Seeing Things Clearly

Seeing Things Clearly

I love the musical “Fiddler on the Rood”! In fact, one of these nights at home we are going to have to break that out and watch it! One of the reoccurring themes throughout this story is the fact that the main character (Tevye, a milkman with a wife and 5 daughters) is very poor. He is always having sort of tongue and cheek conversation with God about making him rich. There is a comical moment in the film where a character named Perchik says, “Money is the world’s curse.” And Tevye quickly replies, “May the Lord smite me with it! And may I never recover.” 

It’s funny but it is an accurate reflection of many of our inner attitudes. There have been so many times in my life when I have thought, “If I were a rich man than things would be so much easier. I wouldn’t have to deal with this or that.” There have been other times where I have thoughts, “Well, as long as I’m making a decent living, we will be ok.” In other words, I have often, in my heart believed that money was the solution!  

This notion is sitting at the forefront of many of our minds these days with everything that is going on and the unemployment rates going up. Many of our own members have been laid off and are dealing with all the struggles that go along with that. 

So today our primary text is Matthew 6:19-24 were our Lord Jesus shares a precious lesson,

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

So here Jesus says, “Anything you store up here can easily be taken from you.” This is a lesson we are learning yet again with the economy tanking, retirements being depleted, and jobs being lost. Jesus says that the things you store up in Heaven can never be taken away – primarily people! But that is not where I want to focus today. Look at verse 21 with me,²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The question is what is most valuable to you? Or, put another way, what do you actually feel you need the most? Do you think you need money more than you need Jesus? Right now, in the midst of this, it is certainly ok and understandable to be concerned with finances, but do you know – are you convinced down deep in your soul that no matter what you’ll be ok because you have Jesus?

Jesus seems to go in a different direction next when He says, 

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ²³ but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

So here Jesus seems to be saying we need to make sure we can see clearly or the whole body will be in trouble. And it seems to be a change in topic until you see what He says next,

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

It is so easy to come to rely on money as our savior and not even realize it – so easy to feel hopeless when we are out of money or work even though we have Jesus. 

Jesus seems to be saying here, “Listen, see things clearly, if you have me you have everything you need!” The Gospel is the treasure my friends. I know this knowledge doesn’t pay the bills; I know we need to work through those things. I am simply suggesting that you keep in mind that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, not money. He is with you; you have nothing to fear. Perhaps, one way this whole ordeal with help you grow is to clear up your vision a bit and learn to serve only One Master – Christ not money!