Sermon on the Mount #33 Where Is Your Treasure?

It is a temptation we all face as Christians to separate into distinct categories the religious (spiritual) part of our life from the secular (earthly) part of our life. Obviously, there are differences that we can draw between private religious exercises (like the ones Jesus identified: giving to the needy, praying, and fasting) and public secular actions (like work, shopping, paying bills, cleaning the house, and saving money). But whatever the differences, Jesus tells us that there is a question to be answered that is common to all that we do (religious and secular): Are you laying up treasure in heaven or merely on earth?
The answer to this question will reveal to whom or to what your heart is truly devoted. The affections and desires of your heart will always be revealed by the decisions you make in life. You will make clear what you value most in your life (what are your treasures) by what you freely give to the kingdom of God or by what you merely give to your own kingdom.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is not only concerned about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees in religious matters creeping into our lives. He is also concerned about the materialism of the world in secular matters creeping into our lives.