In teaching about the relationship of a Kingdom person to money and possessions, Jesus says, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23).
How are your eyes? How do you see life? Is it (A) about doing well financially, saving for your dreams and then getting to a comfortable place where you can buy what you want and travel where you want to go? On the other hand, maybe you look at life and (B) you see the supremacy of family and friends. You believe that relationships are what matter and make your decisions accordingly. Or maybe you have chosen (C) a mixture of A and B.
Any of these choices would put you in the human mainstream and a little shockingly, in the group who Jesus says have eyes that are bad. You would surely feel your vision is clear, but Jesus says your eyes are not as right as you think.
What life is really for is seeking the rule and reign of God. It is about lining yourself up with what he created us for. Now, he is not against possessions, although they can be as dangerous as they are temporary. And he certainly is for relationships as long as we understand they cannot be put before our loyalty to him. But our eyes are never good and our bodies are not full of light unless we are praying, “Your kingdom come; your will be done” in all aspects of our lives.
Matthew 6:19-33
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
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