Tag: heavenly treasure

Build Spiritual Wealth (1 Timothy 6:11-21)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

But you, man of God, flee from all this [love of money] and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.

Grace be with you all. (New International Version)

Whether we like it, or not, every one of us is a slave. I don’t mean slavery in the sense of nineteenth century antebellum black chattel slavery; but a slave in the vein of being a bondservant – one who is bound to a particular master by choice, and not by coercion.

Jesus put the matter this way:

“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.” (Matthew 6:24, NIV)

Both Jesus and Paul had the assumption that we are all in service to something or someone, without exception. So, the question then becomes, “Who is your master?”

Becoming a bondservant to Master Mammon will cause a person to place their ultimate hopes and dreams in wealth and possessing financial resources. However, money will possess them, and not the other way around. Their relationships will suffer, wither, and become disconnected.

Conversely, being a bondservant to the Lord Jesus will lead a person to place their ultimate hope in God. Possessing a godly life, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness will be their way of life. They will give themselves to a spirit of generosity and the pursuit of good deeds. These servants of God will take hold of eternal life, and find themselves possessed by it.

The Apostle Paul, in writing one of his final letters on this earth, reminded his young protégé Timothy to teach his congregation the importance of being bonded in service to the right master, to build spiritual wealth in heaven, and not just financial wealth here on this earth.

The letter of Paul to Timothy is given as a relational gift, reminding the young pastor of the many things taught to him in the apprenticed relationship they enjoyed together. In this sense, it was a personal letter, designed to recall the importance of keeping tethered to Christ their Lord.

Through written language, Paul came alongside Timothy and spoke to him, saying to never become intimidated by riches or rich persons. Financial wealth is merely superficial, and holds no credit or influence in the kingdom of God.

God is far richer, and infinitely more powerful than anyone or anything in this world, Paul insisted. So, keep serving God alone; continue being bonded and united to Christ, which Paul knew was not an easy thing to do.

In a world of looking out for number one, survival of the fittest, and hyper-capitalistic economies, many succumb to the allure of trusting in Master Mammon. Instead, stay focused on the Lord Jesus, his words and his ways, and on living an exemplary life.

What is more, Paul exhorted Timothy to command those who are rich in this world to become rich in good deeds. It is possible to be wealthy and be a bondservant of Christ; yet, it is not at all easy to do so.

Which is why the rich person needs continual encouragement, exhortation, and accountability, in order to remain bound to what is most important. Such persons need the command to put their hope continually in God, and not in money or bit-coins; in Christ, and not in building a strong financial portfolio that will keep one swimming in plenty of financial resources.

Again, none of this teaching of the Apostle means that having an array of financial capital is somehow wrong or ungodly. Rather, it means that we must be quite intentional and careful to build our equity in the kingdom of God, and use our worldly wealth for good and just purposes that reflect a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, and kindness.

Guard the precious treasure given to you, that is, the great spiritual riches entrusted to you. Allow the overwhelming grace of God in Jesus Christ to keep you faithful and loving in this greedy and feckless world.

The Lord Jesus taught us in his Sermon on the Mount:

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” (Matthew 6:19-21, MSG)

Lord of our lives, teach us how to use our money and our possessions. Deliver us from stinginess and wasteful extravagance; inspire our giving with the spirit of true generosity. Help us always to remember your generous love for us, that we may be wise and faithful stewards of the good gifts you have given us. Amen.

What Do You Value? (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The Sermon on the Mount, by Beryl Lewis (1939-2021)

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you….

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (New International Version)

Spiritual Disciplines

In Christ’s day, there were three spiritual disciplines that were especially important: giving, prayer, and fasting. For the Jewish faithful, these three practices were meant to work together in helping them to know God and serve others. 

Yet, over time, although the disciplines were maintained, they were observed for all the wrong reasons. Jesus was concerned to communicate that not only are people to do the right thing, but that they do the right things for the right reasons.

To do any less, is to be a hypocrite who maintains an outward form of religion, but is inwardly motivated by the praise and recognition of others. Such a person is, in reality, far from God. 

