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Matt. 6:19-24       Where is the Eye of Your Heart?       
Rev. Tim Muse    
(BPC 2/17/02)

Introduction

I invite you to take your Bibles and turn to Matthew 6.  Last week we looked at 1 Tim 6 where we saw that “godliness with contentment is great gain”.  We made the statement that much of the lack of spiritual mindedness in the church today can be traced to a spiritual problem, namely, a lack of contentment with that which God has provided.  We said that the man of God, and ALL Christians for that matter, should flee from all that is unprofitable in our lives; follow spiritual rather than temporal or physical pursuits; and fight the good fight of the faith.  This morning, we continue in our study of “Spiritual versus Worldly Pursuits” as we come now to Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.

Scripture Reading: Matt. 6: 19-24

This ends the reading of God’s Word, about which Jesus said in Matt 7:24ff  “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish  man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Prayer:

Our Father, we know that every word Jesus uttered is important to our lives, and we know that though He spoke figuratively about the rain, and streams, and wind that blew and beat against the house, that daily the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil seek to destroy us and to cause the purpose and portions of our lives to come falling down upon us as well.  Therefore, we pray that through your word and the ministry of your spirit that our lives might be founded and built upon him who is the eternal rock, Jesus Christ, our Lord… for it is in his name and power that we pray.  Amen.

Sermon

How many of you have ever heard the expression “He wants his cake and eat it too!”  Perhaps, you’ve heard it put this way “He can’t have his cake and eat it too!”  Believe it or not, I was at a birthday party this week where I saw a little boy who had his cake and ate it too.  My neighbor’s son turned three years old yesterday, and after blowing out his candles, his mother put a cup cake in front of him… but, instead of eating his cup cake; he reached over the cup cake to scoop the icing off the cake his mother had prepared for the guests.  He had his cake (cup cake) and ate it too (guest’s cake).  All those at the party laughed, not only because the boy did what we all wanted to do (lick the icing off the cake), but because short of these unusual circumstances, we’ve come to learn in our lifetimes and in this world that you can’t have you cake and eat it too!

You know what I mean by that.  You can eat your cake now, but if you do, you’ll not have it to look at later (to enjoy, to show others, and to feed upon it).  Or, if you want to have your cake for later, then you can’t eat it now!  Summary:  You can either have it one way or the other, but you can’t have it both ways!

As we come to Matthew chapter six, we find the same is true is the spiritual realm.  There are two lessons we learn from the cake that help us understand what is being taught in this passage.

First, we learn:  That which is your greatest desire (… that which you treasure most) will determine and control your thoughts (mind), your attitudes (heart)  and your actions (will).  For example, if your greatest desire (that which you treasure most) is the joy you will get from saving the cake (i.e., looking at it later, showing it to others, eating it later), then your thoughts, your feelings and your actions will reflect that treasure.  You will think you need to save the cake even though others push you to eat it (thought).  You will want to restrain from eating it (attitude).  You will also put the cake aside and save it in a safe place (will).  That which you treasure most will affect your mind, heart and will, the three components of your being (soul).  On the other hand, if your greatest desire (that which you treasure most is immediate gratification from tearing into the cake, tasting it and turning and twirling it around in your mouth, then that too will affect your thoughts (your plans will be to eat it; your attitude (you will want to go ahead and eat it), and your actions (you will take the paper off the cake and begin eating it).    The same is true when it comes to our relationship before God.  If what you treasure most in this life is a right relationship with God (you treasure GOD most; his glory, his honor, his pleasure with your life, his rewards rather than the passing attractiveness of this world) than it will affect how you think about everything and everyone else, how you feel about everything and everyone else, how you act when it comes to everything and everyone else.  Convicted already?  I am!  Martin Lloyd Jones puts it this way “The world is so subtle, worldliness is such a powerful and pervasive thing, that we are all guilty of it, and often without realizing it.”

Second, we learn:  You can’t have it both ways!  You can’t have your cake and eat it too!)  Spiritually, we find:  You and I can’t love this world and love God too.  It’s one or the other.  Jesus (v. 24) says “You cannot serve both God and money.”  This doesn’t just refer to the coins you have in your pocket.  The word comes from the Syriac “mammon” which refers to “gain, possessions, material value, riches”  It refers to anything and everything that you might treasure more that God.  The point is this… you must choose!  Better yet, you must discover the sinful desire that fill your soul putting things of this world over heavenly treasures and repent, asking God to give you a new heart, mind and will.  This he says he will do in the gospel.  This he is able to do because of Christ’s love and sacrifice for us.

