This sermon was preached to Grace Church Guildford on 26 June 2022. The full video recording of the service can be found below along with the transcript.
Money. It makes the world go round. Children riffle through their pockets in a sweet shop and put birthday money into their piggy bank. Young adults pick up their first paycheck and move into their newly acquired home. Older couples prudently plan for retirement. And elderly pensioners spend time settling their will. Money is ever-present in each one of our lives. We all use it. We all need it. And so, its unsurprising Jesus talks so much about it. Indeed, some suggest Jesus talks about money more than he talks about any other similar subject. And for reserved Brits like ourselves, Jesus probably talks about money more than we are really comfortable with. For alongside politics and religion, we often view money as a matter best left out of polite conversation. And yet, the Christian faith has implications for every aspect of our lives, including our finances. And so here Jesus gives detailed instructions on how to use and view our money. If money really does make the world go round, we can be thankful Jesus takes the time to teach us all about it, to train us how we should handle our wealth in a way that honours him.
However, this turn towards the topic of finances in 6:19 isn’t simply because Jesus wants to address this common subject. It is the natural continuation of what he has already been saying so far. Last week we crossed the halfway mark in this Sermon on the Mount, which runs through chapters 5-7 of Matthew’s gospel. I wonder as we read our passage this evening whether you picked up the extension of several themes from last week? There in 6:1-18, we learnt that this greater righteousness Jesus speaks of in chapter 5, the virtuous and holy life he demands of disciples, must not be practiced like the hypocrites. That in spiritual activities like giving, praying and fasting, we must not seek praise from men but from God. Jesus teaches religion is not meant to acquire rewards on earth, but store them up in heaven. That’s how Jesus finishes all three paragraphs on giving, praying and fasting that we considered last week, repeating that prospect and promise of gaining a ‘reward from your Father in heaven’ which he first mentioned back in 6:2. Last week Jesus urged us not to pick the wrong prize, run the wrong race, seek the congratulations of the crowd on earth while ignoring the one looking down from heaven. Now in 6:19 he extends this principle beyond praise and applies it to possessions. Having addressed the temptation of fame, he turns to that of fortune. Having warned us of the danger that comes from religion, Jesus turns to a similar danger that can come from riches. He not only teaches us to seek praise from heaven rather than on earth, but now he also teaches us to store up possessions in heaven rather than on earth. And he does this in two contrasting yet complimentary ways. In 6:19-24 he challenges us, and then in 6:25-34 he comforts us. First, he says: (1) Serve God, not Money (6:19-24). And then he says: (2) Trust God, not Money (6:25-34). Let’s look at these two portions together.
1. SERVE GOD, NOT MONEY (6:19-24)
If you were suddenly landed with a large sum of money, what would you do? If out of nowhere you found out your long-lost-great-uncle had left you his fortune, how would you go about spending it? Take a holiday? Pay off the car? Finally get round to redoing your kitchen? Well imagine it was such a big amount, that even after you did all those things, you still had plenty left over. Most of us would try to wisely invest it in some way, get a steady return, a regular payment to live off for years to come. And to reduce the risk of that investment going wrong, of losing all our money in a single stroke, we wouldn’t simply invest it in one thing, but in many things. The first lesson of financial planning is that you should never put all your eggs in one basket: you should diversify your investments, spread your risk, have a portfolio of projects. In this world, the way to financial security is hedging your bets. However, did you notice Jesus has a very different investment strategy? We see it in 6:19-20. Unlike the financial planners, Jesus tells us we should be putting all our eggs in the same basket, investing in a single scheme, storing up all our treasure in heaven rather than earth. Earthly treasure refers to everything and anything of value. However, as Jesus continues it becomes clear he mainly means money and all it can buy. We see that explicitly in 6:24 and 6:25-34, where Jesus speaks of money and the basic goods it buys, such as food and clothing. Here Jesus is saying that instead of building up our bank account on earth, accumulating and acquiring property and possessions in this life, we should seek to invest in the next life, store up treasures in heaven. And like any good financial planner, Jesus not only outlines his strategy, but also tells us why it makes sense. For he compares the risk of investing in an earthly treasure scheme with the security of a heavenly one. In 6:19 he points out that no earthly treasure is secure. Young people, you were considering this in Bible Class this morning, weren’t you? Looking at how James makes a similar point. In both places we are told of moths that destroy clothes. Rats that ruin possessions. Here Jesus points out thieves can come and take away all you have. No earthly treasure lasts forever. They are all temporary and transient. Even if you manage to avoid moths and rats, rust and thieves in your lifetime, even if you manage to cling onto your possession until the end, death will make you let go of them all. Whether in 30, 40 or 50 years, you will leave everything behind. Earthly treasures can only ever be short-term investments. That’s why writer says, ‘storing up earthly treasures isn't simply wrong. It's just plain stupid.’ In contrast in 6:20, Jesus points out heavenly treasures are subject to no such corrosion. There is no rust or rats there. The bank of heaven is never broken into. There is no safer investment than God’s kingdom. Which we invest in by not simply giving money, but also our time and energy, our attention and abilities, to further his cause on earth. We store up treasures in heaven by serving God on earth. And Jesus reminds us that this is the wisest way to life. For nothing that is done for him will ever fail to generate a return. If last week Jesus told us not to run the wrong race, this week he tells us not to pick the wrong investment. Don’t invest your life storing up treasures on earth, which will all be lost, rather than treasures in heaven, which will never perish or fade away.
