Where's Your Trasure?

 

[Jesus said] “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. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 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! 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.” (Matthew 6:19-24 ESV).

 

One of the great preachers of the 19^th century was Dwight L. Moody. He was born in Northfield, Massachusetts, in 1837 to Edwin and Betsey Holton Moody. Edwin died in 1841, leaving Betsey to raise nine children under the age of 13 on her own. This is likely why D. L. Moody never advanced beyond the fifth grade; however, at age 17, Moody began a short but successful career selling shoes. While working in the Holton Shoe Store—which was owned by his uncle—Moody joined a Sunday School class, and, after the teacher visited Moody in the shoe store’s stock room to share the good news, Moody accepted Christ. About a year later, Moody relocated to Chicago where he continued selling shoes. His original goal was to amass a fortune of $100,000, which was a realistic goal due to his business acumen and outgoing personality, but that changed when Moody began to sense God’s call on his life. Moody held numerous campaigns throughout the United States and Europe, and it is estimated that he spoke to more than 100 million people. Through it all, Moody remained humble: “I know perfectly well that, wherever I go and preach, there are many better preachers . . . than I am; all that I can say about it is that the Lord uses me.”

 

Eventually, Moody again put his mind to the need for biblical education. He understood the importance of equipping future generations to carry out the work of spreading the gospel. He first began Northfield Seminary for girls and soon Mount Herman School for Boys. In 1886 he founded the Bible-Work Institute of the Chicago Evangelization Society, which, after his death, was renamed Moody Bible Institute. This school still functions and is part of Moody’s legacy, along with Moody Press, Moody Church in Chicago, and of course the many people he led to the Lord in his lifetime. His quote concerning a man’s treasure is a classic: “It does not take long to tell where a man's treasure is. In fifteen minutes' conversation with most men, you can tell whether their treasures are on the earth or in Heaven.”

 

There is great truth in that statement. Our reading continues with Jesus warning His listeners that our treasure must be centered on our love and devotion to God. Our “stuff” cannot be the focus of our life. Of course there’s nothing wrong with caring for your stuff, or saving for retirement. But Jesus wants to guard us from the temptation to turn material things into idols. If we’re not careful, we can make decisions based on the size of our paycheck or the gains in our portfolio instead of following God’s leading.

 

So, Jesus rightly warns us when he says that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. Our time, attention, and resources can easily be given over to our money and our stuff if we aren’t paying attention. Jesus’ desire is that we come to see our relationship with God as our most valuable treasure. Full life with God, the source of our joy and comfort and purpose, is greater than we can even imagine.