Treasure

By Clifton Angel

 

"Then one from the crowd said to Him, 'Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.' But He said to him, 'Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?' And He said to them, 'Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.' Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: 'The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, "What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?"

    So he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.'" But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?"' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:13–21, NKJV).

    Where is our treasure? In a parallel account to that of Luke 12, Matthew records these words of Jesus, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19–21).

    Let us never forget these powerful teachings of Jesus, and let us remember, "One's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (Luke 12:15). Possessions decay. Possessions are stolen. Possessions are damaged. Possessions don't go with you when you die. Paul wrote to Timothy, "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out" (1 Timothy 6:7).

    Indeed, none of these passages rebuke having earthly possessions; however, they do rebuke the heart of one who would make his earthly possessions his prioritized treasures, his place of trust, or his perception of triumph. True triumph, trust, and treasure can only be found in Jesus.

    Where is our treasure? Where is our heart? In another place, Jesus said, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).

- Clifton Angel preaches for the Coldwater Church of Christ in Coldwater, MS. He may be contacted through that congregation's website: http://www.coldwatercofc.com/