Treasure
Matthew 6:19–34
Possessions (19–24)
As Jesus continues in the Sermon on the Mount, He instructs His followers about a different way of giving, gives a model for prayer and continues to define Kingdom living with new priorities.
Kingdom priorities are totally different from worldly priorities. To be first, you must be last. To lead, you must follow. To live, you must die. To be great, you must be a servant of all.
Jesus wanted His followers to know that life and success are not defined by your possessions. Modern culture lives by this saying: “Get all you can, can all you get and sit on the can!”
While Jesus isn’t teaching against possessions, He is telling us to have the right priorities about what is of utmost importance. Don’t let your possessions possess you. It’s interesting to note that your heart follows your treasure and not the other way around. We are encouraged to deposit our treasure in heaven where it is secure and safe. What is your treasure and where is it deposited?
Worry (25–30)
Jesus moves on to discuss an area that everybody seems to deal with, and that is worry.
Jesus addresses the futility of worry. Can worry add one inch to your height? Obviously, it can’t. Corrie ten Boom wrote, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength.”
Mark Twain wrote, “Worrying is like paying a debt you don’t owe.” Dale Carnegie wrote, “Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” Jesus uses the birds of the air and the flowers of the field to illustrate God’s provision. The birds don’t worry about food or lodging.
In the same way, Jesus encourages us not to worry about the basic needs in our lives. He instructs us to observe the incredible beauty of the flowers. God knows how to dress them, and you are much more valuable than the birds or the flowers.
Trust (31–34)
Worry reveals a lack of trust in God’s provision and care. Jesus makes a profound statement in verse 32 when He says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need [all these things].”
In more than 50 years of ministry, some of the big questions I have heard are: Does God know? Does God care? Can God do something about this situation? My answer to all three questions is an emphatic yes.
The same God who knows when a sparrow falls to the ground knows exactly where you are and what you’re experiencing. He cares more than you do and in most cases, He is the only One who can do something about it. Yesterday is history and tomorrow is uncertain. Today is the gift that God has given each one of us. Worry is borrowed trouble. Verse 33 contains a foundational truth: “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”
In Philippians 4:6–7, Paul exhorts us by saying, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” That is the prescription for peace.
EDITOR’S NOTE — The Sunday School lesson outlines are provided by Lifeway.
By Don Fugate
Senior pastor of Foxworthy Baptist Church in San Jose, California
