August 7, 2022 – Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 14)

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” 

What is treasure? I have to admit, that when I hear the word treasure, two images come to my mind:

The first image is of a big cache of goodies. As a kid, my aunt, who was a school teacher, had something called the “Goodie Tree” that showed up around Christmas time. It was a 2 or 3 foot Christmas tree, and there were edible goodies tied with ribbon to the various branches of the tree. That was a treasure I looked forward to, along with the fruit bowls that would come out for Thanksgiving. She’ll be the first to admit that she wasn’t a big cook, but boy did I look forward to that food from her!

The second image is what you might imagine if you’ve ever watched shows like “The Curse of Oak Island.” I think about a group of people searching for some type of treasure that isn’t contained neatly, like the fruit in the bowl or the treats on the tree. They have a map and clues which lead them to the treasure location. And as they search for the treasure, they must interpret the clues left, appropriately discern what is helpful and what is misleading, and navigate properly to the location, and THEN they have to know where to dig and how deep, and so forth. It’s not unlike the roadmap that Jesus leaves us for discerning his kingdom.

Nancy Urbach, an author who writes on self care, is once said to have uttered, “Finding yourself after many years, is a treasure like no other.”  This treasure has great worth and yet is not something that is palpable – it’s not a possession. The world we live in places so much value on possessions. The more stuff you have, the more you’re worth.  More stuff boosts your social status as one of the elite who get special privileges because of their stuff.

But the truth is that getting all this stuff is a form of self-induced slavery. People can’t be content with what they have. Think about this train of thought: A family thinks it would be nicer to have a bigger house with a bigger yard. So they move. They find out their push lawnmower won’t adequately keep up with cutting the larger lawn, so they purchase a new riding lawnmower. Well, now there’s no room in the garage to keep the lawnmower, so they buy a shed. And of course, the shed needs paint, and the new lawnmower takes more gas, and really it takes too much time to cut all that grass, so they hire someone to cut the grass and keep up the lawn … you get the picture.

It’s no surprise that the writer of Matthew quotes Jesus as saying that it’s harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. But I think we can learn to manage physical wealth properly if we operate with God’s plan in mind.

I wonder if you know anyone who has done remarkably well in business? These people might have nice cars or a nice home. They fit in with others with their dress. And they just “fit in” with others when you talk with them; if you didn’t know better, you’d have no idea that they’re financially blessed. They might be very generous in supporting the church or other charitable organizations; they might take extra good care of their family members. In most cases, these people are also strong followers of Christ. They are often positive examples of showing that their treasure lies not in their own wealth, but in living in a way that is reminiscent of Christ. And you’d even guess that if they weren’t so well off monetarily, they will still be the same people.

My friends, we must place our hope and our worth in the foundations of Christ, not in a worldly status that can cause selfishness and corruption. Jesus is pointing out that our money and how we spend it speaks volumes about what we love, that is, where our hearts are. If you store up all your treasure for the future, it may mean that there is fear in your heart about retirement, and you probably spend a lot of time hoping in the future, when you can kick back and take it easy.

This also works in reverse. If you would like for your heart to be moved to a certain place, then put your money in that place. If you give a lot of your money away for the sake of Christ, that is, toward God’s mission, toward the poor, or some other biblical cause, then you will find your heart dwelling more and more on God, heaven, and the quality of your eternal existence. Through God’s continuous recreation in this world, we get more of an abundance of resources. In such a world, generosity is easy. We simply need to grow in existing that way by being generous and trusting God.

Most simply, the things we give our money, time, and attention to are the things our hearts will care about. And likewise, the things that our hearts care about are the things to which we should give our money, time, and attention. So this week, spend some time thinking about what those things are for you.