Like so much of what Jesus said (and the whole Bible), this is so intriguing. And so simple.
A couple questions are easily pulled from this reading:
Today, in our area and culture, what is Treasure on Earth?
And what is Treasure in Heaven, today, December 4, in our city?
Really, what do you think these two look like in our day, our city, our lives?
I don't think Jesus is all that hard to understand, here. He's Inverting what His hearers (and more pointedly, the religious teachers of the day) were expecting from a Messiah, or Savior. Seems like they were expecting God to serve them, bless them, and validate them and their goodness.
Jesus is saying that God will come to you and bless you...but He does so out of His love, His Radical Grace, because we're in desperate need, not worthy of any good thing. And the result of God's rescue is that we will be different, be changed, be a people who, in response to what God has done through Jesus, are longing to look like Jesus.
A people longing to live and love like Jesus did. Doing that stores up Treasures in Heaven.
Let's take this teaching of Jesus at face value. It's the stuff that makes a city different.
P.S. Two cool city changing things came into view this week. One serving children longer-term, and I can't wait to tell you about it in a couple weeks!
Store up some treasure - come and serve with us! Leave a comment or contact paul@theCityChurch.us and we'll get you there.
P.P.S. I gave this talk last year about Treasure. I'm including this story in tomorrow's talk @ theCity. I re-listened to it today and got so excited, I had to post it here. Go Jesus!
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