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent on the Christian Calendar. This season is a time devoted to spiritual disciplines, especially fasting.

Fasting

Those who truly hunger and thirst for righteousness take the time eat spiritual food in order to pursue God and seek right relationships in this world. It’s not a matter if we fast, but when.

The Bible has a great deal to say about fasting:

  • Fasting is a sign of humility and brokenness before God in recognizing both personal and corporate guilt. (1 Samuel 7:2-6)
  • Fasting is a means of preparation for ministry. Jesus used fasting in the desert as preparation for his ministry, and to face down the devil (Matthew 4:1-2). And the apostles fasted when seeking God’s direction about a new ministry. (Acts 13:2-3)
  • Fasting is meant to connect with God and serve others; and not to simply go through the motions. (Isaiah 58:3-7)

Therefore, fasting is a time to get in touch with God, to know the divine will, and then to do it. 

God doesn’t operate on a point system. If we only go through the motions of a spiritual discipline, or do it so that others will notice that I am doing my duty, then we have come under the condemnation of Jesus and are proved as hypocrites.

True fasting in an outward practice reflecting an inner attitude of heart; it’s an expression of devotion in order to connect with God and do good works of service to others.

Framing the topic another way: Why don’t we fast? Because it’s culturally okay not to? Because nobody cares whether I do, or don’t?

The spiritual disciplines of giving, praying, fasting, and other Christian practices have changed my life because they are a vital means of connecting with God and engaging the world.

A farmer disciplines himself to plow, plant, and cultivate – not because he wants to impress others (“Y’all see my big ol’ tractor and my implements!?”) but so that he will receive the reward of reaping a harvest at the proper time. 

So, we also, can engage in spiritual disciplines, like fasting, in order to see a harvest of righteousness.

Earthly vs. Heavenly Treasure

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. What are earthly treasures? It’s stuff, money, possessions, as well as control, power, position, and recognition from others.

You may rightly ask, “Is this really, in and of itself, wrong?” No, it’s not. The real question is not whether we possess earthly treasure (because we all do) but rather:

Do I use my earthly treasure to build heavenly treasure? Do I hoard earthly treasure for my own purposes apart from Christ’s kingdom values?

Jesus once illustrated the difference:

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” 

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’  “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”(Luke 12:13-21, NIV)

Again, earthly possessions are tools to be used; and not for accumulating personal wealth, esteem, and success for the sake of security in money. Rather, everything the Christian has is for the advancement of God’s kingdom values. 

Why do this? Because earthly treasure is temporary, and heavenly treasure is permanent. 

Is what you are pursuing today really going to matter in 50 billion millennia?

Heavenly treasure is righteousness as defined by Jesus: right relationships with both God and other humans.  Humility, peace, grace, mercy, purity, forgiveness are all relational values. The only thing that we will take with us when we die is relationships.

If I am genuinely committed to God’s kingdom, my most cherished values will be established by God. 

Our real values consume our thoughts and our efforts; what is in our hearts directs our work. And our ultimate values derive from how we perceive our identity. 

For a great many Americans, the primary noun that characterizes and defines us is not American Christians, not American citizens, not American workers; we are known primarily as American Consumers. 

Jesus is not necessarily advocating that we take vows of poverty, or that we ought not to enjoy the good things we have; what he is asking of us is to make a decision where your loyalty is placed.

Spiritual disciplines such as fasting help us to maintain our most cherished values, to see them clearly, and to choose wisely based upon those values.

May it be so, to the glory of God. Amen.

A Warning about Wealth (James 5:1-6)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment

Pay attention, you wealthy people! Weep and moan over the miseries coming upon you. Your riches have rotted. Moths have destroyed your clothes. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you. It will eat your flesh like fire. Consider the treasure you have hoarded in the last days. 

Listen! Hear the cries of the wages of your field hands. These are the wages you stole from those who harvested your fields. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of heavenly forces. You have lived a self-satisfying life on this earth, a life of luxury. You have stuffed your hearts in preparation for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who doesn’t oppose you. (Common English Bible)

Everyone’s station in life has its own particular temptations.

