Bible Studies in the Gospel of Matthew

Bible Studies in the Gospel of Matthew
XXIX

Matthew 6:19-34; Colossians 3:24; Luke 16:1-14, 19-31; Luke 14:33; Matthew 19:16-30; Titus 1:15-16: Almost no one lives by these scriptures which most people know well according to the letter.

Instead of living by this Word as Jesus lived by it and as He taught all His disciples to live by it, people make objections, saying (for example), “After all, you have to use your understanding and reasoning.” This is the same as saying that Jesus did not use His understanding and His reasoning.

When Jesus says not to gather treasures on earth, it is prudent of us not to do it. We are stupid if we gather treasures for ourselves on earth. All in all, it is wise to obey God’s Word. Sin makes us stupid. If we think that we have light and still act contrary to God’s Word, Jesus describes us in the following words: the light in us is darkness, and how great is that darkness!

It is foolish to gather treasures on earth where moth and rust eat them up and thieves break in and steal and where banks and other businesses go bankrupt. It is prudent to use your money daily according to the many good, trustworthy, and easily understandable instructions, and thus daily gather treasures in heaven, where no one can destroy them.

Besides receiving a reward in heaven for your good deeds, you can also win souls directly for God’s kingdom by gaining their confidence and leading them to faith.

The opposite of gathering treasures on earth and of being anxious is faith working through love. Love makes it impossible for me to gather treasures on earth, and faith makes it unnecessary and superfluous. Faith even causes us to view it as rank stupidity.

The person who has many treasures on earth has many unnecessary cares. The person who believes is blessed.

People imagine that they can serve God and mammon. However, Jesus says explicitly: “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Our imaginary light, which is really deep darkness, tells us that it is absolutely necessary to be anxious for what we are going to eat and drink, etc. However, Jesus, the true light, says: “Do not worry about your life.”

This entire passage of Scripture can be summed up by these words: “Do not worry about tomorrow!” The person who worries about the day tomorrow is foolish. He pierces himself through with many unnecessary, strong, ruinous pains and troubles.

The person who retires in the evening without his needs being met for the day tomorrow, without being indifferent and without being anxious for the next day, can safely be considered a professor of wisdom and blessedness. He rests peacefully and blessedly on his bed and gets up in the morning rested and blessed, ready to go to work if nothing unforeseen happens.

The amazing comparison that Jesus made between us and the sparrows and between us and the lilies is quite well known according to the letter. But alas! These amazing and strong words have left very little impression on most people’s hearts. When people who earn a good salary and have money in the bank commonly use expressions such as: “I can’t afford it,” it is, to put it mildly, sad to listen to.

When He who has all power in heaven and on earth, and who loves us with a fervent love and perfect faithfulness day by day and year by year, keeps accounts of what we need, then this guarantees that we can rest assured that all our basic needs will be met all the while that we seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness.

It is our responsibility to seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness as well as to perform our earthly and our spiritual work faithfully and with zeal. However, it is God’s responsibility—fully and completely, wholly and perfectly—to reward us. People also reward us, but God has the ultimate oversight. He is the Chief Shepherd, and He will always ensure that we receive our full reward.

This does not mean that we always receive according to what we think we should, and according to our taste. But it does mean that we always receive what is for our true benefit, even if it means (for example) that we do not have enough or that we hunger or freeze a little bit. God is strong; His aim is always, first and foremost, the eternal.