Text: Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…
1. Jesus’ Squirrel Moment
It looks like Jesus gets side-tracked about eyes
Q. Is Jesus having a squirrel moment?
Q. So, what’s the deal with the “eye” references?
“The eye is the lamp of the body”
Healthy eyes = light
Unhealthy eyes = darkness
In Greek and in English this passage is meaningless. However, in Hebrew and Aramaic to have “healthy eyes” (good eye) is an expression meaning to be generous.
I.e. looking for opportunities for generosity
Having “unhealthy eyes” is an expression meaning to be stingy.
Moral: Make sure your eyes are healthy by looking for opportunities to be generous.
Having dealt with the apparent squirrel moment, let’s return to Jesus’ main point…
2. Stop Storing Stuff
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth (destroy, stolen)
Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven (do not destroy or steal)
Why?
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I.e. it’s all about what’s inside you. Your heart follows clear direction from healthy eyes.
In Greek, Jesus is enjoying a play on words…
“Store up” (Gk. thesaurizo) = to amass, pile up, hoard (antonym is distributing, generosity)
“Treasures” (Gk. thesauros) = wealth
A Thesaurus is a book that amasses a wealth of words.
A large collection of words – more than you could ever use.
As mentioned before, Jesus is enjoying a play on words…
“Do not thesaurizo for yourselves thesauros on earth, but thesaurizo for yourselves thesauros in heaven. For where your thesaurizo is, there your heart will be also.”
Q. Why should we stop storing stuff? Two reasons:
1. Because no earthly treasure is safe
2. Because no one can serve two masters
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Jesus switched from Greek to Aramaic for emphasis
Mammon is more than just money.
Originally, the word Mammon came from the ancient Chaldeans (The people group from which Abraham came) and actually has its roots in the words, ‘confidence’ or ‘trust.’
Aramaic, mammōnás = to trust in treasure or to have confidence in material wealth. It’s the praise of possessions; the worship of stuff! A person who serves Master Mammon will live their life to progress in the accumulation of material wealth as more important than living to worship and serve God ~ No one can serve two masters!
Jesus personifies mammon by contrasting it with God. That is, you cannot be devoted to the True God and also be devoted to “the god of materialism.”
Jesus isn’t teaching against money or possessions. It’s fine to have both as long as they don’t have you. In fact, Jesus taught on how to be a wise investor.
3. Investing “for yourselves”
Matthew 6:20, “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
And we see this repeated throughout the New Testament…
1 Timothy 6:18-19, “…do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
Many ways to give: rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share…
Philippians 4:17, “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.”
Luke 12:33, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail…”
I.e. your heavenly investments are safe, indestructible; inexhaustible.
1 Peter 1:4, “…an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you…”
The bottom line here is this…
Giving is NOT losing!
John Wesley, “I value all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.”
David Livingstone, “I place no value on anything I possess, except in relation to the kingdom of God.”
Martin Luther, “I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.”
First Fruits: Investing in the Kingdom of God expressed in your local church – where eternal things are taking place:
People saved
Lives changed
People growing in faith
Outreach to those who need Jesus
Helping the poor
Feeding people with God’s eternal Word
Discussion Questions
- Share together instances where, because your eyes were “healthy” you spotted an opportunity to be generous. What was the outcome?
- Are you a “hoarder” or a “chucker?” If you’re in a marriage or partnered relationship: Is your spouse/partner the opposite to you? How does this impact on your relationship?
- Discuss the concept of “your heart following your generosity.” Share instances where you’ve discovered the truth of this.
- Discuss this statement, “Jesus isn’t teaching against money or possessions. It’s fine to have both as long as they don’t have you.”
- Read and discuss these verses: Matthew 6:20; 1 Timothy 6:18-19; Philippians 4:17; Luke 12:33; 1 Peter 1:4. How do they impact your life now?
- “Giving is NOT losing!” Discuss what this means to you.
- Read the story of “The widow of Zarephath” (1 Kings 17:7-16). How does this relate to the theme in the “Invest Wisely” sermon?