[Read Matt 6:19-34]

 

 

I guess the older you get – the more you can engage in the following exercise.

 

But when I was 16 I left school and began work as a clerical cadet at the Dept of Labour my annual salary was $7646. I earned about $125 per week.

 

One of my favourite jobs was pay day. Back in 1982, everyone was paid by cheque in the public service and it was my job to take the cheques to every employee. So I got to see how much each person was paid.

 

The “District Superintendent” was paid a King’s Ransom. Somewhere in the region of $30,000 p.a.

 

A few years later, I was earning about $13,000 p.a. as an Employment Officer.

 

But, I began to discover something. No matter how much I was paid – it never really seemed enough.

 

To talk about money, to tell our stories about our money – can be an intriguing exercise.

 

It is a deeply personal and terribly public issue all at the same time.

 

It can be the means of much power and deep pain and distress.

 

Where to begin? Do we even want to begin?

 

It’s not too much of an exaggeration to say that the two most difficult topics to preach about – let alone talk about – are sex and money.

 

Interesting that Jesus addresses both very powerfully in the Sermon on the Mount.

 

And in the passage before us today, he addresses money and all that entails.

 

Whatever else we can say about money – Jesus puts the issue in very plain terms.

 

In life we will be enslaved.

 

There are two masters in life – God and money. Or the biblical word for money - “mammon.”

 

(And I prefer the term “Mammon” rather than “wealth” or “money” because I think it names the spiritual forces and demonic activity more effectively. Names the spirit and motivation behind the use of wealth).

 

The interesting, if not chilling, comparison Jesus makes here is that in speaking about money He personalises it as something opposed to God.

 

Something that can exert a force and hold over the lives of people. Something that enslaves them; seduces them; blinds them yet all the while suggesting all is well.

 

Put simply – it is the means of satanic opposition and interference in the lives of people and the ways of God.

 

Money in itself, as an object, is neutral.

 

It can be the means of much good or much evil. But – money in and of itself – is neutral. It is what we do with it; how we use it; how we obtain it that becomes the issue.

 

Many misquote 1 Tim 6 and say “Money is the root of all evil.” It doesn’t say that.

 

It says this…

 

1 Timothy 6:9-10
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

 

There is a spiritual force for evil surrounding mammon.

 

John Stott says there are only two kinds of devotion – self-centred and God-centred. There are only two kinds of ambition – ambition for oneself and ambition for God.

 

There are only two masters – God and mammon.

 

You can only serve one.

 

Only one.

 

Prior to Jesus stating this, He leads into it by issuing two challenges and examples about the struggle to serve the right master.

Considering these two challenges begins to reveal to us who we are serving. Really.

 

He talks about true wealth and about how we view the world.

 

Or:

 

 

 

First – where is your heart?

 

So – just exactly what do I treasure? What do I consider most important? What commands my attention and affection?

 

The answer to that question will reveal to you what is your true treasure and hence where your heart is.

 

Your heart. Your life; your ambition; your devotion. Your Master.

 

Jesus counsels to store up treasure in heaven – to engage with another kind of currency and purpose rather than just trying to accumulate wealth in this world.

 

In the 3^rd Century a Christian leader – St Lawrence – was ordered by the Roman Imperial Authorities to produce the church’s wealth.

 

He gathered up the poor and presented them.

 

They roasted him to death for that.

 

Later James, the brother of Jesus would write this.

 

"Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you." (James 5:1-6, NRSV)

 

Note that the very erosion and destruction that Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount is visited upon the person themselves.

 

Because they treasured and invested their very life into those things which do not have eternal value and influence.

 

Second – what is your eye on?

 

This is very closely related to where your heart is. Where you heart is causes you to live accordingly.

 

And so Jesus describes the fact that our eyes, as a lamp for the body, are the means by which our lives are full of light or deep darkness.

 

It is an expression to describe our desires and ambitions.

 

An expression to describe our pursuit in life. As we live endeavouring to gather more investments of whatever nature.

 

It is a description about what we hanker and hunger for. What we are on the prowl for.

 

Either treasure which is stored in heaven, or treasure that is stored here on earth.

 

However, there are consequences.

 

To look out for true treasure – treasure in keeping with the values of the Kingdom of God result in light.

 

To pursue those things which are at odds to the Kingdom result in deep darkness.

