Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be… No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. Matthew 6:21, 24 NLT
The point Jesus continues to bring home time and time again in the Sermon on the Mount is that obedience and purity come from the inside out, not the other way around. It is not about checking off a to-do list, but it is about a transformed heart. Jesus changed our perspective on the commandments and took them to a deeper level.
Jesus proceeds in verses 16-18 to include the heart of fasting. It’s the same idea as before with giving alms and praying, that when we fast we are to honor God secretly in our hearts instead of doing it for show. We are not to look miserable and unkempt to make everyone feel sorry for us when we fast, but we are to clean up and keep it to ourselves. Then, God will reward us openly for what is done in secret.
In verses 19-34, Jesus approaches a topic that is of great concern to most people. Money is a necessity in our lives, but trying to keep a balanced mindset is quite difficult. One extreme is to crave material possessions and to accumulate riches in the hopes that it will fill something empty inside. We think it will give us self-worth or to make us appear important in front of others. At some point, this view of money becomes greed, and we may fall into the trap of allowing money to become an idol or a form of bondage. When is enough enough?
On the other hand, we can become so frustrated when we have difficulty paying our bills, or we worry whether we will have enough money to provide for our needs. The stress can make us ill. When we worry about these things, money can become a cruel slave-master.
This can happen whether we have a lot of money or a lack of money. Jesus taught us that we cannot serve two masters. If money is our master, we are negating Jesus as our Lord and Master. Oh what we lose!
Jesus reassures us with the examples in these verses that our Heavenly Father loves us so much, and He is concerned about everything that concerns us. If he provides for every need of the birds of the air, who do not work to reap or sow, won’t He much more provide for us? Aren’t we more valuable?
Why do we worry about what we will wear? God dresses the fields beautifully with the gorgeous lilies that bloom with breathtaking splendor. Yet, if He is willing to clothe the grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, won’t He much more clothe us?
We do not need to worry. God knows what we need, and He longs for us to trust Him enough to ask Him and expect Him to answer. Let’s stop fretting about our needs and simply ask Him with faith and thanksgiving. Instead of pursuing money or things, let us pursue Christ with all our hearts. Seek Him first, and He will provide everything else.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 NLT