However, rather than just wanting to give us good investment advice, Jesus presses in further. In 6:21, we see that this decision about where to invest reveals what is in our hearts, for Jesus says, ‘where your treasure is, your heart will be also.’ This can be seen all around us. A man who saves up spare change so he can buy himself a football season ticket clearly has a heart for his football team. The woman who works extra shifts to send her children on a school trip clearly loves them and values their education. How you handle your wealth shows what has a hold on your heart. And to help explain this further, Jesus gives us an illustration about eyes and light in 6:22-23. When you first read those verses, they seem slightly strange. However, the basic idea is that whatever you fix your eyes on is going to affect your whole life. Just like whatever has a hold on your heart is going to shape your actions. If your heart is set on a certain goal, then that will be seen in how you act. If your eyes are fixed on a certain prize, then you are going to gravitate towards it. This understanding leads Jesus to his conclusion in 6:24. Do you see how the logic of our passage flows from beginning to end? Behind where you are investing (6:19-20) is what your heart is set on (6:21), eye is fixed on (6:22-23). And your heart will be set, eyes fixed, on the master you are ultimately serving (6:24). You can see the logic the other way as well. Friend, do you see that whom you serve (6:24) will determine what you desire (6:21-23), which will determine where you invest (6:19-20). Jesus tells us that how we use our money is ultimately decided by who we have as master. Money is a master issue. And in 6:24, Jesus tells us of two possible masters. You’ll notice in the NIV money in 6:24 is capitalised, for here it is almost referred to as a person. It is the personification of this pull towards possessions, the materialism that surrounds us in our society today. And Jesus says it is not possible to serve both God and this deity of money, we must decide which will have mastery over the other, who will come out on top. We must choose whether we will serve gain on earth or God in heaven. And Jesus urges us to choose the latter. Serve God, not Money. And so store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, invest in the world to come, rather than storing them up here on earth.
If you are Christian here this evening, this warning is surely as timely for us today as it was for the crowd then. When we look around this relatively well-off segment of Surrey that we live in, surely it is the case that the rival religion we encounter most on a daily basis is not Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism, but materialism. That secularist ideology that says there is no god, but then makes money and material possessions master over all. Christian, has this surrounding ideology influenced you? Jesus says you can tell by examining where you are storing up treasure. What are you investing your time and energy in? Putting your money towards? Will the return you get from those investments make a difference in heaven? Or are they just making you more comfortable on earth? Perhaps those are the kinds of questions you need to ask while looking at last month’s bank statement. Or before you make a big purchase, ask yourself ‘What is the connection between this transaction and treasure in heaven?’
