Key Verse: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mat. 6:21)
Howard Hughes had several accomplishments and amassed a significant fortune. He had made a number of movies and is famous for his great wooden plane, the Spruce Goose. But at the end of his life he sank into emotional instability and locked himself away from the world. He sat alone and watched the same movies again and again. His wealth served him no purpose. Not every successful multi-millionaire ends his life in this way, of course; and although we would need superhuman powers to know his heart, Hughes’ life forms a kind of parable of futility.
In the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus begins to talk about money, He does so bluntly, like this, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Mat. 6:19). He doesn’t say, “Be careful not to be distracted by pursuing wealth,“ or “Watch out for the dangers of greed.” He simply says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.” Don’t do it.
This is an instruction particularly appropriate to our day. A person with reasonable intelligence, imagination, and a willingness to work can become wealthy. By coming up with the right idea and working to make it a reality, you can achieve that goal. But to do so you need to pour your heart into it. You need to give it everything you have. You need to work night and day. For twenty-five years I taught business students, and a number of them had the goal of starting their own business. Some of them wanted to do this so that they could become independently wealthy. If that is your goal, you are in a dangerous place.
The Savior gives the reason for His warning in these words: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” That is true almost by definition. Treasure is something we value. It is something we are careful to keep safe. It occupies our thoughts and distracts us from other things. Jesus is not saying anything new when He says our heart will be where our treasure is. Treasuring something can be defined as having our heart drawn to it. that’s almost a truism.
Now, in Mat. 25:14-30, Jesus appears to commend wise investment of our resources when He tells of a man who is traveling away from home and entrusts the management of his wealth to several servants and on his return commends those who have invested it wisely. So what is He condemning here in Mat. 6? It seems to be the pursuit of wealth for wealth’s sake, making it an all-consuming goal.
But the Lord has more to say on the subject. He gives us an alternative. He says there is another place you can store your treasure: “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Let your heart be focused on the concerns of God. Let your aim be to serve Him. Let the things you treasure be heavenly things. You must choose because “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.” (v. 24)
When Jesus says in verses 22-23, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness,” He is probably telling us we need to be clear-eyed about who or what we are serving. Will we invest our lives in serving God or in making money? That does not mean, of course, that we need to give up a well-paying job to go into full-time ministry to escape the clutches of wealth. But it does mean we need to serve the Lord where we are. Paul says to household servants in Col. 3:23, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Serve your boss well because you are also serving the Lord.
How is your attitude toward money? Are you serving it, or receiving what He provides thankfully?
Prayer: Lord, let me never be trapped into serving money. May it never be my master. If I am drifting in that direction, save me from it. Do, Lord, what You need to do to have my heart fully focused on serving You.
Author: Lindsay Hislop was raised in southern Scotland and southern Ontario and now lives in the southern United States. He worked in the engineering field for 15 years (mostly in Canada) before pursuing an academic career. He has taught for over thirty years at Columbia International University. He also serves as an elder in his church, where he teaches and preaches regularly. He is married to a wonderful wife Pam and has two terrific children, Holly, who lives in Canada, and Doug, who lives in Columbia. His four grandchildren, Isaac, Madeline, Lindsay, and Dolan, are also pretty special. He likes doing carpentry and odd jobs around the house.
