A Concord Minute: What does your heart treasure?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 ESV

These words of Jesus convict all of us American Christians, or at least they should. Chasing the American Dream can run perpendicular to the Christian life. Our culture tells us to chase our dreams, accumulate wealth (which honestly looks more like debt than wealth), and otherwise be wage slaves to our possessions. This is not the way of Jesus. Our insatiable hunger for shiny new toys in the home and in the driveway indict us for where our heart is.

Truly, Christians in the West, especially in America, have a most difficult struggle with these words of Jesus from Matthew 6:19-21. No, Jesus does not say sell that giant house you’re living in. No, Jesus does not tell you to sell that fancy vehicle sitting in the driveway. No, Jesus does not dislike shiny things. Jesus detests that which causes the heart to treasure the wrong things. The challenge with having plentiful possessions is that the Christian can find comfort, peace, and even place their faith in those very things. Laying up treasures on earth most often leads to plain-old idolatry, the choice of placing things on earth before the things (or people) of heaven.

Which do you sacrifice more for: your faith in Jesus, or that banknote on the car in the driveway? Which do you spend more time with: the “big boy” toys in the garage and/or the lakehouse, or Jesus? What does your heart treasure? If Jesus took everything away from you, would you still follow Him? Would you be willing to take up your cross and follow Him?

Be honest: highly doubtful. I probably wouldn’t follow Him either. Our humanity for all its supposed triumphs as enlightened beings are engrossed in the shiny objects of life. If we were honest with ourselves, we much prefer the treasures of this life on this earth. What of Jesus? Oh for sure, we might devote an hour or two a week to Him. But as soon as the pastor says “see you later”, we are back to life in the world chasing that American Dream, wage slaves working to pay down that 8% banknote on a house or a car where moth and rust will eventually destroy both.

Read these words: Jesus is your treasure. Moth and rust cannot destroy Him. Not even death could destroy Jesus fully. Though Jesus died on a cross, thus reorienting our focus to Him, Jesus is risen today. Jesus continues to be the treasure of heaven for you. Though He might bless us with house and home, wife and children, and that shiny nice car in the driveway, Jesus wants to be your heavenly treasure. What does your heart treasure? May your heart treasure Jesus daily.