“Let Go of Money” – Matthew 6:19-24

“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). This familiar phrase stands out in our text for today. So often I have heard it quoted “money is the root of all kinds of evil” with many people quickly jumping in to stress that it is the “love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil.” Why is that? Is it out of a faithful desire to quote the Scriptures properly? Is it out of some sort of defense of the truth? Or is it actually out of an attempt to justify money on some level? I think a lot of times it is the latter—I think we too quickly jump to the defense of money because on some level we want to justify our ways and handling of money.

Yes, money can definitely be a neutral thing—used for both good and evil. But the issue goes much deeper than this. The question is: How much of a temptress is money to you? How enticing is its allure? Money in isolation may very well be a neutral thing—but once you mix money and people, is it still neutral? I say, definitely not.

Money is charming. It tempts even the humblest with its promises of power, pleasure, and security. So many have vowed to use money for good and have eventually succumbed to the same temptations as all who have gone before them. Money has a power over humanity unlike anything else.  And we see this in the corruption it has brought to even those who are church leaders.

And what does it mean to “love money” anyway? How subtle can this love be? The Apostle Paul in our text gives us the answer: “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap” (1 Timothy 6:9). The love of money is as simple and subtle as any desire to get rich, to accumulate earthly wealth of any kind. If that desire is already at work in us—through the desire for a bigger house, a nicer car, more gadgets, nicer clothes, an easy retirement—then we have already fallen into the trap that money has set for us. We can see this desire in every corner of our society and how it has ensnared our entire culture. We see this fact everywhere: from game shows like “Who wants to be a Millionaire?” and “Deal or No Deal” to the fact that “about one-half of American adults spend $45 billion annually on some 35,000 lottery games” to the overwhelming statistic that about 20%—20%!—of all American spending is on gambling. To top it all off we are confronted with the hard reality that our entire capitalistic economy is based on the pursuit and desire for wealth.

Stanley Hauerwas, a professor at Duke, has some hard words for us:

“Christians, particularly in capitalist social orders, are told that it is not wealth or power that is the problem but rather we must be good stewards of our wealth and power. However, Jesus is very clear. Wealth is a problem. That capitalism is an economic system justified by the production of wealth is therefore not necessarily good news for Christians.”

Jesus’ own words back up Hauerwas’ bold claims: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). Jesus also spoke in one parable about how “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” (Matthew 13:22) choke his word and message. Money is a temptation that brings even the strongest to their knees.  It seductively calls out to us to gather more of it because of all the things we can do with it once we have it. Money entices us to gather more and more so that we will have the power to fulfill our desires and dreams—so that we will be secure. This leads us to accumulate wealth which Jesus plainly tells us is a trap that chokes our relationship with God. And yet money’s greatest power is that it does all this while convincing us we are somehow exempt from its appeal and we are the special ones who can handle wealth without being polluted by it.

Jesus’ clear words, however, tell us otherwise: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The fact that we store up earthly treasures and wealth is the evidence that our hearts are set upon earthly things. Storing up earthly treasures isn’t something that is done accidently—it is intentional—people do not accidently accumulate wealth, they do it purposely. Even though the intention and motive may be for so-called philanthropic and generous reasons the point remains: accumulating wealth, whether for “good” or “evil” shows that we have our faith in the power of money. Earthly treasures are not meant to be stored away and hoarded for the future—they are meant to be used daily. Think of the people of Israel while they were wandering in the desert for 40 years after coming out of slavery in Egypt. The LORD provided for them by giving them manna to eat every morning. They were called to rely on God’s daily gifts to them. And do you remember what happened when they tried to gather the manna to store it for tomorrow? It rotted and spoiled. It did so because God knows that collected treasures and goods get between you and him—they rot your relationship with him.

Therefore, it is pointless to insist that your heart is oriented rightly, while you hoard, collect, gather, and toil to build up earthly treasures, all while insisting that you don’t want to be “rich,” you just need to get all these things taken care of so you will be able to rest content. Actions speak louder than any words or verbal intention. What you work for and store up for the future tells the tale of your heart. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

And the size of one’s treasure does not matter. To think that we are free of the temptation of money and possessions because we have “less than the next guy” is dangerous. Think of Jesus’ original audience for these words. Here is Jesus addressing his disciples—men who have left everything, including their various jobs like fisherman and tax collector to follow him. These men—men who have quit their jobs and left their homes for Jesus—are the ones who are being warned about the danger of earthly treasures! Earthly treasures are so alluring that even those who are poor by all worldly standards must be continually warned about their danger.

