TEACHING NOTES Introduction Today we’re going to cover the part of the Sermon on the Mount that is most relevant to American Christianity. If we’re honest, this teaching of Jesus is likely the most rejected and ignored in our culture. The sad fact is that many American Christians are chasing the “American dream” of storing up money and possessions. Jesus is about to teach the exact opposite of the American dream. This show us that in Jesus’ audience there were rich as well as poor people listening. In the next section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is going expand on the 10th commandment, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, servant, animals, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” As usual, Jesus is going to take this command further and teach us how to avoid covetousness (desiring another’s life) altogether. ​ Matthew 6:19–20 ESV 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. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth = In Greek this phrase is literally translated, “Do not store up for yourselves storerooms on earth.” The Greek word for “lay up” is the verb thesaurizo, and the word for “treasures” is the plural noun thesauros. This is where we get our English word for thesaurus, which is a treasury of words. For Further Study: If you’d like to learn more about how Jesus views materialism, read and meditate on the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21). Jesus concludes this parable by saying that those who lay up treasures for themselves is not rich toward God—meaning that they have not pursued God and have no treasures in heaven. Jesus also states before telling this parable, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15) Where moth and rust destroy and thieves steal = For Jesus, it seems illogical to spend your life chasing things that are temporary. Houses and possessions decay, rust, rot, and can be stolen in a moment. Jesus is forcing us to ask ourselves why we would spend our lives chasing finite things. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven = Instead of seeking earthly treasures that are worthless, seek treasures/rewards in heaven that cannot be destroyed or stolen. Jesus will explain how to store up treasures in heaven in the following verses. ​ Matthew 6:21 ESV 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Do treasures follow your heart, or does your heart follow treasures? Yes. Ultimately, both are true. But Jesus specifically says that when we store up treasures on earth, your heart will begin to love them and eventually become enslaved to them. Matthew 6:22–23 ESV 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! The eye is the lamp of the body = We use our eyes for seeing, seeking, and focusing. What you look at and are seeking after will become your focus and will effect all of your being. Just as a lamp provides light and exposes what is present, what we fix our eyes on exposes what we love. If your eye is healthy = The Greek word translated “healthy” here is haplous, which literally means to have a single purpose. This was a metaphor for being sincere, devoted, or generous. In this context, sincere generosity is most likely the meaning that Jesus intended, since He is talking about money and possessions. If you have a generous eye, your hands will also be generous. If your eye is bad = The Greek word translated “bad” here is poneros, which is the word for wicked or corrupt. The generous eye is looking for ways to give more, while the wicked eye is looking for ways to get more. Your whole body will be full of darkness = Darkness is where things can be hidden. If we are full of darkness, then we are deceived to our own condition. We can hide our greed, jealousy, and covetousness if we stay in darkness. Are you looking for things to get or looking for ways to give? ​ Matthew 6:24 ESV 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. No one can serve two masters = The Greek word for “masters” here is kurios, which is the word for Lord. Jesus explicitly states that we cannot have two lords. We tend to think that we can have two lords, but it will create issues. Jesus says we literally CANNOT have two lords—meaning it is not possible. The next line explains why. He will hate/despise the one and love/be devoted to the other = Jesus gives us the precise reason for why we cannot serve two gods. The character and will of God is completely incompatible with the other rebellious spirits, which the Bible refers to as other gods. This is why we cannot serve God and some other spirit. They are opposites in nature and purpose. Serving the god of materialism will automatically cause you to despise God. Love = Devotion: Notice that Jesus says that love causes us to be devoted. Therefore, if we love God will be devoted to Him alone. In American Christianity, success and materialism are our devotion, and God is a convenient addition. True disciples of Jesus are devoted to God and possessions are simply an insignificant addition. You cannot serve God and money = Even at the surface level of our English Bible, it is clear that we cannot serve God and serve money. But the original language provides even more depth. The word translated “money” here is actually Mammon, which is the Aramaic name of the god of materialism. The root (‘mn) of this word means ‘that in which one puts trust’. Mammon was an evil spirit who enslaved people (became their lord) by leading them to put their trust in wealth and possessions. For Jesus, to store up treasures on earth is to serve the evil god of materialism. Next Week: Jesus is going to connect our desire to store up treasures with our constant struggle with stress and anxiety. We worry because we are chasing the wrong things. ​ 1 John 2:15–17 ESV 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Conclusion Today our response to Jesus’ teaching should be to examine ourselves and repent. Ask God to examine your heart and expose materialism. Repent and ask God to help you to be devoted to Him and focus on His kingdom.