JESUS’ SERMON ON THE MOUNT
XIII. “Easily Mastered”
1-28-07
Mtt. 6:19-24
INTRODUCTION
Suze Orman has written some excellent books on managing finances that I’ve enjoyed reading.
She tells of a life-shaping incident that happened for her when she was 13 years-old. Her dad owned his own business selling chicken, ribs, hotdogs and hamburgers out of a tiny shack. One day, the oil in the deep fat fryer caught fire and the whole place exploded in flames. Her dad ran out of the store before the flames engulfed him. Suze and her mom arrived on the scene and her dad realized he’d left his money in the metal cash register inside the building. She said that they tried their best to stop him, but he couldn’t be stopped. He rushed back into the inferno to rescue his money. The hot fire had already melted the cash drawer closed. So he picked up the scalding metal cash register and carried it outside. When he threw the cash register to the ground, the skin on his arms and chest came with it. He had safely escaped the fire once, but then risked his life and was severely injured in saving his money. Money was that important.
Suze writes, what to me is a spiritually chilling statement,
That was when I learned that money is obviously more important than life itself. From that point on, earning money– lots of money– not only became what drove me professionally, but also became my emotional priority.
Suze later drew some very different conclusions, realizing how wrong that was. But it shows the power of early messages we receive about money and priorities. Now, along with sound financial planning, she counsels against misplaced values regarding money. “True financial freedom,” she writes, “doesn’t depend upon how much money you have.” She effectively points out that happiness and freedom from anxiety are not tied to money.
Did you see the national poll printed in The Wenatchee World this week about teens obsession with material things? Among 18-25-year-olds, 81% see getting rich as a top goal for their lives. Back in 1966, only 42% reported being rich as a top goal. And, even when adjusted for inflation, today’s parents are spending 500% more on their kids than just one generation earlier!
This morning, Jesus warns us of the danger of money, or whatever it is we treasure, taking control of our lives. In three effective illustrations He warns us of how temporary the things of this world are and how easily our possessions possess us, destroying our souls. Along with Jesus’ helpful insight, He offers the prescription for our problem.
We’re in the Sermon on the Mount, Mtt. 5-7. As I’ve often mentioned, chapter 5 was the “what” of discipleship. Chapter 6 is more of the “how,” the practice of Christian living. In the first half of this chapter (vs. 1-18), Jesus spoke of three practices that in that day were considered pillars of righteousness: giving, prayer, and fasting. For each of those, He affirms right practice will be rewarded, but seeking world's praise rather than Father's in each will deny us any reward.
After taking care of those basic practices, Jesus moves on to define what the goals of life should be– where we should aim our lives. Thus, this last half of the sixth chapter could roughly be referred to as the “where” of life in terms of its goal. One commentator titles this part of chapter 6 as “Liberation from Greed and Anxiety.” Here Jesus deals with the basic quest of our lives for value and esteem. Just as we were warned about seeking approval of others in our giving, prayer, and fasting, now Jesus points out the danger of seeking our worth from things of this world.
Notice in our text this morning, Jesus uses three illustrations in just six verses:
1. treasures, the danger of wrong affections;
2. the eye, the danger of wrong motivations;
3. and then a summary of it all with call to choose between two masters.
READ Mtt. 6:19-24
TREASURE: THE DANGER OF WRONG AFFECTIONS
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (Matt 6:19)
Jesus first points out the temporal nature of treasures. Dr. Dale Bruner translates this, “Don’t keep making big investments for yourselves here on earth....” Since Jesus is talking about the heart here, this treasure or investment includes anything you value in this world. It is more than just material goods or money. It also includes things like success and popularity. We can treasure a relationship or our good looks.
The problem is, none of these things last, so to base our worth, our value, our sense of success upon them is pretty foolish. One of the forms of wealth in that day was in rich garments, hence the reference to moths. They didn’t have banks with CDs then, so you might buy clothes worth $1,000 instead to store away– an investment in commodities. Jesus mentions three forms of corrosion that destroy the things we treasure:
1. moths are nature's corrosion eating away at our treasures;
2. rust is time's corrosion decreasing value– perhaps today we think of inflation;
3. and thieves are humanity's corrosion, threatening what we have.
Now interestingly, Jesus does not quash ambition or our need for security, but elevates it.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (20)
He tells us to channel the desire for success, our need for security and to be valued, and our zeal for the good things of life toward treasure that can never be taken away. As a practical matter, it is wise and Biblical to save for a rainy day and make investments to provide a good retirement. But, Jesus warns, don’t think of that as secure. The “storing up” is seeking security. Jesus says to be careful about where you put this– in this world or in the heavenly bank. Our trust must be in God, not our wise investments or frugal saving or good connections. Instead, all those needs we often look to our treasures to fill and provide for can be motivation to work for what is really secure. Jesus gives a picture of a heavenly bank account that can never be touched by inflation, stock market crashes, or corporate scandals. We all know popularity is fleeting, friends we count on can let us down, and our reputation can be ruined over night. A healthy, beautiful body is terribly vulnerable to destruction. And of course, we don’t take any of this with us after we die. Instead of getting rid of desire and becoming an ascetic, Jesus tells us to use these desires in an energetic pursuit of the eternal. That is real security.
