Sermon On The Mount – Week 17

This next section of The Sermon (vv. 6:19-7:12) explores how the material goods of this world (i.e. our possessions in life) relate to being a whole, virtuous person who experiences the Greater Righteousness that Christ calls us to. We’re going to talk candidly about Money, Possessions, Anxiety, Judging Others, and finally about prayer again

This week in particular, we explored Matthew 6:19-24 and talked about the idea that if the Kingdom vision that Jesus tells us of doesn’t reshape our approach to possessions, then we are not living out the Kingdom vision. And as hard as that can be to swallow, Christ offers hope and a better way to view the material world. What he says in these few short verses is less about an economic theory than it is about worship and idolatry. He’s showing us that the way to true human flourishing is living a simple life that trusts God.

Any treasure other than Christ will demand your life and give you death! Only Jesus demands your life and gives you life! Every other treasure requires you to sacrifice your life to obtain it — but Christ sacrificed his life for you to obtain the greatest treasure of all: an eternity of restored relationship with Him! He had all the glory… all the riches.. and yet he emptied himself of glory, worship, worth, and dignity... for us! We must be more precious to him than the entire universe! When we realize that we are Christ’s greatest treasure — then we start to make him our ultimate treasure. And then we are freed to live generously — to participate with the Spirit in healing the world for the glory of God!