JESUS WOULD NOT COVET MONEY or MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
By Todd L. Baker
Jesus came to this world to save sinners. “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Paul attests to the same purpose in 1 Timothy 1:15, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” Jesus did not come to seek any material possession and He did not covet the possessions of any of His neighbors.
Jesus spent His effort spreading His Father’s word, not building a physical empire for Himself to enjoy. Jesus could have had all that He wanted on this earth in the physical sense - all He had to do was say the word, and it would have been done. However, Jesus came to this earth to save sinners, and in the process He gave up all physical blessings except the pure necessities. When a scribe declared to Jesus that he would follow Jesus wherever He went, Jesus’ response in Matthew 8:20 was, Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
When Jesus delivered His sermon on the mount in Matthew 5, He did not praise those who were famous, powerful, or rich in this life, but rather those who were poor in spirit, those who mourn, the gentle, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and those who are insulted because of Him; this hardly looks like a list of qualities and characteristics that are valued in our world! Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 5:12, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Here Jesus tells us where our reward is, it is in heaven for those who have obeyed Him.
In the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives where we are always on the go, it is very easy to forget why we are here and what the Lord really wants for us, which Peter states in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Notice that nothing is said about building our retirement nest eggs, estates, bank accounts, the number and size of our toys, how nice our clothes are, or any other physical thing. This should speak volumes to us about where our priorities should be.
Coveting money and material possessions is very energy and time consuming. We then have very little left to spend pursuing the Lord and reaching out to others. If we followed Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 6, there would be far less depression, frustration, anger, disillusionment, and lack of direction in our lives. Consider what Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, 31 – 34: 25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, or ‘What will we drink?’, or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
If we are to truly follow Jesus, we need to be sure our priorities are in the right order. Have you put your “bank account” above seeking the Lord? What reward are you putting your heart into receiving, eternal life in heaven with the Lord, or some physical thing that you can’t take with you?
By Todd L. Baker
Jesus came to this world to save sinners. “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Paul attests to the same purpose in 1 Timothy 1:15, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” Jesus did not come to seek any material possession and He did not covet the possessions of any of His neighbors.
Jesus spent His effort spreading His Father’s word, not building a physical empire for Himself to enjoy. Jesus could have had all that He wanted on this earth in the physical sense - all He had to do was say the word, and it would have been done. However, Jesus came to this earth to save sinners, and in the process He gave up all physical blessings except the pure necessities. When a scribe declared to Jesus that he would follow Jesus wherever He went, Jesus’ response in Matthew 8:20 was, Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
When Jesus delivered His sermon on the mount in Matthew 5, He did not praise those who were famous, powerful, or rich in this life, but rather those who were poor in spirit, those who mourn, the gentle, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and those who are insulted because of Him; this hardly looks like a list of qualities and characteristics that are valued in our world! Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 5:12, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Here Jesus tells us where our reward is, it is in heaven for those who have obeyed Him.
In the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives where we are always on the go, it is very easy to forget why we are here and what the Lord really wants for us, which Peter states in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Notice that nothing is said about building our retirement nest eggs, estates, bank accounts, the number and size of our toys, how nice our clothes are, or any other physical thing. This should speak volumes to us about where our priorities should be.
Coveting money and material possessions is very energy and time consuming. We then have very little left to spend pursuing the Lord and reaching out to others. If we followed Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 6, there would be far less depression, frustration, anger, disillusionment, and lack of direction in our lives. Consider what Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, 31 – 34: 25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, or ‘What will we drink?’, or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
If we are to truly follow Jesus, we need to be sure our priorities are in the right order. Have you put your “bank account” above seeking the Lord? What reward are you putting your heart into receiving, eternal life in heaven with the Lord, or some physical thing that you can’t take with you?
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