Matthew 6:19-24 (ESV)
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, 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 in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 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.
Explanation:
The Book of Malachi has been clear that God is much more interested in our genuine steps toward Him, no matter how small, than grand gestures that are never put into practice. Here, Jesus echoes the writer of Malachi and begins by talking about where to store our treasure. Again, He is not talking about earthly treasure of any kind. Really this passage can be used to teach about any resource our Good Father has given us in this life: wealth, time, possessions, even love. I’m reminded of the old Vacation Bible School song that goes something like this: “Love is something if you give it away (give it away, give it away), you’ll end up having more.” This is the principle Jesus is addressing. He is talking about our priorities, and how we choose to spend our resources should not be a matter of impulse. It takes careful planning, and like anything done well, takes dedication and commitment. We need His help in everything we do, but especially in matters so tied to our hearts. Many factors have influence over our priorities: our upbringing, life events, who we spend time with, etc., and only God can equalize all these things and speak directly into our lives.
And if all of that wasn’t clear enough, Jesus ends by leaving no room for confusion: You can’t serve God and BLANK. He uses money because it is traditionally what has diverted our hearts away the most; it was true in Jesus’ time, and it is still true today. Your BLANK might be different, but our teaching today remains the same: our God is so great that we only have room for Him in our lives. So if you are squeezing Him out with anything, eventually your devotion to the other will cause you to, in Jesus’ own words, “hate” and “despise” Him. These are words we should reserve for no one, especially not the Son of God sent by Our Father to save our sins as only He could. But in effect this is true if we continue to relegate Him to any less than first priority in our lives. Let us be a people to put Him back where He belongs in our lives, individually and as a church!
Application:
What is an earthly resource that has pulled your heart away from God? Is this a new issue, or has it been this way as long as you can remember? Either way, God’s plan for your life triumphs over this struggle, so in humility and honesty, ask Him to show you the steps for breaking free to serve only Him.
Would you consider your eye to be full of light, full of darkness, or a little of both? My guess is the latter and if so, ask God to show you where the darkness radiates from. Then surrender this to Him so He can begin the process of changing your focus back on His light only.
A footnote to the ESV version of these scriptures reads, “the righteousness of the Kingdom of Heaven works out in the details of one’s personal life.” How does it make you feel to know that your everyday, personal choices have impact in the kingdom of heaven? What will your impact be? Are your daily choices pointing toward your desired impact?
I believe that tithing, more than any other biblical practice, is something you can only experience by actually doing it. We can listen to convincing messages straight from the Word of God, and amazing testimonies from other people, but the physical act of taking that step is supernaturally tied to God’s heart in this area. If you haven’t taken the step of giving to God first and regularly, I can promise you with confidence that your life will be changed, and I can’t wait to hear the stories of how true this is for you!
Devo Plus:
Read the rest of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 for His teachings on many other topics, and how He wants to give us guidance grounded in love for each of them.
Listen to “Make Room” by Elyssa Smith and Community Music (I love the live version) and take even a small step in the direction of laying it all down to make room for Him today.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for being the strength that we need when it comes to turning things around in our lives. You are always shepherding us away from evil and toward You, and we are so grateful for Your doing so. Thank You for being a light we can’t ignore, and please help us take our focus off of what is directly before us and put it back on You. Help us to put off our old selves when it comes to what has held us captive, and give Your Holy Spirit room in our lives to do what only He can. We love You and praise Your holy name. Amen.