 

God or Mammon.

 

Who do you serve? Who are you enslaved to?

 

What do you treasure? Really? That’s where you heart is. That is where your devotion and love is. Your life.

 

What do you look out for? What catches your attention? What do you want more of? Where are you going and what are you doing to satisfy that?

 

That is the source of light or darkness in your life.

 

Maybe the following observations will help us focus and answer these questions.

 

I think some reflection on these quotes might be the means of unearthing our true state of heart; clarify what we look for; confirm our Master…

 

Arthur Simon (founder of Bread for the World organisation).

 

 

R. Gundry

 

Arthur Simon (founder of Bread for the World organisation).

 

Having spoken very plainly about this important area of human life – Jesus now offers another way to live.

 

And in advancing this lifestyle He centres His counsel on the issue of anxiety.

 

Six times He mentions the word worry.

 

And in doing so talks about the basics of life. Food, drink and clothing.

 

He says that worrying cannot extend your life.

 

He goes so far as to say that worrying about such things is godless; pagan.

 

Pretty strong language!

 

Now – Jesus is not suggesting that we do not endeavour to see to basic needs and attend to those.

 

What is in view here – recalling what has already been spoken about in earlier verses – is a life that is solely focussed on accumulating wealth and possessions at the expense of the life of faith.

 

Jesus calls our attention to the creation around us which is a daily reminder of God’s provision and care.

 

Lilies, birds and grass. Cared for and resplendent and “how much more will your heavenly Father” care for you.

 

What is in view here is what your life is primarily dedicated to.

 

What is in view here is the fact that anxiety breeds sin.

 

From the beginning of the Bible – anxiety has caused horrendous sin. Beginning with Adam and Eve who grew anxious that God was holding out of them.

 

That He was keeping a secret from them – so said the serpent. Apparently God said not to take from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil because God knew they would become like Him when they did.

 

And so anxiety was raised – forgetting they had been created in the likeness of God. That they were image bearers of Him in any case – and so they took of the fruit and ate and died.

 

Here the issue of anxiety is before us. And it involves issues as pressing and crucial as the thought that we might become like God.

 

It involves very reasonable concerns about food, clothing and drink. Who wouldn’t be worried about such things?

 

And our anxiety is heightened and we begin to attend to those needs and in doing so accumulate treasure – the home of our heart; and our eyes seek out more and more and the darkness closes in.

 

The anxiety doesn’t go away. Just light and faith.

 

Jesus cuts right through this.

 

“You of little faith.” (v 30)

 

“Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (v 32)

 

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33, NIV)

 

Suspend your primary concern about the apparent necessities of life – Jesus is stating that the Kingdom is the primary necessity of life.

 

It is radical. It is calling us to profess that we are enslaved to God – not Mammon.

 

That the call and concerns of the Kingdom have priority in our lives.

 

And here’s the real challenge.

 

For us in a country like NZ – most if not all – we do alright.

 

These reassuring words of Jesus can so easily be taken as comforting a well-fed and well-off people (by world’s standards) that He will give even more than what we already have. That He will see to our luxury items.

 

Now to be sure God is generous and blesses.

 

No question.

 

But there remains the uncomfortable fact that many Christians live lives whereby these basic requirements are not forthcoming.

 

And it is not because they’re not seeking first the Kingdom of God!

 

850,000,000 people live in hunger.

 

The last statistic I could find is quite out of date – and it stated that 200,000,000 Christians lived below the poverty line.

 

I doubt that figure has improved.

 

In the time that we have meet here this morning – over 1100 children have died of hunger.

 

So what’s this all about? Jesus saying not to worry and all?

 

His last comment reads “"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. " (Matthew 6:34)

 

Today has enough trouble and struggle.

 

This world is hard to live in. There is trouble and suffering.

 

The Kingdom is “already and not yet.”

 

It has broken into this world but it is still to come in all its fullness and glory.

 

This means several things for those who would seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness:

1.                  There will be a day when all will be clothed in more glory than Solomon and feast at the wedding banquet of the King of Kings.

2.                  Until then, to advance God’s Kingdom and His righteousness means to live radical and different lives that are marked by compassion, generosity and justice.

3.                  That we live as slaves of God; not Mammon

4.                  That our hearts are in the right place and our eyes full of light.