That’s the whole point of this passage.  These are the two primary principles given in this text.  Now, that you have them, let’s dig in and look at the details.

       I.   THE OBJECT OF OUR DESIRES DETERMINE THE COURSE OF OUR LIVES (vv. 19-21)

  Verses 19-21 deal with the treasures of our lives.  These treasures refer to the things we consider to be of greatest value, the greatest worth in our lives.  It refers to the things we delight in, that we want more of, that we protect and guard, that we like to be known for (though some try to hide).  It can refer to money, but is not limited to money.  It includes things like prestige, power, pleasure, etc.  In fact, the greek points not only to the treasures themselves, but the value and delight we place on the treasures when it says “do not treasure treasures on earth, rather treasure treasures in heaven.” 

  What’s Important to Note about these treasures is their Location – “where” is used four times in these three verses (not to mention the additional two locations specifically mentioned, nor the location referred to when the text says “to be”).  Listen as I read the text with that emphasis (vv. 19-21) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on EARTH, WHERE moth and rust destroy,, and WHERE thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in HEAVEN, WHERE moth and rust do not destroy, and WHERE thieves do not break in and steal.  For WHERE your treasure is, there your heart will BE also.”  Why is the location so important?  Answer:  It describes what type of treasures we should desire and be pursuing.  For example, when I grew up in North Carolina, there were two places my mother bought our shoes.  One was called “Pic-n-pay”, the other was Rosenthal’s Bootery.  At one, you bought shoes that were  what you imagine you would get at a store called “Pic-n-pay”.  At the other, you could find shoes of top quality, especially for those who needed special quality shoes to correct birth abnormalities, etc.  The location of the treasure tells you a lot about the treasure you are getting. 

What TYPES of Treasures are referred to here?  Those of heaven (which are permanent, lasting, perfect, satisfying, complete, etc.)  Those of earth (temporal, passing at best, worldly, etc.)  The question is… which ones are YOU storing up for yourselves?

Look at the attributes of the treasures – Earthly … where moth and rust “destroy” and where thieves break in and “steal”.  Matthew Henry says “Worldly riches have in themselves a principle of corruption and decay, and make themselves wings.”  For example, think of fine clothes.  They wear out with use, tear out and fade out with abuse, rot out and get eaten out with no use!  In addition, fashions change, the waist line is measured no longer with inches but range, when they come back from the dry cleaners they look like they have the mange.  Ultimately, this is true of all our earthly possessions, including our bodies.  You and I might “slow the process,  but we can’t stop it.”  Then, for the lesser corruptible treasures, we read about the “kleptai” or “thieves”.  Many of us think of “klepto”.  They steal in secret or by fraud.  Jones says “there are many thieves in this life, and they are always threatening us.  We think we are safe in our house, but we find thieves have broken in and ransacked it.  Other mauraders are always threatening us – illness, a business loss, some industrial collapse, war and finally death itself.”  What is robbing YOU and YOUR FAMILY today?  … the TV, the Stock Market, the soft market for employment?   Where is your trust and hope found?

Jesus gives an injunction that is two-fold (Jones) – Negatively, he says “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…”  Positively, he says “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

This was best illustrated by a funeral service I heard of recently.  There was a “good man” who died in Alabama… and at his funeral, they had an Alabama football flag and played country music… and that was ALL people could talk about.  There was not hope for his relatives, there was no greater significance or importance that could be said of his life.  How sad!  Compare that with another funeral I attended of the Rev. Erskine Jackson, who loved the Lord, who not only had a passion for God and godly things, but produced much fruit in his life, and made such a difference in the lives of others for God.  Let me ask you… What are you treasuring MOST in this life?  Is it your job, your boat, the fishing you will do in that boat, another person, your bank account?  Where does the LORD fit into those desires and plans?

Look at the REASON Jesus gives for storing us treasures in heaven instead of on earth.  For years, I thought it had to do with the moth and rust, but I was wrong.  Those are only mentioned as descriptions of things that take place in the two locations.  Jesus says in v. 21  “..FOR where your treasure is, there YOUR HEART will be also.”  (in v. 22 he includes your MIND; and in v. 24 your WILL)  The point is this:  Jesus is NOT SAYING you and I are to glory in God alone, in godliness, etc, because the gifts and possessions of heaven are better than those on earth, meaning they won’t wear out, etc. (though that is a good reason as well); rather, Jesus is saying we are to store up treasures rather than earthly treasures because the treasure s we value most will determine our whole life (the way we think, feel, and act).  Verse 21 says “for where YOUR treasure is, there YOUR HEART will be also.”

