Verses for Vessels
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money".- Matthew 6:19-24
In my field of work I get to travel a lot, meeting with different clients and customers in their homes or businesses. Because of the journey times in some cases, it is generally a good sign and a welcome delight when any of my customers offers me a drink of tea or coffee. “I don't mind either”, I would often say, “but coffee would do for now”. And then they would proceed to ask- "How do you like your coffee?" Choices, choices, choices. You see, these kind and generous individuals have gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable in their presence. They reckon that with me on the road most of the time, the coffee would provide some refreshment for me as well as put me at ease as I go about my business with them. On my part, I always do well to show my gratitude.
Drinks of coffee or tea; snacks-sweet or savoury; meals- bland or spicy and showers- hot or cold; choices, preferences, options. We each may choose differently and still have pleasure in our choices. And for many it is not set in stone. So it could be tea today and coffee tomorrow. Sweet today, or Savoury the next. Others still, a rather peculiar few, would want to mix them all up. One packet of sweet and another of savoury snacks, all washed down with a bottle of soft drink. Or, as some have recently dared, mixing tea with coffee for added punch! There are acclaimed benefits, though the initial taste has been described as ...terrible by some and palate pleasing by others.
Our faith walk is quite different to that. It is a serious business. The offerings that God supplies are not meant to simply break the ice or merely boost our energy levels. It is not presented for us so we make our pick a la carte. God offers us Himself, His life, His joy, His supply. The world also has its offers. But God wants us to want Him as much as He wants us. He wants ALL of us, and so desires that we want ALL of Him, with no added mixtures; no strange trusts. To want all of Him would involve our hearts and minds and sacrifice in love for Him. We become more willing day by day, to invest more and more of our thoughts, our words and our commitments in His service of love. Mary found this out, and Jesus said 'No one could take that away from her”1. She was investing her soul solely on the Words of CHRIST and by so doing she was demonstrating that she wanted as much of Him as she could ever possibly get. This was where she was willing and ready to place her real values in life. This was where her treasures lay, in Him. And such focus fostered clarity of purpose.
In the text today, Jesus urges that we store up our treasures in the most secure of places otherwise we risk losing everything to those domestic bandits; to moths and vermins. The most secure place would be in God Himself. Jesus counsels us to serve, honour, and place our highest value, in God's wisdom, help, and grace. And while some may be quick to add, “But heaven helps those who help themselves", He went on to clarify- “You cannot serve God and Money”. If you truly come to a place where you trust God to provide, you will have no fear of lack. But if that trust is absent, then the fear of lack and the insecurities that come with it can drive any soul to different levels of anxiety. It is impossible to trust Him and not trust Him, all at the same time. It is impossible to trust Him to provide on the one hand, and then have confident expectations on money from your salary, your skills, or a benefactor on the other. He wants our ultimate hope and faith to be in Him. And once we can enter this grace, we will begin to see things more clearly, from His perspective. Our whole being becomes illuminated by the grace of God. We can be bold to say, "The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?”2 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing."3 There is no need to mix things up. The Lord is good, all by Himself.
By the way, just in case you were wondering, my response to the offer was "Coffee, with cream, and sugar- just one sugar."
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for being relentless in searching out the state of my heart always. Search me again and again. Free me from every false trust and rest my heart on you and you alone. Open my eyes to see what you see in me, and what you see for me. I rededicate my heart to you, and place my inmost values in you again. In Jesus name. Amen.
References:
1) Luke 10:42; 2) Psalm 27:1 ; 3) Psalm 23:1