The Sermon on the MountSample

True riches

In the previous section, Jesus warns against treasuring the praise of men. Now He advises against seeking the riches of this world. We have already mentioned that prayer enables us to store up spiritual riches. Now this thought is taken further.

What men consider a treasure is subject to decay or being preyed upon by others who give even more importance to these things than we do. Accumulating material possessions can cause anxiety, but we should be content with what we have (Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:6-10). The parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21) hits the nail on the head: "Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" (v.20 NIV). To cherish spiritual treasures means possessing something that can't be taken away from us (1 Peter 1:4). Our treasure and our heart will be in the same place. Where do we want it to be?

Our entire lives, especially the spiritual aspect, are influenced by our priorities in this field. Our opinions are influenced by the things we value and treasure. The words Jesus used can also mean: "If your spirit is generous, your whole body will be enlightened, but if your spirit is stingy, your whole body will be in darkness." This leads to an inevitable choice: to serve God or the god of money. The passage doesn't say, "you mustn’t" – it says, "you cannot," which is a statement of fact rather than a commandment (Galatians 5:16,17).

Our lives are free of worry and anxiety when we apply these principles. The verb translated do not worry literally means "do not be pulled in various directions". Anxiety can hinder your ability to make decisions, even when it comes to simple things. Jesus uses examples from nature to demonstrate that God is already busy providing for His creatures, and even more, for His children. Keeping us alive is a harder task than providing food and drink for us. Anxiety doesn't prolong our lives; in fact, it probably shortens them! Worrying is also linked to a lack of faith in verse 30. This does not mean that believers never feel anxious about the future. The apostle Paul found himself in great difficulty (2 Corinthians 1:8,9; 7:5,6). The solution is not to live in fear, but rather to rely on God.

Jesus summarizes the teaching of the previous verses, contrasting the behavior of pagans and believers when faced with the necessities of life. The priorities of believers are the kingdom and righteousness of God. In the model of prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, the first request is for the kingdom of God to come. The request for daily bread comes later. The difference is that believers know that they have a heavenly Father who understands their needs and who is already working on their behalf. Material things, although important, must be put in their proper place. Verse 34 doesn't suggest that we shouldn't be prudently prepared for tomorrow, but rather that we shouldn't waste our time worrying about hypothetical problems that may happen tomorrow. God is in charge of tomorrow (James 4:13-15)!