Rich or poor, we are highly susceptible to influence from the things around us. “If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” Whatever our eyes look at, changes us. We soak in whatever we behold with our gaze. We are chameleons in a sense, because we become whatever we focus on and surround ourselves with. And we have surrounded ourselves with possessions and money. Therefore, Jesus comes to the conclusion we have been dreading: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Your intentions will most likely be very honorable—you will try to serve both God and money—and for what you think are very noble reasons. You will think that you can balance relying and trusting in God with accumulating wealth. You will think that once you have your wealth you will use it for great causes. You will think that there is no way that anyone can accuse you of “hating God” since you regularly give at church. But your actions will ultimately speak otherwise—your accumulation of the world’s goods will inevitably result in hate for God. In your attempt to serve both God and wealth, your eye will wander. Your eye can focus on only one object, and when it tries to behold both God and money, it has lost sight of God. No matter what your intentions may be, either you will love God or you will love the world’s goods. If you love God, you hate money. If you love money—if you accumulate wealth, if you want to get rich—you hate God. The words are harsh, but the line in the sand must be drawn. Jesus’ words are so hard because he cares for you so much. God and the world’s possessions are against each other because the things of this world reach for your heart. God is fighting for your heart. He knows that the world and earthly goods will fail you and lead you down the path of self-destruction.

Therefore, he calls out to you to see the dangers of these things which try to pull you away from him. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it well:

“Everything which keeps you from loving God above all things, everything which gets between you and your obedience to Jesus is the treasure to which your heart clings.”

With stored up treasures you begin to rely on their ability to provide for your tomorrow and no longer on God.  Therefore, beware of your savings account, beware of your stocks and bonds, beware of your climb up the ladder of your career, beware of your house and property, beware of all your electronic toys, beware of your retirement nest-egg—these things are urging you to store up for tomorrow, they are begging you to rely on their promise for security over against relying on God for all things.

In the face of this, Jesus’ words ring out: “Is not life more important than food?” “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Jesus is challenging you to see that life is more than the fleeting possessions of this world. But your focus can’t be on simply getting away from money and earthly possessions—those will always be around you. Therefore, you must do something else—you must fill the space that earthly possessions once had in your life with something else. If you don’t fill that space, then you will find that even worse things will soon take the place of the space once occupied by money (Matthew 12:43-45). You must change the focus of your life to the proper thing. Therefore, the question is: Where are you going to look for your source of life? Where are you going to look for meaning and purpose? Where are you going to look for security?

Jesus tells us where to look: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you as well.” Jesus is urging you to repent—to turn your eyes, your entire life, away from earthly treasures to focus on that which is eternal—God’s rule and love. That is the only place for you to find real life—in God’s Kingdom. If your focus is on earthly things then you will stumble around and grope aimlessly in the dark. Your eyes will be darkened and your path will be obscured as long as you cling to the goods of the world. But you will be in the light if you look totally and completely to God’s love in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, let go of money so that you can take hold of life through following Jesus. If you cling to money you will let go of life. But if you forsake the treasures and wealth of this world you will find the true life that is found in relying on your Father in heaven to provide you with everything you need.

Jesus has already walked this path of true humanity—he has led the way and is urging you onward. He renounced all pursuit of wealth and money. He gave up every desire to store up treasures in this life. But this stand of his was offensive to the world. The world was threatened by his condemnation of everything they held as sacred. They couldn’t stand the fact that he was going to come between them and their wealth—and so they put him to death on a cross. But God did not stand for this injustice—he vindicated Jesus by raising him from the dead and exalting him as Lord over all creation. This declared to the whole world, once and for all, that Jesus’ way was the true way of God—the way of life.

Therefore, the same call goes out to you today: Forsake the empty pursuit of money and wealth in this life. Follow the path of Jesus Christ. Give everything that you have to help and serve those around you. And as Jesus was, so you too will be raised from the dead after the world rejects you and this life inevitably fails. Throw yourself into the hands of the living God—trust him completely for all things. In Jesus he has proved to be trustworthy! Let go of your money and take hold of life in Jesus Christ. Amen.