Ash W. Mat 6:16-21 Christ our heavenly treasure.
3/9/11 thief who steals from God, and who fancies himself a nobleman
This evening begins the Lenten season in which we have
much more opportunity to attend church, to hear of our God and
Savior, and to return praise to Him in prayer and in the singing
of hymns. Tonight, especially, it is customary to think of this
verse: Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,
till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken:
for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. This is the
curse upon sinners. We must labor in great difficulty to get
bread, and we very soon will die and return to dust because we
are sinners. This ought to have the beneficial effect for you that
you repent of all sins, especially of those sins that you know.
For if you instead continue smugly looking to indulge some sin,
some evil lust, then judgment day may spring upon you
unawares, so that you are cast into hell, because you were not
repenting, but continuing without sorrow in your sins a little
while, thinking that you could repent later. Jesus tells us that if
Luk 12:44 a servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his
coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens,
and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46 The lord of that
servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at
an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and
will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Therefore we consider a text this evening from Jesus’
sermon on the mount in which he preached the law so severely
to the lazy unbelieving hypocrites who crowded around Him.
Let us learn to repent of all sins. Pro 6:26 For by means of a
whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the
adulteress will hunt for the precious life. 27 Can a man take fire
in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one go
upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? 29 So he that goeth
in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be
innocent. Our Lord Christ condemns not only outward and
coarse sins, such as the sin of adultery, but also of the inward
desires of the heart. Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart. Repent of all sin. Do not
try to defend even the least evil that we see within ourselves.
Instead of clinging with our hearts to some sin, and
defending it as if it were innocent, we ought to be clinging to
Christ Jesus. He alone is our Savior. He did not fail to fulfill
any of these commandments, no not even with His heart. He
also suffered and died on the cross to redeem and save us from
the sufferings of hell. He is our treasure. Let us hear of Him,
and believe in Him, and delight ourselves in the Gospel. We are
not so secure in the church that we do not need to repent
continually. Take the example of Judas as a dire and urgent
warning. Judas, had a really good pastor. He had an honorable
job. He was selected by Christ himself to be an apostle, a
disciple, and a seminary student. He was entrusted with the
responsibility of being the treasurer for the ministry of Christ
Himself. But his heart began to turn away from God. That
seems like a very small sin, one that is unnoticeable to others.
As treasurer, he began to think too much about money. He
began to behave as if this money was his, since he controlled it.
He mused about how much good he could do for the poor. He
used that as an excuse to heap more money into the treasury, but
really he wanted the power and the control of the money for
himself. He began to think that the treasure in the church was
this pot of money. He began to use that money for himself,
rather than for the purpose of the church. He had become a
in the goods that really belong to God. (Joh 12:6) When Judas
tolerated even a small and invisible sin in his heart, it eventually
grew to such an extent that he even betrayed his Lord Christ
unto death.
Let us, this night stir up real sorrow over all our sins, but
especially for those things that we know about, that we do not
fool ourselves with the thought that our sins serve God, when in
reality they lead us to steal from Him, to betray Him, and kill
Him, and all who believe in Him. That is where impenitence is
leading, as we see very clearly in the case of Judas. Therefore,
I. Examine your hearts, and repent of all sin.
Our text speaks of fasting, which means, doing without
something that you would like to have, but that you should not
have, because it glorifies and honors God for you to do without
it. There are many times that Christians have to do without
things, because they know that this is God’s will. For example,
there are times when we cannot eat, even though we are hungry,
because it would interrupt an opportunity to study a Bible
Lesson. This is a real fast-of food. But there are other kinds of
fasts too. Before marriage, the Christian has to do without
sexual gratification, because it would be adultery or fornication,
which is sin. There are also such times for married people, due
to illness, etc. There are also times when Christians must avoid
marrying or even dating someone because parents do not
approve, or because it would harm your faith, or your ability to
instruct your children. There are also times when you must
resist joining an argument, because you know that it would hurt
your ability to bear witness to Christ and to the Gospel. There
are times when you cannot pray with people whom you would
like to pray with, because they are not yet in
agreement/fellowship with you. These are real fasts, which God
and conscience observe.
At whatever time then, that you have an occasion for such a
fast, our text urges us that we should not only do without what
we would like to have, but also that we should do this with a
cheerful face, and we should do it secretly so that nobody is able
to think more highly of us because of it. Whatever you do for
any earthly reward is not worship of God. Even though the
thing itself be most honorable, if you do not do it cheerfully, but
are unwilling, complain, or murmur, or if you take pleasure in
others observing you and thinking more of you because of it,
then it is spoiled. It is not really a good work, but it is a sin.
Your heart is not perfect in the work, and therefore, you deserve
to be condemned for it, and you should repent and feel sorry for
the way that you have done even your outwardly good works.
This Word from Jesus condemns us all if we think about it.
For who can even control himself to consistently do good
works, let alone also be perfectly willing, and not even a little
proud of what you have done. For in many things, no doubt, we
can see that we have been gluttons; consuming what we desire
upon our lusts without even considering whether or not we are
sinning by doing so. But we ought to examine our behavior
according to what God says in His holy law. The very first
psalm tells us that a godly man does not follow what the
ungodly advise, nor take a stand on the behavior of sinners Psa
1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law
doth he meditate day and night. A godly person delights in
following what God says and does not forget it, (Psa 119:16),
but delights in learning what he should do from God’s Word
(Psa 119:24) The proud are full of themselves, and they indulge
in doing whatever they feel like doing, but the godly man
delights in following God’s law (Psa 119:69f). Take the
example of sinful prayer fellowship. It is very common to
pressure Christians into practicing prayer fellowship even
though it cannot be done with a good conscience. But it ought
to be a sufficient explanation if we point out that prayer is an act
of worship of God. We don’t pray to honor men, but to praise
and honor God. God is honored when I gain no advantage from
my prayer. He told me to pray in secret (Mat 6:6), and this text
assures me that God sees in secret, and that is enough for me.