It's important to see what Jesus doesn’t say here. He doesn’t say having savings or providing for family is wrong, both are commanded of us in Scripture. Neither does Jesus say that wealth itself is a bad thing. Throughout the New Testament we are taught that while wealth is dangerous, for it can bring temptation, it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. There is such a thing as having too much money, but that too much is determined not by what is in your bank account but by what is in your heart. Money is not an amount issue, but a master issue. Sometimes God gives us much, so we can do much. Blesses us financially not so we can store it up for ourselves on earth, but so we can spend it for the sake of heaven. Brother and sisters, whatever God has seen fit to bless you with financially, whether it is much or little, the same question confronts us all: how will we use what we have to serve God, our true master? And just because you don’t have much compared to others doesn’t mean that you aren’t in danger. No matter how much or little we have, we need to watch our hearts. For sin is so subtle, Satan is so crafty, he doesn’t need millions to tempt us, he can convince us to trade Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
If you are here and not a Christian this evening, do you see how this text tells you that you have a choice to make? O yes, when it comes to investing money from your long-lost-great-uncle, the wise thing to do is hedge your bets, spread the risk and invest it in a portfolio. But such a strategy is not suitable for spiritual investments. As Spurgeon put it, ‘[You] can live for this world or the next, but [you] cannot live for both.’ You cannot hedge your bets, mix your masters. Becoming a Christian is not picking up a new spiritual interest to add alongside other aspects of your life, it is serving a new master, accepting Jesus as Lord over all others parts of your life. Jesus claims to be Lord, and so you either accept him as that, put him first, or you reject him and put something else in that place. You see, as Bob Dylan famously said, ‘you gotta serve somebody’. You will have some aim, your heart has to be set on some end, your eye fixed on some goal. Whether a comfortable lifestlye, success at school or work, pleasing family or friends, or just following your own passions and pleasures. The Bible makes clear that we all serve some master, and if it is not Jesus then it is some form of sin. For that’s exactly what sin is[...] We are about to see some effects of having money as your master, the anxiety and worry that comes by choosing it as Lord. However, far worse than even such devastating effects are the eternal effects of doing so. For the Bible tells us whether you treat God as lord or not, we will all stand before him and give an account for how we have invested our lives, and on that day it won’t matter how much treasure you have stored up on earth, but whether you have... All fall short, sought other masters...deserve God’s right wrath... yet this Lord is not a hard master, a Lord of love, we abandoned him, didn’t abandon us, but sent his Son...2 Corinthians 8:9 ‘though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.’ CR. RES. So you can Serve God, not money. Better m
2. TRUST GOD, NOT MONEY (6:25-34)
Having challenged us to choose God as our master, Jesus continues in 6:25 by beginning to show us what having this master means for our everyday life. He says, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.’ This command is central to this section, appearing three times (6:25,31,34). And again, just as with materialism in 6:19-24, by addressing anxiety, Jesus is striking at a subject that is seen across our society. You don’t need me to tell you statistic after statistic show a rising wave of mental health problems connected to anxiety, worry and fear. And if those statistics are anything to go by, this is likely to only increase in years to come, with rates highest among younger generations. This was all true a couple of years ago, but the isolation and financial consequences of COVID only compounded the problem and as we plunge straight into this current cost of living crisis, we can only assume that the worst is yet to come. For many of you sitting here this evening, all of this is not just interesting statistics, but the felt reality of your own life or of those you are closest with. This evening you are sitting there not wondering what to do with your money, but worrying about where you are going to find the money. As bills spiral out of control and job prospects dry up, you are worrying about ‘your life, what you [or your family] will eat or drink; or about your body, what you [or your family] will wear.’ How will you pay the heating this winter? Where will you find the money to fill up the car? What if property prices take a turn for the worse? It is important to stress that it is right and legitimate to ask such questions. But working out how to pay the bills and worrying about paying the bills are two different things. Anxiety occurs when a legitimate concern gets out of control, when a genuine care begins to consume us. When we cross the line between wise prudential planning, doing our best with what we have and leaving the rest to God, and fearful fretting, being unable to get past our concerns and letting them control other aspects of our lives. And as many of you know from personal experience, such anxiety, such consuming care, controlling concern, can be relentless, a burden that seems unbearable. This isn’t new, in the 17th century the puritan John Flavel wrote a little work called ‘A Practical Treatise of Fear’ [...]. In its opening line he comments, ‘Among all the creatures God hath made...man is the most apt and able to be his own tormentor; and of all the scourges with which he lasheth and afflicteth both his mind and body, none is found so cruel and intolerable as his own fears.’ Anxiety is serious.
It is important to note that in some cases it can be so severe that medical intervention is helpful. Just as when someone falls and breaks their leg, a crutch can be useful to stabilise them so they can heal, so to when someone is overcome by anxiety, medical intervention can sometimes help to stabilise them so they can work through their worries. Further, just as sometimes a broken leg is going to be so severe that a walking stick is needed for the rest of their lives, sometimes mental health conditions are so crippling that they too will need lifelong medical support. And we should praise and thank God for having the ability to provide such care and support to those suffering in this way. However, in many cases, worries and cares can be addressed by applying God’s promises to our problems. That is what we see Jesus do here with the crowd on that day, speaks to them about God’s goodness and asking them to consider his care. Brother or sister, if you are struggling with anxiety, have you spoke to a mature Christian friend about it? Allowed them to point you to the God who cares for you and all your concerns? Or have you reached out to an elder here at Grace Church to talk through your worries? As we thought about this week at SBC, our elders are here to shepherd the sheep, care for those who are struggling. And as we were reminded at our members meeting a few weeks ago, they may be able to provide practical help and financial support for members who are in need. Brother or sister, if you are struggling this evening, reach out..
