Good Morning Friends,
In today’s Scripture reading Jesus is directing us to stop treasuring our earthly wealth, that does not last, but continue to treasure the wealth in the kingdom of heaven now and for the future. The point is that if we are not going to be controlled by our chattels, we must resist treasuring worldly things over life itself, and persist in treasuring spiritual things that enhance life. We get a sense of the seriousness of the situation in our Old Testament reading and that sometimes hope hangs by a thread. The reality is that much of history has not been very pleasant. So, with the market going up and down and the reality of earthly wars and rumors of wars, I wonder, Do We Seek Possessions Or Are We Being Possessed?
Scripture: Now when Athaliah, Ahaziah’s mother, saw that her son was dead, she set about to destroy all the royal family. But Jehosheba, King Joram’s daughter, Ahaziah’s sister, took Joash son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s children who were about to be killed; she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus she hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not killed; he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land. But in the seventh year Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carites and of the guards and had them come to him in the house of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord; then he showed them the king’s son. The captains did according to all that the priest Jehoiada commanded; each brought his men who were to go off duty on the sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the sabbath, and came to the priest Jehoiada. The priest delivered to the captains the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the Lord; the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house, to guard the king on every side. Then he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the covenant; they proclaimed him king, and anointed him; they clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!” When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the Lord to the people; when she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar, according to custom, with the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason! “Then the priest Jehoiada commanded the captains who were set over the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and kill with the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest said, “Let her not be killed in the house of the Lord.” So they laid hands on her; she went through the horses’ entrance to the king’s house, and there she was put to death. Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord’s people; also between the king and the people. Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars. The priest posted guards over the house of the Lord. So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been killed with the sword at the king’s house.
2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20 (NRSV)
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Matthew 6:19-23 (NRSV)
Message: In today’s passage from the Old Testament, we do not see God saying or acting visibly and yet God is still the primary force in the working of events behind the scenes. Sure, things seem messy and dramatic and even out of control, but the truth is that God is active though unseen. God is always about keeping promise alive despite human failures. God is removing the evil house of Ahab even though it looks like evil has triumphed. Elijah’s prophecy becomes a reality. David’s lineage is still alive. The genealogy of King David would continue, because God is in control even if came down to one child. But this is not the first or the last time this type of story would play out. Pharaoh wanted all the Hebrew male babies killed, and God saved Moses. Saved by Pharaoh’s daughter and nursed by his own mother. In Israel many years later King Herod wanted all the baby boys killed too. But Joseph and Mary took the young Jesus to Egypt. God protected him. Yes, sometimes the promise is hanging by a thread. There are two kingdoms here in the storyline. One is the visible reign of the illegitimate human kingdom and the other the Kingdom of God. One holds a treasure that God possesses and shares and the other a false treasure that possesses people. The thing is that if we take our everyday life, nothing out of the ordinary, just our eating and sleeping and gardening and shopping and driving around and working and talking and put it before God as an offering…if we embrace what God is doing in our life, not the world’s values and acquisitions, but the presence of God…if we fix our attention on Jesus each day, it will be one of the best things we can ever do. With that in mind, today we face the reality that if we seek the wrong things, it can rob us of the best of life and even kill us. Friends the goal is to free our hearts, to have patience and partnership with people of faith, listening together too so God might reign in our lives and shine forth. A purposeful strategy of life should not be about money, power, beauty, and fame. These do not make us happy. The real treasure is in the rich value of a life of love, patience, service to God and others. The message here is simple. Accumulating treasures for yourself steals one’s soul. It serves no long-term purpose and wastes the time we have on things that are not secure. It can be and will be taken from you if you do not put it to use for a Godly purpose. Putting hope in wealth is a sort of treason against God’s reign. It is not useful to give your heart to things that do not last. True treasures should not be hidden forever but adorn us with a power that is not from us but is in us thanks to the grace of God.
And So, In today’s scripture readings we are being directed to stop treasuring our earthly kingdoms that do not last. But continue to treasure our heavenly ones. The point is that if we are not going to be controlled by our chattels, we must resist treasuring worldly things over life itself, and persist in treasuring spiritual things that enhance life. Part of the problem is that we give God humanlike characteristics in our relationship and come to the wrong thinking about the best of life. Thankfully, God reaches out to us by giving us the example of what it means to be fully human and also totally God. In Jesus we have the teacher, so we might learn to submit, and also the gift of a real relationship with God so that in our weakness we too might be lifted up in the Spirit. Believe in the promises of God.
Pray we realize that the love of wealth is a vane thirst that can never be quenched. Pray we realize that the only love that satisfies is that of the love of God shared to the glory of God. Pray we be a light to others seeking the Kingdom of God. Pray we as be a cool drink shared on a hot day. Pray we share in the abundant life of love in the Kingdom of God realizing that the wage of sin is death.
Pray our treasure does not become the food of worms. Pray we do not become slaves to vanity, pride, and wealth. Pray we have a heart that is free to experience life to its fullest. Pray our covenant is with Christ not cash. Pray Christ’s light shine out of the darkness. Pray the light of the Lord shine in our hearts giving us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory. Pray we realize that it is not the treasure we store up but the one we live up. Pray we learn the treasure of trust. Pray we are rich in good works. Pray the treasure in these jars of clay we call our bodies be freed to shine forth the light of the King. Pray God turn our treason into treasure. Pray we store up treasure in all the right places. Pray if we boast we boast about what God uses in our lives…even those things that do not look like treasure at all. Pray we have a vibrant relationship with God that spills over into our relationship with others, manifested as joy, peace, patience, and love. Pray we realize that God is sovereign. Pray we put our trust in God despite human failures and wickedness. Pray we carefully consider where our treasure resides. Pray we share in the abundant life of love in the Kingdom of God realizing that the wage of sin is death.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 