Where’s Your Heart?

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy,and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6

I have noted that I treat the words of Jesus differently. Some I don’t “interpret” or “filter.” These usually contain good news. Others I take with a “grain of salt” or put through a practicality filter.

When he talks about sin, especially sin I’m not troubled by, but drives others crazy, I take him literally and seriously. I’m not so sure about this “treasure” and “heart” thing.

I understand that I’m not suppose to store up treasures on earth, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have a bit of savings, a nice house, a retirement account, maybe a little vacation spot.  It’s no problem that I can’t store everything I own in my house. I have to put things in storage. My closets can be bulging with stuff. That’s not what Jesus is talking about. Is it? I need to have two vehicles. What if my wife wants to go somewhere and I want to go somewhere else? It’s not a problem that I have at least two of many things. Doesn’t everyone open a drawer or closet and discover something they forgot they had.

I mean can’t I store up treasures on earth and in heaven? My stuff doesn’t take up all of my time or distract me from Kingdom work, or take up my energies trying to keep them from rusting or rotting or just going out of style. I do heavenly important things. I mean I can’t do everything. There are only so many hours in the day. One day I’ll have more time and some extra to give away.

I mean the Vatican in Rome is certainly elaborate. Can’t I have my heart here and in heaven? There are churches in town that cost millions to bill. It’s okay for a church to have thousands of dollars in savings when many of it’s members are unemployed or don’t know if they will be able to pay the electric bill and the church staff is barely paid a living wage. I mean if that were wrong, churches wouldn’t do it, would they? That’s not storing up treasures on earth, is it? That’s just being practical and fiscally conservative.

I know the only thing that we know that Jesus owned was the robe on His back. I know He said, “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth.” I know that a “treasure” is  “something that is very special, important, or valuable.” Could He possible mean that we should only have what we need and can immediately use? He surely can’t mean that storing up valuable things, unless they are not being stored for us, is a no-no. I remember he talked about birds and flowers and trusting your heavenly Father. Those are birds and flowers. We are people with real problem. Was He serious? If I don’t have stuff stored up, what will I do if something happens. I’m suppose to rely on God? That doesn’t sound right. That sounds radical.  I’m a Christian, not a nut job.

I mean why does the gospel have to be so complicated? If He didn’t want us to have stuff and rely on ourselves and not put our lives in His hands and trust Him completely, couldn’t He just have said that?

He didn’t say that, did He?