It is very difficult for both individuals and couples to talk about money. Yet Jesus spoke about money more frequently than any other subject except the kingdom of God. It is after all the most common source of conflict between couples. The dollar serves as a weapon of independence. It provides a battleground for disputes over responsibility and judgment. Financial issues can even be a forum for airing doubts about self-worth.
Jesus' careful attention to financial issues is one of the truly amazing things about the Gospel narratives. It is startling: from the parable of the sower (Matt 13:22) to the parable of the rich farmer (Luke 12: 16-21), from the encounter with the rich young ruler (Matt 19:21) to the encounter with Zacchaeus (Luke 19), from the teachings on trust in the sixth chapter of Matthew to teachings on the danger of weath in the sixth chapter of Luke.
Behind money are invisibile spiritual powers, powers that seduce and deceive. Paul saw this fact when he observed that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils" (1 Tim 6:10). Every marriage must build a fortress against these beguiling forces.
Treasures are not necessarily evil in themselves. It is the improper value that we place on the treasures that cause them to be illegitimate for the kingdom citizen. It is that which so ties us to the world that is bent on rebellion to God, and loosens our hands from the plow of obedience that gives treasures wrong values.
Jesus centered his words upon areas that his audience found most valuable. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." Garments were so valuable in the first century that some were passed down as part of family inheritance. The wealthy would indicate their importance by having their garments stitched with golden thread. But Jesus reminds them that a single "moth" could ruin a valued garment.
"Rust" literally means, "eating." It conveys the idea of decaying or corroding or consuming a product. The word was often used of stored grain being ruined by decay or eaten by vermin. It could also refer to some metal object held as a treasure being destroyed by rust.
Then Jesus speaks of valuable stones and gems being hidden in a house only to have "thieves break in and steal." The hardened clay of ancient houses made for easy entry by thieves with sharp digging tools. All they had to do was chisel a hole in the side of the house, and make their getaway with the family's valuables. Some would hide their valuables in the center of the house away from exterior walls to insulate their possessions from breaking and entering. But they lived in fear that what they held most dear would be taken from them.
What are your"treasures"? Have you thought about this lately? Maybe you have the best CD or movie collection among your friends. Has that become a treasure that has tethered you to the world? Maybe it is your athletic or musical abilities that have taken over your heart's most valuable list. Or perhaps it is your looks or your hair or your physique or your voice or your personality that you treasure more than anything else. If moth or rust can destroy it, if thieves can steal it, if the passing of years can diminish it, if a change of circumstances can wreck it then it is a treasure that you are storing upon the earth - and Jesus assures you that it will not last. Kingdom citizens must learn to treasure up lasting treasures.
Rev Dr. Ronnie Ng
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