells us that the eye is like a lens which allows light to enter the body. If the lens is clear and not colored or dirty, then all of the light can enter. So obviously, if something is wrong with the eye, less light will enter. But if the eye is bad or blind, we cannot see anything. Everything is dark.

If we look at the verses that follow this illustration, we discover that Jesus continued talking about material things. So we must ask, “What doe seeing, light, and darkness have to do with wealth?” The answer is found in the book of Proverbs and a Jewish saying. Proverbs 28:22 captures the Jewish view about a “bad eye.”

The proverb tells us that a man with an evil eye is one who chases after wealth. He is greedy! According to the Jewish saying, a person with a “bad eye” was a stingy or selfish person. These people did not want to help anyone else. They did not give away any of their money. They treasured their treasures and did not want to share. The Jewish saying and the proverb agree. Jesus used His illustration to send us the message that a greedy, selfish, stingy person is one who is really in the dark. This person’s heart is very cold and unloving - how great is the darkness! Is your eye dark?

You Have A Master. Do you have treasures? Are you willing to share them? Are you stingy, greedy, and selfish? If so, then you have selected your master. Your treasures control you. Robert G. Ingersell once said this, “Few rich men own their property. The property owns them.” God knew this and so He added this next comment.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. (NASB) Matt. 6:24

The Greek word that is translated as “devoted” is ANTHEXETAI. The Greek word refers to one who “holds firmly, clings to, adheres to, or seeks after.” If you have treasure, then Jesus is telling you that you are clinging to it or hanging on to it and not Him. God wants us to cling to and seek after Him. Do you? Does your treasure keep you from worshiping God, reading the Bible, confessing your sins, doing good works, and being generous?

If we are unwilling to be generous with what God has given us, then we have a “bad eye.” Are we worried about the future? Then listen to Hebrews 13,

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” (NASB) Heb. 13:5-6

Here God promises that He will never desert us or leave us alone. We should not be afraid to give our money or share our treasure. Whether it is a love for treasure or worry about the future, God wants us to know that we can trust Him. We should never treasure our wealth because we fear some future event will leave us poor. The question is, “Where is your heart?” Is it in earthly treasure or heavenly treasure? Who is your master? Whom do you trust? Whom do you cherish?

Trust - Do Not Worry. The rest of Jesus’ message is about worry and anxiety over earthly things. Here is the first verse in this section. It is a summary of the following nine verses.

For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (NASB) Matt. 6:25

The root Greek word that is translated as “worried” is sometimes translated as “anxious” or “worry.” It occurs five times in this section of Jesus’ sermon. It occurs more times here than in any other part of the Bible. This tells us that Jesus’ message is unique. It is about worry or anxiety.

Jesus encourages us to not be anxious about our basic needs such as food, drink, and clothes. We have more important things to do than to be anxious about the basic needs of life. There are other things in life for us to focus on than the things that God silently gives us: food, water, and clothes.

In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. (NASB) Acts 14:16-17

Have you noticed that God cares for the wild animals such as the elk, deer, bear, bobcats, mountain lions, elephants, leopards, giraffes, whales, seals, walruses, and other mammals? He provides them water and grass to eat.

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? (NASB) Matt. 6:26-27

God also feeds the birds who do not work for their food. If God cares for them, we should trust God to meet our basic needs because He considers us to be more important. Those who believe in evolution have it wrong. We are not like the animals. We are more highly valued. We should not worry but trust Him. Worry is empty and pointless. Worry has never added a minute, an hour, a day, or a year to your life. Worry and anxiety accomplish nothing. We can trust God for our food and water.

And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! (NASB) Matt. 6:28-30