The Word in Focus with Dr Larry Taylor

Thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5-7

Part 11

“Things are in the saddle, and ride mankind.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Doing religious stuff, like praying, reading the Bible, going to church, worshipping, fasting, or giving to charity in order to be seen and appreciated by others plucks us out of the flow of God’s Spirit. But doing religious stuff in order to be seen is not the only thing that will impede the development of spiritual fruit in our lives, thus quenching the Spirit. 

Accumulating stuff in an effort to secure our lives apart from God, will also douse the flame of God’s power and love in the world.

Wealth is not a sign of God’s blessing. Amos rebukes wealthy Israelites for thinking their prosperity is evidence of God’s favor. (Amos 2:6-8; 4:1-3; 5:10-27; 6:1-14)

In what are we trusting for security? Money? Insurance policies? Investments? Portfolios? Real estate? Social Security? Pensions? Government? Politicians? To feel safe and secure, do we need guns, cameras, locks, and pit bulls?

^6:19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jerome in 404 AD was the first to translate βρῶσις (brōsis) as “rust.” The Greek word literally means “that which eats away,” “the eater;” it can refer to devouring insects, moths, vermin, or eremacausis.

In the first century, wealth was stored as bolts of dyed cloth and as coins. Coins rust & disintegrate, cloth decays, it can be eaten by moths, and any form of wealth can be stolen.

Today, wealth is stored up as cash, stocks, bonds, real estate, possessions, cryptocurrency, etc. Our treasure includes anything we value.

Why do we incessantly store up stuff? To feel secure. All humans need to feel safe. Politicians stir up fears of others to motivate people to vote for them because they claim they will keep us safe. We mistakenly think guns, locks, cops, nuclear missiles, a big savings account, and lots of insurance will keep us safe.

We try to arrange a world in which all needs are met without God.

^{James 5:1} Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. ² Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. ³Your 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 during the last days. ⁴ 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. ⁵ You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.

^{Luke 16:14} The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him. ¹⁵ So he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts, for what is prized by humans is an abomination in the sight of God.

Jesus calls us to radical generosity: Matthew 19:²¹Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect (complete, telos), go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

^{1 Timothy 6:6} Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment, ⁷ for we brought nothing into the world, so thatwe can take nothing out of it, ⁸ but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ 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. 

Invest in new creation by doing right by God and others. God will reward your generosity. Use your stuff to love people. 

The subtext: treasure nothing more than God. Treasuring God means holding God dear, guarding God’s reputation, joining God in making all things new.

Heavenly treasure will come. Heavenly treasures are things like joy, unending life, responsibility over new creation, unity, love, peace, and shalom. 

^6:24 “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.” (MSG) 

So, why do we keep trying?