My grandson, Logan, has a small battery operated four-wheeler. He calls it his “odorcycle”. On a nice day, he likes to ride it around the
neighborhood. He hasn’t yet mastered the art of steering, so grandpa walks
beside him, keeping him on the straight path. As he travels along the concrete
and asphalt, he will spot something lying on the ground, usually a rock, maybe
a dandelion or a fallen leaf. Once in a while he even finds a coin. He stops
his “odorcycle” and picks up the object, inspecting it closely as he holds it in
his little hands. On the front of the “odorcycle” there is a small compartment;
Logan opens the lid and carefully places his find in the compartment. If you
ask him what he has he will tell you it is his “treasure.” When we get back to
the house, Logan will take each item from the compartment, again carefully
inspecting them and telling me these are his treasures, as if I wasn’t there
when he collected them.
On occasion, I clean out that little compartment, removing
the rocks, dying flowers and crumbling leaves; those things that Logan calls his treasures. I wonder if God sometimes looks at my treasures in the same way?
In the 6th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus
preaching from a mountainside, spoke to the crowd about treasures. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on
earth, where moth and rust destroys, and where thieves break in and steal.”
Jesus had been speaking to the crowd in what we call "The Sermon on the Mount." The crowd was large, maybe in the
thousands. Some were there out of curiosity, some there to keep watch on Jesus,
and there were some that were his disciples, or students. But none of those on that mountainside were
yet called “Christians”. None had been filled with the Holy Spirit. None had
yet received the gift of eternal life. None had yet entered into his Kingdom.
So it is easy to understand how some may hear the words of Christ and consider
that they were a prerequisite to entering into the Kingdom Jesus spoke of. Was he telling them to put aside their treasures before following him
any further?
How does this apply to us today? Imagine Jesus coming into
your home, sitting and talking with you. You tell him how much you love him,
how you have followed him. And he says— “You weren’t supposed to bring all this stuff with you.”
A rich young man inquired, “What good things shall I do to that I may have eternal life?” Do
you remember Jesus’ answer? “Go sell what
you have and give it to the poor, you will have treasures in heaven, then come
follow me.”
These are hard words for us to study. After all we live in a
world that encourages success, measured by what we possess, whether that be
materials or fame. We want treasures. We want a nice home or a nice car. We
want the latest and best toys. And when these things are no longer enough we
want more. The treasures that you have today will one day be sold at an estate
sell by your children to pay for your other treasures that you held but did not
yet own. Or perhaps to buy their own treasures.
So we read His words and they are uncomfortable. You may
say, “Jim, I cannot give up the things I have worked so hard for. I cannot do
that!” Whoever said you could?
Like going to a tailor to alter a tight fitting coat, we
alter His words. The Bible talks about money as being the root of all evil; how
quickly do we point out that it is the
love of money; it fits better that way. Yet Jesus called money a “master”. Even in
these passages (from Matthew 6), many commentators point out that Jesus is not saying we should
not have treasures, he said, do not treasure your treasures. Ah, that fits
better.
Yes, even Christians have treasures. Our treasures are
pleasing to the eye. They bring us Peace and Joy. These pleasantries will
consume us to the point where they are all we can see, “how great is that darkness”.
We hold onto our riches and fame as we
follow a Lord who was poor and despised.
“Do not store up for
yourself…”, could be written, do not
treasure your treasures. Christ knew that when we treasure our treasures we
will worry. Worry about keeping them, worry about losing them, worry if they
are enough. Worry is a powerful word. No one wants to worry. I guess there are
those that live for misery, but I am not talking about them. Worry is the
father of dark things. When we worry our bodies can react, causing ulcers. Then
we have to worry about the ulcer, worry about seeing the doctor, worry about
taking our medicine, worry about buying the medicine. And then we worry what
the ulcer may do to us, what it may become. A young couple starts collecting
treasures, slowly, adding to their home. Then comes a time when there is
something they need or want and they begin to worry how they are going to get
it. Worry fathers arguments. Arguments turn into anger. Anger turns into loss.
Jesus said the
Gentiles (pagans or non-believers) worry about these things. Now watch closely,
He said “God knows what you need! Seek
first the Kingdom of God and these things (the things God knows you
need) will be added to you.” You see dear friend, it is not the pagan things, it is the God things!
So how do we seek? What are these God things? What is the Kingdom
of Heaven?
We should seek first through prayer. Buckner Fanning
preached over 5000 sermons in the 42 years he was at Trinity Baptist Church.
The essence of his sermons was grace and love. The last sermon he preached
before retiring was titled “The Essence of 5000 Sermons”. If you go back and listen to his sermons you will also hear, included in
almost every sermon, a call to pray. Buckner had been a member of the United
States Marine Corps. As a Marine he belonged to the Marine boxing team,
although he wasn’t very good. But he loved the sport. He told a story once
about a priest and a layman attending a boxing match. One of the fighters knelt
in his corner and made the sign of the cross before the bout began. The layman
asked the priest if that would help him in the fight. The priest replied, “Yes
it will. If he is a good boxer.”
Asking God through prayer for guidance requires us first to
be a good boxer, a good student of the Bible. The Bible provides us with
examples of seeking. Jesus simply said “follow me” more than 15 times in
scripture. But sometimes we don't feel worthy or capable of following Him. There is the story of a woman accused of adultery, under the Jewish Law her sin punishable
by stoning.Surrounded by her accusers, they turned to Jesus and asked him “What do you say?” Jesus knelt down and
with his finger began writing in the sand. He then said, “The one without sin, cast the first stone.” He was on the temple
grounds when this powerful scene took place. I believe all who were there became quiet, listening for His words. The
only thing heard were the stones hitting the ground as each accuser dropped them, and then departed.
Jesus asked the woman, “Where are your
accusers?” “They left” she replied. Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you…” Now watch, “Go (seek) and sin no more.”
On the way to Jericho, a blind man called out, “Have mercy on me, oh Son of David.”
Jesus asked him “What do you want me to
do for you?” And he healed him, restoring his sight. And the Bible tells us
the once blind man followed him.
We pray to understand how to seek. He will answer through His word.
The Apostle Paul gives us a better understanding of the "things", treasures we have now and will have in the Kingdom. In his letter
to the church at Philippi, Paul wrote—
“Rejoice in the Lord
always. Again I say rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord
is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the
peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren,
whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of
good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and
received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with
you.”
Now that my dear friend is a list of treasures! Open your
compartment, your heart, and place them there.
“Seek first the Kingdom
of God…”
What is the kingdom of God? To explain it fully is not for
man. I would not have the words that could begin to describe this Kingdom in its
totality. If we go with what we know, if we listen to the words of Christ
spoken again from a mountain, we will see a glimpse of what lies just outside
His Kingdom.
Matthew 28:18-20 “And
Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in
Heaven and on earth (He is the King!). Go
(seek) therefore and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, teaching then to observe all things that I have commanded
you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of age.’ Amen”
In our search for the Kingdom we will travel through the
harvest fields. They are vast and they border the very gates of God’s kingdom.
The only way to seek His Kingdom is to travel through the harvest field. There
is no other way. You will find people in the harvest field who are lost and looking.
Teach them, tell them about Christ.
Don’t let your treasures blind you as you travel the harvest
fields.
“Nothing will so clear your vision and lift up your life as
a decision to seek what you know to be entirely the will of God.” John Paton