You see, the mature believer, whose greatest treasure is found in God and in godliness WILL have great affections for God!  He will think about God, about his ways, his people, and about his service!  He will choose God over other things of this world (not because of any goodness found in him, but because of the new heart God gives to him).  That doesn’t mean all of have to be preachers, but it does mean that we will seek to please God first and foremost, and all other things will be proportioned and passioned according in light of our greatest treasure.  Think of the potential of Brandon Presbyterian Church… the ability to reach the world and have an impact for Christ.  That which we need is additional leaders whose greatest treasure is God, and who will commit to serving God with their mind, hearts and bodies.  Why did Jesus teach this to the disciples… but because it was necessary for them to understand this that the gospel message might be delivered to the world!

II.  THE OBJECT OF OUR EYES DETERMINES THE VALUE OF OUR LIVES (& THE MORALITY OF OUR LIVES (vv. 22-23)

  In v. 22, Jesus says “The EYE is the lamp of the body.”  In short, Jesus uses the word “eye” figuratively for one’s spiritual focus and understanding (it is the “eye” of the soul).  Meaning… in the same what the ancient near eastern traveler used and depended upon an oil lamp at night for understanding of the way, for determining the way, and following the way; so too do you and I, sojourners and pilgrims on earth, depend on the understanding and enlightenment of the soul to direct our way!  In v. 22, we read “… if your eyes are good (meaning:  if your soul treasures the right things), your whole body will be full of light.”  The word “good” here refers to “singular” (having a singular focus and purpose to honor God with your whole life)  Jesus goes on in v. 23 to say “But if your eyes are bad (evil), your whole body will be full of darkness (ignorance, corruption, defilement, pollution, etc.).  If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” 

You must remember this is the Sermon on the Mount.  It is given primarily for Jesus’ disciples, not for the pagans.  Jesus says to Christians like you and me “If YOUR souls are fixed on evil (carry out evil, have no desire for the things God desires like the proclamation and expansion of the gospel, etc.) then think how dark this world will be and become!  You see Christians must be fixed on Christ!  We must be involved in the culture and communities around us!  Talking about a biblical world and life view… here it is !

Concerning the value of our lives… in one sense it is infinite, since Christ gave himself for us.  On another level however, if the eyes of your soul are set on worldliness (such that darkness characterizes your life) then speaking relative to the kingdom, you’ll not be worth very much!  Is there a need for change in your focus, … in your life?  If so, then repent of the past orientation and lifestyle you have enjoyed.  Turn to the Lord in newness of life!  (… and the evidence will be much more fruitfulness in his kingdom and church)  D. A. Carson say “The point is that the things most highly treasures occur in the heart…’  Calvin says “If honor is rated highest, then ambition must take charge of a man, if money, then greed, …if pleasure, then men will certainly degenerate into self indulgence.”  What is the greatest treasure of your life?

III. THE OBJECT OF OUR WORSHIP DETERMINES THE AFFECTIONS AND PRIORITIES OF OUR LIVES.

v. 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 and I must make a choice (“NO ONE can serve two masters”; You can’t have your cake and eat it too)  We all want to think we can do both (serve God and love the world, which is really serving self)  Matthew Henry puts it well when he says “At some point the masters will part, and you will see to which a person belongs”  You see God says “Give me your heart”, but mammon says “I’ve already given it to you, leave me alone.”  God says “Be content with what you have”, but mammon says “I want more, give me all you can”.  God says “Your time is mine, your talents are mine, your treasures are mine”, but mammon says “No, they’re MINE, ALL mine to use as I choose”. 

Jesus says “No one can serve (be enslaved) to two masters.”  You know, I’ve noticed some people don’t even like shaking hands, much less spending time talking to a preacher (and I’m certainly not God)… and they don’t like it for this reason, … they know they can’t go both ways.  To get closer to the preacher is to get closer to the way of godliness, and that brings with it a measure of accountability…. And no one wants to be known as  hypocritical!  Let me ask you, where is the EYE of your heart?  Who and what is it fixed upon?

  Jesus says “You CANNOT serve both God and money (mammon)”

Henry says “Whatever is in this world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, is mammon.  To some their belly is their mammon, and they serve that, to others their ease, their sleep, their sports, their past times are their mammon, to others worldly riches, to others honors and preferments, the praise and applause of men…”  What is YOUR mammon?  What keeps you from serving the Lord and desiring his gifts?

You can’t have YOUR cake and eat HIS too!  You cannot serve both God and money!

Prayer

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