19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
A citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven has a different perspective of the stuff of earth. As Jesus makes clear here, all of our earthly treasures will one day be dust. Everything in the physical universe, as a matter of fact, is in a state of entropy; it's all running down, falling apart. One day all that we know will be gone, and, under the sun, all our works, our treasures, even the memory of our name, will be gone.
But the Kingdom of Heaven lasts forever. How foolish it is to hoard treasures here on earth, while adding nothing to the treasure house of Heaven? When we do this, we show where our heart is, and we show that things are really our gods. Whatever we dwell on, whatever our heart treasures and delights in; that is the best indicator as to the state of our souls. If our treasure is on earth, that's what our heart, our eyes, and our energies will be devoted to.
From Guzik:
Regarding material things, the secret to happiness is not more, it is contentment. In a 1992 survey, people were asked how much money they would have to make to have “the American dream.” Those who earn $25,000 or less a year thought they would need around $54,000. Those in the $100,000 annual income bracket said that they could buy the dream for an average of $192,000 a year. These figures indicate that we typically think we would have to have double our income in order to find the good life. But the Apostle Paul had the right idea in 1 Timothy 6:6: Now godliness with contentment is great gain.22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! The word translated "healthy" above, and also often translated "good" or "single" is the greek word ἁπλοῦς. It means simple, single, whole, good, fulfilling its purpose. From Vine's:
"simple, single," is used in a moral sense in Mat 6:22; Luk 11:34, said of the eye; "singleness" of purpose keeps us from the snare of having a double treasure and consequently a divided heart. The papyri provide instances of its use in other than the moral sense, e.g., of a marriage dowry, to be repaid pure and simple by a husband (Moulton and Milligan). In the Sept., Pro 11:25.The sense we get here is the contrast between someone who's eye is "good", i.e., singly focused on the things of God, versus someone who's eye is bad, or split-focused. When our focus is not on the Lord and His Kingdom, we are in darkness, even if we don't realize it.
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Here Jesus continues the theme from the beginning of this passage: we can't have a divided heart, we can't serve both riches and God. It's impossible, and it's foolish to try.
From Guzik:
Jesus states that serving two masters is a simple impossibility. If you think that you are successfully serving two masters, you are deceived. It can’t be done. As ancient Israel struggled with idolatry, they thought they could worship the Lord God and Baal. God constantly reminded them that to worship Baal was to forsake the Lord God. To be loyal to the one is to despise the other.A good way to tell who or what is the god in your life is to ask yourself "who or what do I sacrifice for?". We sacrifice to our god or gods. If you or I will sacrifice for money, but won't sacrifice for the Lord, we have our answer.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
When our hearts are focused and dwelling on the Kingdom of God, His reign, His work, His will, the things He delights in, we begin to place ourselves under His care and to recognize that our future plans are in His hands. Being a fully integrated citizen of God's kingdom frees us from the rat-race that the human race has been frantically running since the Fall. Here Jesus offers a beautiful promise: if we will be about God's work and Kingdom living, and will make those things our focus, we will be free from anxiety. The Lord will provide.
If we must be concerned, we should be concerned merely for the troubles in the Now. We can't see or predict the future, and it's in God's hands in any case. We are invited here by Christ to live a life in the present, and shed the very human tendency to merely exist in the regret of the past and in fear of the future.
It should be noted that this passage isn't teaching that we are not to work. God feeds the birds, but they still have to gather their food. What is commanded is that we don't worry, and that we don't become preoccupied with the future, with our physical needs, etc.
Regarding seeking first the Kingdom, keep in mind that this doesn't mean that we spend more time seeking the Kingdom ahead of other things; in other words, seeking the Kingdom is not just number one on the priority list. All that we do should be an aspect of seeking the Kingdom.
From Guzik:
What you will eat or what you will drink . . . what you will put on: “These three inquiries engross the whole attention of those who are living without God in the world. The belly and back of a worldling are his compound god; and these he worships in the lust of the flesh, in the lust of the eye, and in the pride of life.” (Clarke)”
Perhaps Adam Clarke would add in our own age, “What you will do to entertain yourself.
Related Passages:
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:11-13
Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. - 1 Timothy 6:6-12
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”
- Hebrews 13:5-6
And God spoke all these words, saying,For discussion
“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 [1] me.
. . .
“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”
- Exodus 20:1-3, 17
1. After reading a passage like this, it's beneficial to do some soul-searching. Some questions to meditate on.
a. Where does your heart dwell?
b. Who do you serve?
c. What are your goals?
d. Where do you "live"? In the past? The present? The future?
2. What are examples of a "good eye" versus a "bad eye"? How does Jesus us the concept of a good, whole, or "single-focused" eye to get across the overall point of this passage?
3. This passage does not teach that we're not to work. But is Jesus here teaching against preparing for the future? What does it mean to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? How can that single-minded focus drive our work, our plans, our relationships, etc? What are the dangers of living in the future?
4. How much do you worry?
5. Read and discuss 1 Timothy 6:6-12.