Do you have nice things? I do. My wife generously gave me the guitar of my dreams a few months ago – so now I can’t blame my substandard playing abilities on the instrument anymore. But, that’s not the focus of this post.
I have a nice home, car, and furniture. Do you? Do you treasure your stuff? It’s hard not to – especially when it’s new, cool, or sentimental. But Jesus warns us – things of this world are temporary. They get outdated, stained, dented and stolen. Treasures on Earth will not last forever – but Heaven does. Spiritual treasures are eternal.
Am I willing to give it all away if that is what’s preventing me from giving my life to Jesus? Matthew 6:19-21 is a hard teaching – one of the most difficult – especially in America. But Jesus said I need to follow Him instead of getting more of the worthless “treasures” this world offers.
Jesus demands my focus and devotion instead of wasting my time with things that will do me no good once I die. I pray that I can do it. I know it is going to be tough – especially when your wife buys you a fantastic guitar.
I don’t think that it is taking the verse of ‘asking for a fish’ out of context, when we ask for something out of our heart like a good wife, a good job, kids, health, or even a nice expensive bottle of cologne.
Mar 14:5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
Mar 14:6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
Mar 14:7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
Yes, we help the widows and the orphans. But to think LIKE Judas Iscariot (Bob, I’m not calling you Judas, no way my friend). But others who agree with Judas in the fact that the perfume was not sold for the poor would be a more righteous act.
Luk 11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Luk 11:12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Luk 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
God is a good God and doesn’t expect us to sell our cars and take the bus or even walk to work, so that we humbled.
What Dad doesn’t want to bless his kids and provide for them all that he can?
Personally, I’m glad you have the guitar and you shouldn’t feel guilty about any blessing from him. To God be the Glory!
Scott – all of your points are well taken. We are to ask, and God will give. Money is not the root of all sorts of evil – the love of it is. Maybe it’s just about priorities and perspective. We shouldn’t begrudge people because of their belongings – we should rejoice. However, and I think you will agree with me on this, we should never let worldly possessions block our focus from the real goal.
1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”