Treasure and Light
Matthew 6:19-23, 27
We've seen that Jesus's teaching in the Beatitudes is a series of lessons on how we should conduct ourselves as righteous believers with an emphasis on the heart, not on physical, ritualistic practices that the people falsely believed were indications of holiness. And here we come to the second part of the teaching from verses 19-21.
Whereas in the first part of context, Jesus is discussing fasting and how the act of fasting should be from our hearts, not to gain the attention that would be the totality of our reward for participating in the ritualistic forms of fasting. But there's a very real secondary lesson.
Jesus is not telling us that it is wrong or in any way sinful to buy things or save money. What he's saying is that where we place value on something, it shouldn't be a temporary reward we are looking for. In fasting, it was attention. In pursuing wealth, it is a greedy pursuit of money, things or status.
Gold and cash can be stolen. Status can change quickly and in as little as 100 years everything you have gained will belong to someone else, and no one will care about your status.
He then tells us that where our treasure is, that's where our heart is. If our treasure is entirely temporary, at the end, none of what we have now will matter. But if we are pursuing God with our hearts, our treasure will be eternal.
You see how Jesus is linking it all together emphasizing our hearts? How the previous chapter and a half of covered lessons on various things all center around the difference between what many were perceiving as righteousness ( physical rituals ), outward appearance and actual righteousness that cant be earned but only given by God when we do all we do from sincerity, from the heart.
He continues, but what does he mean, the eye Is the lamp of the body? He's saying that our heart condition is reflected by how we view things around us. If our hearts genuinely seek God we will be able to see or perceive the blessings around us with clear eyes.
Two people witnessing the same event can see different opposing conclusions. For example, witnessing a man being executed for his faith in Christ. The believer sees a saint on his way to glory, the unbeliever just sees a man die.
Having a whole body full of darkness is clearly a spiritual thing. Jesus is saying that if our hearts aren't right, all we have inside is darkness. So everything we see around us will be from a wrong perspective. If the light of God isn't in us, and all we have is darkness, we won't even be able to see the blessings of God around us.
Honestly, this has been a real struggle for me. On a daily basis, I pray but never feel close enough to God, but on some days I see, feel and hear God's blessings to me. I want to feel that all the time.
[19] “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; [21] for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [22] “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. [23] But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Matthew 6:19-23, 27
We've seen that Jesus's teaching in the Beatitudes is a series of lessons on how we should conduct ourselves as righteous believers with an emphasis on the heart, not on physical, ritualistic practices that the people falsely believed were indications of holiness. And here we come to the second part of the teaching from verses 19-21.
Whereas in the first part of context, Jesus is discussing fasting and how the act of fasting should be from our hearts, not to gain the attention that would be the totality of our reward for participating in the ritualistic forms of fasting. But there's a very real secondary lesson.
Jesus is not telling us that it is wrong or in any way sinful to buy things or save money. What he's saying is that where we place value on something, it shouldn't be a temporary reward we are looking for. In fasting, it was attention. In pursuing wealth, it is a greedy pursuit of money, things or status.
Gold and cash can be stolen. Status can change quickly and in as little as 100 years everything you have gained will belong to someone else, and no one will care about your status.
He then tells us that where our treasure is, that's where our heart is. If our treasure is entirely temporary, at the end, none of what we have now will matter. But if we are pursuing God with our hearts, our treasure will be eternal.
You see how Jesus is linking it all together emphasizing our hearts? How the previous chapter and a half of covered lessons on various things all center around the difference between what many were perceiving as righteousness ( physical rituals ), outward appearance and actual righteousness that cant be earned but only given by God when we do all we do from sincerity, from the heart.
He continues, but what does he mean, the eye Is the lamp of the body? He's saying that our heart condition is reflected by how we view things around us. If our hearts genuinely seek God we will be able to see or perceive the blessings around us with clear eyes.
Two people witnessing the same event can see different opposing conclusions. For example, witnessing a man being executed for his faith in Christ. The believer sees a saint on his way to glory, the unbeliever just sees a man die.
Having a whole body full of darkness is clearly a spiritual thing. Jesus is saying that if our hearts aren't right, all we have inside is darkness. So everything we see around us will be from a wrong perspective. If the light of God isn't in us, and all we have is darkness, we won't even be able to see the blessings of God around us.
Honestly, this has been a real struggle for me. On a daily basis, I pray but never feel close enough to God, but on some days I see, feel and hear God's blessings to me. I want to feel that all the time.
[19] “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; [21] for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [22] “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. [23] But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Treasure and Light
Matthew 6:19-23, 27
We've seen that Jesus's teaching in the Beatitudes is a series of lessons on how we should conduct ourselves as righteous believers with an emphasis on the heart, not on physical, ritualistic practices that the people falsely believed were indications of holiness. And here we come to the second part of the teaching from verses 19-21.
Whereas in the first part of context, Jesus is discussing fasting and how the act of fasting should be from our hearts, not to gain the attention that would be the totality of our reward for participating in the ritualistic forms of fasting. But there's a very real secondary lesson.
Jesus is not telling us that it is wrong or in any way sinful to buy things or save money. What he's saying is that where we place value on something, it shouldn't be a temporary reward we are looking for. In fasting, it was attention. In pursuing wealth, it is a greedy pursuit of money, things or status.
Gold and cash can be stolen. Status can change quickly and in as little as 100 years everything you have gained will belong to someone else, and no one will care about your status.
He then tells us that where our treasure is, that's where our heart is. If our treasure is entirely temporary, at the end, none of what we have now will matter. But if we are pursuing God with our hearts, our treasure will be eternal.
You see how Jesus is linking it all together emphasizing our hearts? How the previous chapter and a half of covered lessons on various things all center around the difference between what many were perceiving as righteousness ( physical rituals ), outward appearance and actual righteousness that cant be earned but only given by God when we do all we do from sincerity, from the heart.
He continues, but what does he mean, the eye Is the lamp of the body? He's saying that our heart condition is reflected by how we view things around us. If our hearts genuinely seek God we will be able to see or perceive the blessings around us with clear eyes.
Two people witnessing the same event can see different opposing conclusions. For example, witnessing a man being executed for his faith in Christ. The believer sees a saint on his way to glory, the unbeliever just sees a man die.
Having a whole body full of darkness is clearly a spiritual thing. Jesus is saying that if our hearts aren't right, all we have inside is darkness. So everything we see around us will be from a wrong perspective. If the light of God isn't in us, and all we have is darkness, we won't even be able to see the blessings of God around us.
Honestly, this has been a real struggle for me. On a daily basis, I pray but never feel close enough to God, but on some days I see, feel and hear God's blessings to me. I want to feel that all the time.
[19] “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; [21] for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [22] “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. [23] But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
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