Tough Sayings of Jesus

Throughout this 4-part series we are navigating our way through some of Jesus’ most challenging teachings.

We believe when Jesus was teaching and saying hard things, that it was for our good. It was so that his followers would pay attention and hear his warnings and live differently in light of his teaching.

As a church, we want to take in the whole counsel of God’s word, not just the sayings we like or that make us feel good, but the uncomfortable ones too. So, we aren’t seeking to make them any easier. We want to respond to Jesus, to form our thinking and our living after his word- even the hardest ones.

Today we are unpacking a tough saying. It’s tough because we tend to like our stuff, but Jesus sees the real danger of greed in our lives.

He sees how greed pulls people away from God, how it interrupts their faith, and how the pursuit of more possessions brings with it a lot of anxiety and pain.

Will you trust Jesus in that the abundance of life is NOT found in the abundance of possessions?

In these verses He makes an explicit connection for us- The connection between our heart and our stuff

Jesus is not just giving us insider investment secrets to boost our 401K or savings account when he says to lay up treasures where moth and vermin don’t destroy- He is teaching us how to invest our focus, our affections, our attention.

This is not a prohibition against savings accounts, wise stewardship, or investments, or even having a retirement plan. Jesus is warning about the pursuit of MORE. About allowing our hearts to become fixated on more, bigger, faster, newer, nicer things.

As with so many areas of the sermon on the mount- The heart condition is the key matter at hand. So, is your heart invested in the here and now, or in your eternal destiny?

In a challenging metaphorical saying- Jesus teaches that what we are focused on- our eyes- effects or illuminates the rest of our body.

If our focus is good and generous, then our whole body will be full of light.

But if our focus is greed and self-fulfillment, how dark our condition.

Jesus moves to conclude this teaching with a definitive statement about our possessions.

Perhaps this explicit teaching made the sermon on the mount because Jesus knew we would be tempted to think we could do it. We would be tempted to think we are the exception, the talented and driven few who can handle serving money and God.

The implication of this text is not that if you love money, you will be indifferent towards God. The implication of Jesus words here is that if we love money, we will actually hate God.

For us today it comes down to this: We can have stuff, but our stuff cannot have us.

So, how do we combat this influence in our lives?


Begin by asking the Lord to show us where our treasures are.

Next, let’s practice gratitude

Finally, let’s live generously.

It has been said that “It’s possible for God to have all your money and not have all your heart. But it is impossible for God to have your all your heart and not have your all your money”

As God does His transforming work in and through our lives, we WILL be generous people.

Generous with our money and treasures yes, absolutely.

But also with our time, with our talents and abilities.

Generosity is the lifestyle of worship of a generous God.