Healthy Disciples: A LIFE OF VALUE—Matthew 6:19-24
Matthew 5-7 is known as the Sermon on the Mount. It was not really a sermon, as Matthew tells us, “Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.”
Jesus began his teaching that day with what is known as “The Beatitudes”: “Blessed are the poor in spirit…Blessed are those who mourn…Blessed are the meek…”
After the Beatitudes, Jesus taught his disciples about righteousness in the kingdom of heaven. Getting life right is not about keeping rules, but about living in a way that reflects the character of God.
((Note to preacher: I have a series on sermoncentral.com, “Getting Life Right,” which deals with Matthew 5:17-6:18. I also have a detailed series on The Lord’s Prayer.))
In this series of message, we will focus on the last part of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has given his disciples a vision of life in the kingdom of heaven, and he has helped them understand principles of right living. Now, Jesus talks to his disciples about being healthy—spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. He talks about possessions, worry, judging, prayer, and implementing his teaching.
Today, we begin with a question:
WHAT BRINGS VALUE TO LIFE?
Nobody wants to waste their life. We all set out to make the most of life, but the world is full of distractions and false promises, and sometimes we find ourselves keeping busy with activities that don’t add value to our lives.
Jesus said to his disciples, (Matthew 6:19-20) “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.”
Is it wrong to have a nice house, a nice car, and lots of toys in the garage? Is it wrong to have good seats when you go out, and enjoy the good things of life?
Paul said in 1 Timothy 4:4-5 “Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” We ought to pray about what we buy or accumulate, and use it to the glory of God, but having nice things is not necessarily bad.
Jesus warns us, however, that accumulating great possessions and experiences will not give our lives lasting value. Jesus uses an image of stocking a treasure chest with valuables: money, possessions, status, and security. The value of a life in that picture depends on the accumulated value in the treasure chest. (Note to preacher: The Greek noun and the verb are from the same root, based on the treasure chest idea. See Arndt-Gingrich lexicon.)
Yet Jesus points out that treasures on earth are subject to decay. “Moth and vermin” literally destroy nice clothes and nice houses. Thieves steal possessions, as well as reputations. Securities that are counted on to guarantee security(!) are vulnerable to world events and economic whims. Youthful beauty eventually loses its luster, and fabulous experiences become faded memories.
Jesus told us to “store up treasures in heaven.” He wasn’t talking about sending up gold for future use, or earning a better mansion in the sky. He wasn’t even talking about gaining points with God. He was talking about eternal value: being rich in God’s eyes, and bringing the riches of the kingdom of heaven into our lives today.
In other words, TREASURE the kinds of things that are TREASURED in heaven: God’s glory, human relationships, and the joy of righteous living.
Paul puts it this way, in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, “Command those who are rich in this present world…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.”
A life of value is a life that is rich in God’s eyes, and brings the kingdom rule of God into our world.
HOW CAN WE BUILD A LIFE OF VALUE?
Jesus doesn’t leave us wondering; he gives 3 specific actions we can take.
-CHOOSE YOUR MASTER
Matthew 6:24 “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.”
You may have heard it more literally translated, “You cannot serve both God and Mammon.” Jesus spoke in the Aramaic language, and he used the word “mamona.” Matthew kept the Aramaic word in his Greek text; Mammon is literally property or possessions, and it also came to represent the money that can buy stuff.
Mammon is sometimes capitalized, because possessions can be like a god, if we worship and serve them. For example: Do you own your house, or does your mortgage own you? Do you use your boat, or does your boat consume your time and money? Do you require the stuff in your closet or garage, or do you acquire stuff because it calls your name and says, “Buy me.”?
The allure of Mammon might be subtle as well: Success drives people to overwork or ethical shortcuts. Approval causes people to obey the expectations of others. Social Status causes people to put up a good front. Cultural Ideals send people on vacations they can’t afford.
Money and the stuff it can buy are not necessarily gods, but they can become like gods. If they do, the God we want to serve will get pushed aside. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:9-10, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
We cannot serve both God and stuff. We must decide that Christ is our Master. As we do that, we need to our vision for life with his vision for us.
-CLARIFY YOUR VISION
Vision might be more important than beliefs!
***In a series of commercials for an arthritis medication, little is said about the product itself, how it works, or its success in clinical trials. The commercials show happy, active people, with the tagline, “This is you on Humira.” Vision, not beliefs, is what causes people to ask their doctor about a new and expensive medication for their arthritis.**
We are bombarded with visions that promise a better life: Life will be better with the newest smartphone, or a pickup truck that causes jaw-dropping responses. Home life with be enhanced if we feed our pets better than 90% of the people in the world. Social life will improve with perfect skin, and if we are holding the right beverage in our hand. We will eat healthier if we order food that is delivered to our door.
But will those things bring value to life?
Jesus gives a different vision: a vision of the kingdom of heaven. In his teaching in The Beatitudes, he describes a life in which those who mourn are comforted, and those who seek righteousness will be filled. The poor in spirit and the meek are blessed, and the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted enjoy life with God.
The life Jesus describes is life in the kingdom of heaven. In fact, the first and last of the Beatitudes end with the promise: “…for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The kingdom of heaven is not a place, but life under the reign of God—a life which will be perfected in heaven, and begins already in Jesus’ disciples on earth. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.
How does God’s kingdom come to earth? The kingdom of heaven comes to earth through those who follow Jesus! After the Beatitudes, Jesus said, (Matthew 5:14-16) “You are the light of the world…Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
We are the light of the world! The light of God’s kingdom shines in and through us.
How does that light get into us? Jesus says, (Matthew 6:22-23) “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. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
“The eye is the lamp of the body.” What we set our eyes and heart on will bring God’s light into us.
We set our eyes on the kingdom of heaven in the church. In worship, we focus on the glory and goodness of God. We share a vision as a church of kingdom impact in our community and the world. We go out together to do ministry at ______ (Preacher—fill in the blanks for your church…), and we see God’s vision for ___________. We support our mission at _____, and we expand our vision into ______.
To build a life of value, we choose our Master, clarify our vision, and…
-INVEST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
Matthew 6:21 “…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
It’s a simple fact, isn’t it. If you wear Astros hats and jerseys, buy season tickets, and follow every move of your favorite players, your heart will be with the team. If you buy a large stake in an oil company, you will follow every move in the market. If your house is filled with Disney stuff, your ideal vacation will be at Disney World. If you have an expensive club membership, you will try to maximize its value by spending time there.
If you invest in the kingdom of heaven, your heart will be there. If you give significantly to the church, and make it a priority to be here regularly, your heart will be in our kingdom ministry. If you pray regularly for a non-Christian neighbor or coworker, you will look for opportunities to share Christ with them. If you volunteer to serve people in need, your heart will be with them.
***I know a man named Joe. Joe does not make a great impression when you first meet him; his age is showing, he is overweight, and he mumbles his words. But Joe has a big heart, and he has invested his life in the kingdom of heaven. He is a small group leader in the youth group, and he goes on mission trips, handling the most troubled kids. He also goes into a maximum security prison every week, where he shows love and respect to men who have not had much of either in their lives. You can tell that his heart is in what he does, and Joe is making an impact with eternal value.**
If you want to change your heart, change your investments.
We want our lives to have value, and Jesus tells us how:
Choose your Master—one Master—and stop serving other masters
Clarify your vision of the kingdom of heaven, and your part in it.
Invest deeply, completely, in the kingdom of heaven
If you do that, your life will have value—eternal value.