Even if others do not understand that hypocrisy is deceit, or that
there is a difference in what we believe, or that we can’t pray
the very first petition of the Lord’s prayer together honestly, if
we have not achieved agreement in doctrine, they ought to at
least give the conscience freedom to honor God by prayer, not
coaxing or bullying. But we should not only know this, we
should do it, willingly, and cheerfully. We should carry out all
of God’s commandments in the same manner, simply because it
is God’s Word, we should do it willingly, and joyfully, without
being moved by any reward from men, and without complaining
about what God has told us to do.
We ought to remember our Lord Jesus Christ who has
endured this bitter cross which we contemplate especially in the
Lenten season. Hasn’t He gloriously obeyed God’s law in your
place? Hasn’t He done enough for us to be thankful when He
suffered the humiliation, and the eternal punishment of our sins
on His cross? If our worship for Him is on the right track, then
it strives to obey willingly, and cheerfully. He who shed His
blood for us will also give us a godly use and blessing for our
desires. As it is written: Psa 37:4 Delight thyself also in the
LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. And
again: Psa 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law
is within my heart. Just take up this message about the cross
into your heart, and you will find that your heart is moved to
strive, to show thanks to Him. There is no good work that
cannot be motivated by this. You deserve eternal hell fire. But
here look at Christ on the cross, suffering this for you, in your
place. See what love he has for you. He has earned heaven for
you and given you God’s good favor. So you don’t need to feel
weighed down by any works that God has commanded. Christ
has borne them for you. So rejoice in what he has done, and
hold to Him in faith. From such a mind, good works, from a
glad and willing heart, naturally flow. If we had Christ as
firmly in our hearts as He should be, we would not need to be
told to attend worship service whenever we can, for He is being
crowded out by other things. Jesus explains this clearly when
He tells us:
II. lay not up for yourself treasure on earth.
Instead of drawing near to God, our wicked hearts cling to
the goods that we have in this earth. This is the reason we do
not find time to meditate upon Christ. The love of money is the
worship of money. The love of earthly blessing is the worship
of earthly blessing. The fear of losing your blessings is the
worship of your blessings. A sad face at losing your blessings is
the worship of your blessings. How foolish this idolatry of our
worldly possessions is. We scrape and sweat to pile up worldly
possessions, and so can’t find time to hear of Christ. God, like a
kind father, wishing to give us great blessings also in this life
steps in and says: If your money and what it can buy were
really worthy of worship, then it would not become moth eaten,
rusted, or stolen. Simply because the true God cannot become
moth eaten, rusted, or stolen. Only God should be worshipped.
He does not decay this way, therefore decay is a very obvious
sign that we should not be worshipping these things.
Those who continue worshipping their earthly goods and do
not repent will have a very rude awakening. They fall into the
sleep of death where they lose all their precious pile in which
they delighted, trusted, and hoped. The rich man was clothed in
purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day… but the
man died and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes being
in torments. Luk 16:19-23. How much better blessed was the
beggar Lazarus who would have been happy with crumbs from
that man’s table, but He believed in the true God, and so woke
up in the midst of the children of faith in heaven. The same
story has been told over and over through time. Recently the
grandson of John Paul Getty died miserably, though his
grandfather had put great store in his riches, and this man
inherited them all, finally they were no benefit to his heir. Or
look at Judas at the time of the passion. What did he do with
those 30 pieces of silver? That money stuck to his fingers so
that he cast it away from him, and it is still today a sign of
shame and false worship, so well known that is repeated and
used in literature the world over.
III. lay up treasure in heaven.
Doesn’t it make sense to spend a few hours each week on
the treasures that are permanent and that remain even after this
world rots and turns to dust? Doesn’t it make sense to attend
mid-week Lenten service, and Sunday service too? Doesn’t it
make sense to hear about Christ Jesus, for a change. He is our
treasure who remains. We won’t hear about him from
television, or from movies, or from the news about the
economy, or from sports, or from housework, or from any of the
great and glittering riches that we pile up here, no matter how
valuable they may be.
Therefore, when we hear this phrase: lay up treasure in
heaven. We ought to realize that it is speaking about
meditating upon God and what He has done for you. For then
you perceive that you have God the Father who has bestowed so
many blessings on you according to the body which you have
not deserved. Your mind turns to Christ, who He is, and what
He has done for you to save you in this earth. How much He
has spent, How much He has done. And so your heart begins to
hope for heaven, and to consider how much better it is to have
Christ in heaven, ruling all things, and drawing you to Him.
You treasure all He says, for where the Gospel sounds forth in
Word and Sacrament, you have a divine and blessed gift from
heaven. It comes from the throne of Christ and draws you
through faith, securely to eternal blessing. Treasure all whom
Christ sends to you, such as believing Mother and Father,
children, pastors, teachers, your brethren. Be thankful for the
fact that Jesus has created these anew by His Word, and has
made them so kind, selfless, welcoming, such good
companions, who keep you on the right road, remind you of
Christ, and strengthening your faith applying what Christ says
to your situation, so that the Word of God abounds in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs. May God continually visit us
with the heavenly treasures that abound in the news of our dear
Savior Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Mat 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not,
as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance:
for they disfigure their faces, that they
may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say
unto you, They have their reward. 17 But
thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine
head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou
appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy
Father which is in secret: and thy Father,
which seeth in secret, shall reward thee
openly. 19 Lay not up for yourselves
treasures upon earth, where moth and rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves break
through and steal: 20 But lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves do not break through nor
steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also.