Luke 12:32-34 (NIV) “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Remember that the context for these remarks continues to be the man who called upon Jesus to settle a dispute with his brother over an inheritance. Jesus refused to get involved, and instead redirected the discussion to the folly of trying to amass worldly wealth, and instead trying to find security in what we have been able to save up.
Jesus’ view on money was that, as God’s people, it is of minor concern and should never become the focus. Here he points out that the Christian can afford to be extremely generous with what God has given us, even to the point of selling our possessions and giving to the poor. It’s not that God wants His people to be poor. The point is that there is always more where that came from. God has access to all of the wealth in the universe and can easily provide for all of His people. In fact, as Jesus points out, He is in the process of giving to us a whole kingdom!
But to receive the kingdom and its more-than-adequate provision for every need, we as God’s people need to let go of the things of this world, to treat all earthly wealth lightly, as a tool to be used instead of as a possession to be amassed. The wealth of this world is too liable to loss, decay, and theft. The true wealth of the kingdom is eternal.
The even larger issue, the overarching concern for Jesus is in the last sentence: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If a person’s focus is on earthly wealth, that is where their heart is. If a person’s focus is on the kingdom of heaven, that is where their heart is. A person can’t be focused on amassing earthly wealth and have their heart in God’s kingdom. The heart is ultimately located where the focus of one’s life is.
And, by the way, this is a word not just for individuals. Whole congregations can fall into a focus on money, attaining it, or trying to keep it. And so there are strategy meetings, and planning sessions, and then God is asked to bless the plan or provide the funds, without ever being asked what He wants to do about the situation. This is a subtle trap, as a strong focus on money (or even the lack of it) can cause a whole congregation’s heart to relocate to the kingdom of the world, instead of being firmly in the kingdom of God.
Father, this is an important point. We easily apply this word to individuals without considering that the “you’s” in this passage are all plurals – they apply to the group as a whole as well as to individuals. How easy it is for us as a congregation to allow ourselves to become so fixated on the offerings (or lack thereof), and to decide what we can or can’t do on the basis of what’s in the bank instead of what’s on Your agenda. I can see how that can actually result in a not-so-subtle shift of focus away from You and Your kingdom, to us and our worldly security. Help us, Lord, to keep our hearts right where they belong – firmly embedded in Your kingdom, solidly trusting that You will be faithful in providing for all that You call us to do. Amen.