This is quite a shift for us to focus that passion for excellence, to be successful, to be the very best you can be, redirecting it all toward the kingdom of God. Instead of reaching for human acclamation and approval, seek the Father's approval. Live your life here on earth for His final, "Well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of My kingdom!" (Mtt. 25:21). Ambition and diligence are encouraged and rewarded. But, don't squander them for man's praise to make you feel worthwhile. Use them to help you live for what lasts for all of eternity– the reward He has accumulating for you in heaven.
Jesus ends this illustration with the most important reason: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”(21). What you treasure represents the center of gravity of your life– your goal that governs your decisions, that which drives you. As with most anything, the amount we invest indicates how interested we are. People who bet on horses or football games sometimes tell me that they do it to "make it more interesting." Yes, it definitely puts your heart more into it. Or, if you have $100 riding on your golf game, certainly it heightens your concentration. (Please don’t think I’m advocating gambling. I am not. I’m only reporting what people have said). If we have extensive investments in stocks, gold, or commodities, our heart will be in the market fluctuations. When the market is doing good, we feel happy and when things turn sour we feel anxious. If you treasure your new car, the first tiny scratch can feel devastating. If you treasure the acclaim of people, if you don’t get the strokes you seek, you feel rejected and depressed.
Peggy Noonan, former White House speech writer and author, tells of an interview she had with the CEO of one of America’s largest corporations. Sitting in his plush window-lined office high in midtown Manhattan, he started out with stating it was annual report time and he looked forward to reading the reports of his competitors. Peggy asked, “Why?”, wondering what he looks for when he reads the reports of the competition. His response was, he always flipped to the back to see what other CEOs got as part of their deal– corporate jets, private helicopters, whatever. “We all do that,” he said. “We all want to see who has what.”
Peggy then comments:
“He was a talented and exceptional man, and I thought afterward that he might, in an odd way, be telling me this about himself so I wouldn’t be unduly impressed by him. But what I thought was, It must be hard for him to keep some simple things in mind each day as he works. Such as this: A job creates a livelihood, a livelihood creates a family, a family creates a civilization. Ultimately, he was in the civilization-producing business. Did he know it? Did it give him joy? Did he understand that that was probably why he was here?
I thought: This man creates the jobs that create the world in which we live. And yet he can’t help it, his mind is on the jet.”
Indeed, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” How sad to live for corporate jets when your life could be lived in the joy of creating a better world for the glory of God.
Here are some evaluating questions to determine where your treasure is.
Probably all of us here today would say that we want our hearts to belong to Jesus and we want the center of gravity of our lives to be Him and His purposes for our lives. In light of that, what does Jesus statement, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” tell us? If we want our heart to be solidly set upon the kingdom of God, we need to put our treasure, our affections, our commitment there. The idea of our heart following our treasure can be very helpful.
I know some families support a child in Africa or South America through a Christian group like Compassion. For $32 a month, you can provide food, health care, education and an opportunity for that child to learn about Jesus. You are given a picture of that child and get letters from them. An investment like that definitely puts your heart into that work. And there is other work on the mission field we can invest in. Then our reading about the work and our praying about it have more heart involvement.
Money is not the only way we invest to be sure. We invest with time, energy, and presence. We can do this in the church and the lives of people.
Also, treasure doesn't necessarily correspond with the quantity of goods or the amount of success in an area. We can have a beautiful home and generous economic resources, but hold them loosely, not occupying our mind and heart. Or, the very poor can desire a nicer house, a better car, a new music system– and even though they don’t have them, their hearts can be fixed on them so they become the treasure that occupies their heart.
I once visited a Trappist monastery in Kentucky where one of the monks told me that they even rotated their sleeping cot positions in the common room lest they begin to “treasure” their spot– getting to like a position close to a window or in a corner.
How do we store up treasures in heaven? Listen to Jesus’ explanation of this near the end of Matthew as He talks about the judgment in heaven, Mtt. 25:31-40.
We store up treasures in heaven through good deeds and ministry to the needs of others in the name of Christ. Also, from other Scriptures, we know that character, righteousness, and holy living will be rewarded. This includes enduring persecution, loving our enemies, acts of hospitality, and caring for those who serve the Lord. Earlier in this chapter, Jesus has told us secret giving, secret intercessory prayers, and practicing spiritual disciplines will all be rewarded on that day. And those we bring to Christ will also be added to our account.
