The Bible is an
incredible book. After all, it is no less than God’s detailed communication—His
heartfelt love letter—to His precious creation, mankind.
It’s been said the
Bible is a river of wisdom in which both a mouse can wade and an elephant can
swim. This means a brilliant theological scholar can spend decades probing the
depths of Scripture, while at the same time, a third-grade CCD student can
quickly grasp the message of one of Jesus’ parables.
Unlike a whodunit
mystery novel, it is not necessary to understand every single detail of the
Bible in order to “get it.” The Bible reveals divine wisdom to its reader in
layers. Each subsequent layer of comprehension builds upon and enhances a
previous concept.
(I’m reminded of Mark
Twain’s famous quote: “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t
understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.”)
When you
boil it down, there are only a handful of basic principles taught in the Bible.
Once we understand these principles, we can spend the rest of our lives
exploring them
in more depth.
Fortunately, the
Bible contains some pretty clear summary verses that highlight these basic
themes. For example, “I am the Lord your God…you shall have no other gods
besides me” (Exodus 20:2-3). “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6). “For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
These themes repeat
throughout the Bible, not unlike variations on a melody repeating throughout a
symphony.
One such summary
verse appears in this week’s gospel reading. Jesus was teaching about mankind’s
tendency to trust in material possessions rather than trust in God. He said,
“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”
The only thing God wants
from us, the only reason He created us, is to share in His awesome love. He has
offered us His heart; He desires that we offer Him ours in return.
When sin entered the
world, mankind’s clear understanding of God’s wishes became clouded. We became
so engrossed with our own immediate desires, concerns, and short-sighted
schemes, we forgot about God’s long-term plan for us. We stopped offering our
hearts to God.
Jesus knows if we
offer our hearts to something fleeting and mortal—our possessions, our
positions, our pleasures, our prestige—then there won’t be anything leftover to
give to God.
This week Jesus is
telling us to stop and ask ourselves what we treasure most. If it’s something
material and worldly, and therefore temporary, then we can be sure we are not
giving our hearts to the one thing that matters most, God.
Here’s a little test
to see whether your treasure, and therefore your heart, is in the right or
wrong place. Think about the things you always think about. Think about those
things which are most important in your life, the things you long for the most,
the things you gaze out the window and daydream about.
Here’s the simple
test: One hundred years from now, will these important things be either rotting
or rusting?
Is your most
cherished treasure your car? Rusting. Is it your wardrobe or your summer
cottage? Rotting. Is it your stunning good looks? Well, no amount of cosmetic
surgery is going to help a century from today.
Is your most
cherished treasure the love of God? Do you focus on purifying your soul,
removing all bitterness, envy, and pride from your personality? These are the
things which last. These are the treasures which will still be sparkling one
hundred years from now, and for all eternity.
Knowing what real
treasure is—this is a key theme of the Bible. Please don’t miss it.
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