We could spend several weeks working through the different ways Jesus address our worries here in 6:25-34. For those of you who do struggle with anxiety, this would be a great passage for you to learn off by heart. For example, in 6:27 Jesus asks. There he reminds us that worry doesn’t work, in fact we know it actually decreases rather than increases the length of your life! Similarly, Jesus makes another common sense observation in 6:34. Not only does worry not work, it is also a waste! Worrying is one sure way to do exactly what Paul told us not to do in Ephesians 5 this morning, to make the most of your time. Worrying doesn’t change the future, it just disrupts the present. It allows the concerns of tomorrow distract you from the duties of today. Jesus is saying that if tomorrow brings sorrows, so be it. For we can trust that just as God gives us strength for the duties of today, he will do the same for those of tomorrow. That as we sang earlier, as our days our strength will be. However, the main way that Jesus addresses our worries in this paragraph is by teaching that just as money was a master issue, worry is a worship issue. We see that right in the middle of the passage, from 6:30, where Jesus concludes his consideration of the birds of the air and flowers of the field by saying: ‘o you of little faith?’ By this Jesus reveals that the root of anxiety is really unbelief. That faith is the way to fight our fears. In his book, John Flavel comes to this same conclusion, stating: ‘...he that lives by faith shall never die by fear. The more you trust God, the less you will torment yourselves.’ And here Jesus says the same, for he urges us to Trust God, not money.
Jesus does this by using two of the most beautiful illustrations in all of Scripture. At the beginning of the paragraph, in 6:25 Jesus highlights two key concerns that everyone of us has: where we will find food to sustain our lives and where we will get clothing to cover our bodies. And then he takes each of these in turn and compares them to two different examples of God’s provision in creation. First, in 6:26 he tells us to ‘Look at the birds of the air....’. And then, having dealt with worries about food, in 6:28 he continues ‘and why do you worry about clothes?...’. Jesus helps us to reason that if God provides food to the least of all his creatures, surely, he will provide it to us, his most cherished part of creation. And if he clothes flowers of the field in greater splendour than Solomon, the most glorious of all Israel’s kings, truly we can trust him to give us garments to wear. Jesus helps us to see that anxiety is ultimately a failure to trust that God provides for his people, that he supplies his servants with all he needs, that cares for his creation. Is that not what we read about at the beginning of our serving in Psalm 104? It is God who send clouds with rain, causes the grass to grow for the cattle, who brings forth food from the earth. If even the lion must seek its food from God, why should we do differently? As the psalmist says in 104:27-28, ‘All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.’ You see the materialistic society all around us tell us that it is money that makes the world go round, but really we know that it is God who does that. It is God who determines the rise and fall of house prices, God who decides whether to send electricity tariffs up or down. Global markets and gas pipelines do not control our economy, for ultimately God does. And so Jesus says we can trust him to provide us whatever we need in whatever difficulty we find ourselves in.
Indeed, Christian tonight, you have far more reason to trust this God than even the birds of the air and lilies of the field do, for he is not simply your heavenly creator, but he is your heavenly Father. That’s what Jesus emphasises there in 6:26 and again in 6:32. ‘Your heavenly Father.’ If you had a loving earthly Father who was the wealthiest many in the world, would you really be worrying about how to feed your family or clothe your children? And yet Christian your heavenly Father owns far more than all that! The cattle on a thousand hills are his. Every pound and penny in every bank account is under his command. Indeed, you have a heavenly Father who has held nothing back for his children, who has given his most precious and prized possession to provide for us. For as Paul reasons in Romans 8:32, ‘He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?’ O Christian, when we see to what lengths the Lord went to provide all we need, when we remember that he sent his son to endure death on a cross to save us, how can we doubt that he will give us all we need to cover the bare necessities of life? As Flavel put it, how could we ‘trust him for heaven, and [yet] doubt him for earth?’
ALEXANDER ARRELL