THE EYE: THE DANGER OF WRONG MOTIVATION
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matt 6:22‑23)
This is rather vague, unless we keep it in context. But when sandwiched between Jesus talk about two treasures and two masters, it seems clearly to refer to our goals and the focus of our lives. If the focus of your life is wrong, your whole body [life] will be filled with darkness. If we divide our interests and try to focus upon God and our treasures or between two masters, our life will be filled with confusion.
Along this line, I am struck with the brilliance of Jesus' image here. In every sport that I know of that involves a ball, the most basic and important instruction is, “Keep your eye on the ball.” In a pro football game, even the best receivers, paid millions each year sometimes fail to do this and drop a pass they should have caught. You see them look away before they have the ball, thinking of where they are going to run or who is going to hit them. It is so basic, yet no matter how good you are, you dare not forget it. There needs to be that singleness of vision. I’ll bet Lance and Jess as they coach tennis are constantly saying, “Keep your eye on the ball.”
Also, the eye has one language everywhere. The intention can be seen in the eye. Words and actions may deceive, but the eye is a pretty reliable indicator. Roots of motivation are revealed there. So we look people in the eye to determine guilt, sincerity, and love. Parents ask their children to “look me in the eye.” Even our dogs know the value of eye contact. I was always amazed at how our dog knew when he had eye contact and how much he could communicate through eye contact.
Jesus is saying here, the motivation and goals of our lives must not be divided in deepest sense. They need to be absolutely pure, have a singleness to them, or we will be confused. There are to be no side-glances. When we're really honest, I think we can see, most of our darkness and confusion comes from mixed motives in our hearts– not really seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, but seeking our own ends to some degree.
The Messageparaphrase captures this:
"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!
EASILY MASTERED
"No one can serve two masters. 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 both God and Money.
(Matt 6:24)
In this final illustration, Jesus is rescuing us from spiritual schizophrenia.. He speaks of two possible masters, God or Mammon. Most modern translations use "Money" instead of Mammon.
While this is clearer in some ways, we also miss a critical point. Mammon is an Aramaic term for a pagan God. Jesus here is personifying money, wealth, gain, or success as a rival god. It is interesting to note, Jesus does not say we can be the master. That is not an option. It is not the way we are created. We are created to serve, to be mastered. Our choice is to serve the God of the universe or the god of this world. Who is it better to serve: the God who created you and this lovely world and loves you so much, sent His Son to die for you or the god of this world who seeks your destruction? O, you may think you're in control and master of your life, but that is not true. If God is not your Master, you end up controlled by the god of this world. You end up being driven by forces and things too great for you to handle.
The emphasis here is on "serve." It is no sin to have property and wealth and things of this world. Being successful and popular is not wrong. But to serve any of these things is wrong. We must not be mastered by them. And the only way to avoid this is to be mastered by Jesus Christ who is greater than the power of this world system.
Jesus here calls us to a clear choice. In a literal translation of the Greek, He uses the word "impossible" two times in a single verse,. It is impossible to serve two masters and it is impossible to serve God and Mammon. A decision of faith is called for and it is an either or decision. Our human default setting is to serve this world. If we haven't chosen Jesus Christ to be our Master, we are serving the god of this world– success, power, wealth, and self-interest.
CONCLUSION
Does your life feel out of control? Are you being driven by forces, needs, and desires that seem to control you? Are you spending your time, energy, and resources on the values of this world? Jesus here maps out our route for deliverance. We find freedom when:
Our hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” pg. 382 allows us to recommit to this. Verses 1 and 4 speak of following Jesus alone, exclusively. Verse 2 speaks of a singleness of purpose and verse 3 of making Him our Treasure.
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JESUS’ SERMON ON THE MOUNT
XIII. “Easily Mastered”
For Further Study and Reflection on Sermon for 1-28-07
Mtt. 18-24
1. Have you had experience with losing something you treasured? What was that like? Did it cause you to live any differently?
2. List some of the things you think Jesus could mean by “treasure” in this text.
3. In the sermon, Ken asked some questions to help us evaluate where our treasure was:
– “What occupies your thoughts the most?”
– “What do you day dream about?”
– “What do you talk about?”
Did any of those reveal anything you’d like to share with the group?
4. Have you had experience with placing what you treasure in God’s hands and finding your heart more committed to Him?
5. Read 1 Tim. 6:6-10. What more does this tell us about riches?
6. Do you think Jesus’ personification of money as a rival god (Mammon) is appropriate for today? Why or why not?
7. Read Luke 9:57-62. What additional insight does this give to Mtt. 6:22-23 (“the eye”) on singleness of purpose?
8. Talk about ways you can think of to “store up treasures in heaven.”
9. Was there anything you found particularly helpful in the sermon that you’d like to share with the group?