In the church for which the Apostle James wrote his letter, the rich had completely succumbed to the temptation of using their wealth to build more wealth on the backs of the poor. And the Apostle called them out on it.

Just because you nor I might not be rich in assets and wealth, doesn’t mean today’s New Testament lesson has nothing to do with us. We all inhabit some position of influence or authority, as well as own something, even if it is not much. So, how we use what has been given to us by God is of utmost importance for everyone.

The poor are tempted to envy the rich. And the rich are tempted to trust in their money, resources, and business acumen with no thought to God. Both rich and poor can identify so closely with their respective situations that their primary identity is defined by wealth, or the lack thereof.

Hoarding Wealth

It’s not unusual for a person who appears middle or lower class to have hundreds of thousands of dollars stashed away. I have met more than a few of them in my life. Some people die millionaires, having been penny pinchers their entire lives.

Stockpiling wealth, whether hiding it or flaunting it, without the intention of using it for godly purposes, is tragic. No one is blessed by it. Money is temporary; but relationships are permanent. A wise Christian focuses on storing heavenly treasure and taking an eternal view of their resources.

Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse! —stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. (Matthew 6:19-21, MSG)

Fraudulent Wealth

A person can become addicted to wealth. People can also desire to be wealthy to the degree that they use illegal and dishonest ways of obtaining it and holding on to it.

Withholding wages from workers is a crime, both legally and biblically. In the ancient world, and still in many places around the globe today, workers are paid daily, at the end of the workday. To not receive their pay means their families will go hungry that night.

Don’t take advantage of poor or needy workers, whether they are fellow Israelites or immigrants who live in your land or your cities. Pay them their salary the same day, before the sun sets, because they are poor, and their very life depends on that pay, and so they don’t cry out against you to the Lord. That would make you guilty. (Deuteronomy 24:14-15, CEB)

Self-Indulgent Wealth

The person who lives completely for self is only building wealth in vain, like a hog being fattened for the slaughter. Daydreaming and fantasizing about possessing money for personal indulgence, at the expense of others, will not end well.

Jesus said, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. People do not get life from the many things they own.”

Then Jesus used this story: “There was a rich man who had some land. His land grew a very good crop of food. He thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger barns! I will put all my wheat and good things together in my new barns. Then I can say to myself, I have many good things stored. I have saved enough for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!’

“But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight, you will die. So, what about the things you prepared for yourself? Who will get those things now?’ (Luke 12:15-20, ERV)

Murderous Wealth

Whenever the rich and powerful are bent on accumulating and hoarding wealth, they step all over workers to get what they want. And the poor laborers possess neither the ability nor the authority to handle the injustice. They are helpless.

By withholding wages and resources, or purposefully paying a non-living wage, the neglect puts people in poverty. Then, the poor struggle to survive. They may starve, even die, through no fault of their own. And the ones who put them in such a position will have to answer to a higher authority – God. (1 Kings 21)

Stewarding Wealth

The Lord gives us money, resources, even wealth, for us to enjoy and give to others. We are stewards, accountable for the time, assets, and relationships, given us by God in this life. So, then, we must emulate godly models of asset allocation and thoughtful stewardship.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

May we all use whatever resources, gifts, abilities, and time we have to bless others and contribute to the common good of all persons. Amen.

Matthew 6:19-24 – Where Is Your Loyalty Placed?

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year CLeave a comment

Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“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. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

“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. (New International Version)

Nobody can pursue two diametrically opposed commitments. 

Trying to live in both worlds of pursuing earthly treasure and heavenly treasure is not possible. 

Jesus has no place for any of his followers to ride the fence between those two worlds.

We cannot practice God’s will, and at the same time have a moonlighting job with the world.

As followers of God, we must have a single-minded loyalty to kingdom values. 

We are to do the will of God, from a right and sincere heart, and follow Christ’s teaching alone. 

We may give of ourselves, and give of our money, with sincerity, but if we walk away from that and believe the rest of my money, time, talents, and resources are mine to use as I want (since I fulfilled my duty) then we have a divided loyalty between the kingdom of God and the domain of darkness.

