Matthew 6:19-34
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Reflection
Jesus recognizes how easy it is to see money as our ultimate source of security (Matt. 6:19–34). When people are in need of food, clothing, and shelter, they become understandably anxious about how they will find these basic necessities. But this anxiety can become so overwhelming that people begin hoarding wealth, and in the process they become less dependent on God and more dependent on themselves. Money itself can actually become their god (v. 24).
Jesus teaches his followers to find their ultimate security in God, who is eager to meet their needs. One of the main ways that God meets the needs of his followers is through the generosity of Christians who have more than others. In verse 3, Jesus assumes that his disciples give to the needy (“when you give to the needy”); and in 25:31–46, generosity and compassion toward the needy are evidence of a genuine relationship with Jesus (see also Acts 20:35; 2 Cor. 8:1–5; Eph. 4:28). We have been given so much in Christ. It is our joy and privilege to reflect his compassion for the needy by giving to them.
Romans 5:1-5
5: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Reflection
Paul explains that through faith in Jesus, we have been “justified” (declared righteous) and therefore have peace with God (Rom. 5:1). His posture toward us is now entirely gracious, which causes us to rejoice in the hope of what’s to come in eternity (v. 2).
This hope gives new meaning to our present life, and even allows us to rejoice in the midst of our sufferings (v. 3; see also 8:17). When God is on our side, even our pain is not meaningless because he can use it as a tool to transform and grow us. From now on, our sufferings produce endurance, which produces character, which produces a confident hope in God’s enduring and eternal care (5:3–5). When God is on our side, even the most difficult things in life begin to work for our good (cf. 8:28). Because of Christ, our future is secure, and God has even given us his Spirit to guarantee this hope (5:5).
Psalm 19:9-10
9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
All Christians must beware of the love of money. Pray that God would give you a desire for him so powerful that it frees you from the temptation of making money your true master (Matt. 6:24).