Treasure this great bounty that pirates have hidden in the ground, which can be discovered by their special map. Jesus speaks to this He tells us:
Matthew 6:19-20 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
But why get so hung up on what we treasure Jesus? You seem to want us to treasure the eternal things. To place our value there and not here. We know that here is temporary, but why such a strong move away from the wealth and trappings of this life? Why not gain as much as we can here? Jesus goes on to say:
Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
So what we treasure steers our heart’s direction, capturing our attention. But why not here, Jesus? Why not value wealth and all the benefits it brings in this life?
Jesus gives us two parables or analogies to think deeply about:
Matthew 6:22-24a “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, 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 he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
Jesus is saying the focus of our eyes influences our very soul. We need to fix our gaze on the eternal, on the things of God, and we’ll be filled with light; if we focus on the temporary wealth and pleasures of this life, we’ll be engulfed by darkness.
Jesus tells us that we can’t wholeheartedly give our allegiance, heart, and complete attention to more than one thing. We are not designed that way. Trying to do so will lead us to love one and resent the other, as one will inevitably obstruct our dedication to the other.
Jesus punctuates this section of teaching with this final phrase:
Matthew 6:24b You cannot serve both God and Money.
Jesus poses a critical question: What do we truly treasure? He warns that our treasures dictate the direction and quality of our lives. He urges us to value Him and eternal matters over the transient things of this world. He cautions against the delusion that we can hold both in equal regard, as this is a fool’s errand leading only to internal conflict and the inevitable triumph of one over the other. Choose to treasure the eternal things of God; it brings light to our hearts and will chart the right path for our lives.
We simply cannot serve both masters; it’s an impossibility.