Jesus, as he typically does in the Gospels, used metaphors to communicate that we must have an unswerving loyalty to God’s kingdom values.

The Treasure Metaphor

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. So, what are earthly treasures? 

Stuff, money, possessions, control, power, position, and recognition from others. 

You may rightly ask in response, “Is any of that really, in and of itself, wrong?” 

No. However, that’s not the real issue. The real question is this:

Do we use our earthly treasure to build heavenly treasure, or do we hoard earthly treasure for our own purposes apart from Christ’s kingdom values?

A man in a crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of what our father left us when he died.”

Jesus answered, “Who gave me the right to settle arguments between you and your brother?”

Then he said to the crowd, “Don’t be greedy! Owning a lot of things won’t make your life safe.”

So, Jesus told them this story:

A rich man’s farm produced a big crop, and he said to himself, “What can I do? I don’t have a place large enough to store everything.”

Later, he said, “Now I know what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I can store all my grain and other goods. Then I’ll say to myself, ‘You have stored up enough good things to last for years to come. Live it up! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’ ”

But God said to him, “You fool! Tonight, you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up?”

“This is what happens to people who store up everything for themselves but are poor in the sight of God.” (Luke 12:13-21, CEV)

Earthly possessions are tools to be used. Jesus warns that we must not accumulate personal wealth, esteem, and success for the sake of placing ultimate security in money, but for advancing God’s kingdom values. 

Why do that? 

Because earthly treasure is temporary, and heavenly treasure is permanent. 

Heavenly treasure is righteousness; it’s right and just relationships. Humility, peace, grace, mercy, purity, and forgiveness are all relational values. The only thing that we will take with us when we die is relationships; it’s the only thing that’s permanent.

If I am genuinely committed to God’s kingdom, my most cherished values will be established by God. 

Whatever it is that we value, those values consume our thoughts and our efforts. In other words, what’s truly in our hearts directs our work.

And what we value derives from how we perceive our identity. For many Americans, we are defined primarily not as citizens or workers, but consumers. Jesus is neither advocating that we take vows of poverty, nor that we ought not to enjoy the good things in life. Rather, Jesus wants us to define where our loyalties truly lie.

The Light Metaphor

In the ancient world, the eye represented what you fixed your gaze on, or what your focus was. In our culture, we could replace the word “eye” with the word “goal.” The word “body” represents the entirety of one’s life.  So, we may interpret Christ’s words in this way: 

A goal is the focus of a life. If your goals are good, your whole life will be full of proper focus. But if your goals are bad, your whole life will be full of blindness. If then, the focus within you is only really blindness, how great is that darkness!

If the goals and dreams of life are toward earthly treasure, you will blindly move in that direction and your life will end up in disordered love and misplaced values. At death, you will have nothing to take with you because all the eggs have been put in the temporal basket.

The Slavery Metaphor

Jesus flatly stated that we cannot simultaneously serve God and money. Pick and choose. You must go one way or the other; there is no middle ground. 

The question Jesus is posing is: “Who’s your Master?” 

  • When deciding between two jobs, or two homes, or how to spend your time or your money, what set of values comes into play?… values that define me as a follower of Jesus?… or values that define me as an American consumer? 
  • Will I be a bondservant of Jesus, or a slave to credit card debt? 
  • Will I serve God, or serve the lifestyle that I believe I deserve?

Conclusion

None of us are immune from the temptations of all the world’s shiny things, of ambling into misdirected goals.  If you find that you are slave to the wrong god, then there is good news: There is an infinite storehouse of grace that flows from the very heart of God through Jesus Christ. 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from everything we’ve done wrong. (1 John 1:9, CEB)

Choose this day whom you will serve.

Our Father in heaven,
may your name always be kept holy.
May your kingdom come
and what you want, be done,
    here on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us the food we need for each day.
Forgive us for our sins,
    just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us.
And do not cause us to be tempted,
but save us from the Evil One.

The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13, NCV)