First Discourse in Matthew: Treasures

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~ Matthew 6:19-21
Unless we place our religion and our treasure in the same thing, religion will always be sacrificed. ~ Epictitus
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. ~ Commandment 1 of the Ten Commandments
Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your god. ~ Martin Luther

If you value something (or someone), usually people know about it. If you value something (or someone), they see how you treat it (or them). They see how involved you are with it (or them).

 They see what impact they have on your life.

 They see your relationship with them and how much that shows in your life.

 What do people see that you treasure? What would people think is important - or even central - to your life if they met you?

 For Jesus it really was this simple.

 Note that Jesus ends his admonition not with condemnation but with cold hard truth: you'll put your heart and soul into that which you treasure.

 So what do you treasure? The things of earth: money? your 401K? your stock options? your car? your favorite tech? season tickets to the Eagles? fashion? your favorite celebrity or musician? (ie: in my case, U2)

 Or even our friends and family.

 Neither Jesus of Matthew nor God of Exodus are saying don't have other treasures. But instead, the Greek philosopher, Epictitus was on to something. 

 When those treasures get put ahead of our faith, our faith might just get abandoned.

 Or as Luther would put it, what we treasure might become our god.

 This is one of the hardest passages I think for those of us in the first world who have a lot, or even just enough. There's a lot of competition for God.

 God in generosity didn't expect that we give it all up. Didn't say we can't have things or people in our lives that are important to us.

 Instead, God asks, "What do people see that your treasure? Do they see that you treasure me?"
Prayer: Spend some moments thinking of the things in your life that might be competing with your faith.

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