Is Your Treasure Big Enough?

Scripture Introduction:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...”

Last week Jesus told us about a wealthy farmer who was blessed with an abundant crop. Mo money, mo problems. And so he decided to fix this little conundrum by building bigger barns. Then he’d store up all this grain and finally could rest, he could finally eat, drink, and be merry.

Where your treasure is—there your heart will be also. Where was this guys treasure? It was clearly in stuff wasn’t it. And Jesus told us about this farmer to give a bit of a parable for a guy in the crowd who said, “tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Where was that guy’s heart? What was his treasure? It was on stuff.

We also saw last week how anxiety is connected to all of this. Where your treasure is—there your heart will be also. And if your treasure is something that is on shifting sand then wants going to happen to your heart? If your treasure is fluttery and not stable and requires anxious toil and can be taken from you in a moment…then what do you think is going to be happening to your heart?

But it’s not just anxiety that is connected to the treasures in our hearts. There is also a way in which we live that is connected to this. We’re going to hear a story in a moment…very much connected to the guy wanting an inheritance, connected to the wealthy farmer, connected to the anxious disciples, connected to us....and in this story we’re going to see a couple different ways to live. See as we listen here if you can discern…where are their hearts? What is their treasure?

READ TEXT

Luke 12:35–48 ESV

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Sermon Introduction:

There are a few things in this passage that I think can be a little difficult. For one, the way in which the master treats his servants can be a little unsettling if we immediately connect them to the Lord. I think hearing language like this for some folks can provide a particular trauma response.

It can sound almost foreign from what we saw last week about the God who delights to give his kingdom. This sounds more base. Do what he tells you or he’s going to beat you.

Now I’m not going to deny any element of God’s wrath or that there are consequences to our disobedience. This is a hard word. But I think we need to cut away a little bit of brush here so we can actually hear what Jesus is saying.

This is another one of those places in Scripture where its a bit unfortunate that we have a section break in many of our Bibles. I think it causes us to think that Jesus just all of a sudden is talking about something different. As if he’s saying...

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also…oh, and by the way…be ready for my second coming.”

Does that not seem a bit strange to you? Second coming? Where in the world did that come from? How would his first audience have heard that? He’s only just recently hinted at his death. I think it’d be really strange for them to immediately hear this and start thinking about Jesus’ second coming.

Now is he speaking of his second coming? I think ultimately, yes, but I think the right in our face point here and what his first hearers would have heard and thought is principles of stewardship. So it’s important for us to hear what they are hearing…that’s what I want to do this morning then. I want us to try to navigate this passage…get the key point…then make a bit of application.

How is this connected to the previous?

So the first thing we need to do is get the flow of thought here…this is all tied back to the scene at the beginning of Luke 12. The crowds are gathering around, the Pharisees glaring at him. Danger is approaching…and so Jesus warns his disciples. He warns them of the lure of the Pharisees hypocrisy. It’s a safer path…but the path of integrity, though often marked with suffering, is the way of Jesus. That’s his path. That’s his road.

But then you have a guy who just cannot contain his anxious thought. He’s come to hear Jesus. Get some help from Jesus. Thinks maybe that Jesus can fix this big problem that he came here for…his brother won’t divide the inheritance. This thing has consumed him and so he blurts it out. “Jesus tell my brother what to do...”

Jesus refuses to place himself in this role but uses it as an opportunity to get into the depths of this guys heart. To help him see that he’s aiming way too low and that the Father aims to give him a kingdom—why is he so anxious about his possessions in this one?

And so to do this. To help him. To help his disciples and those first hearers…and to help us even today…Jesus tells a couple of parables. He tells us about the rich farmer and we see his heart. He’s all about possessions. And eventually what happens is this guy accomplishes his goal but his soul is required of him that very day. Hold onto that thought.

When Jesus says “where your treasure is there your heart will be also” how does that define this man? This guy is an example of what not to do. Be about the kingdom…the kingdom that the Father delights to give…and you’ll have treasure that cannot be destroyed. And it’ll firm up your heart too. That’s what Jesus is teaching them. That’s why they’ll be able to sell their possessions…that’s why they can make their fields open for others.

How does this connect to the Bible’s big story?

But this isn’t new stuff. This isn’t new for the disciples. This shouldn’t have been new to that guy asking about inheritance. This goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden and it’s really all about the story of humanity.

God planted the first couple in the Garden as his image bearers. They were to steward this image. They were to work the land, they were to be fruitful and multiply. They were to spread God’s image. They were supposed to use their God-given power to create flourishing, shalom, etc.

But what we see happened is that they turned this inward. They used this God-given power for themselves. They snagged that fruit from the tree…a power grab…and they took and they ate. And ever since we’ve had all sorts of jagged edges on things. Stuff isn’t how it’s supposed to be. Power is turned inward. We have idolatry and injustice all around us.

But each person born is still created in the image of God. We are still given some since of this power. And this charge is upon us…flourish, be fruitful and multiply, be the image of God. Love God. Love people.

And so take that into this story…you’ve got the wealthy farmer—how is he stewarding his life? What is he sharing about the image of God? Is he creating flourishing for others? Is he leaving his fields open so that others can glean? Is he properly using the power that God has given him? Is he creating or is he destroying? What is he doing with his life?

It’s turned inward, isn’t it? It’s all about him. It’s about his possessions. But there is a different way to live when our treasure changes…when our delight changes...when our hearts are set on delighting in God’s kingdom and we learn that God delights to give that kingdom to us…it changes everything. And it also changes how we steward our lives…and that’s what Jesus is saying here in this text that we have today.

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning...”

Connect that to the guy with the bigger barns. He wasn’t dressed for action. He wasn’t keeping his lamp burning. He didn’t even have a principal of his master coming to give an account…and so that’s why the text almost reads as if he’s shocked...”your soul is required of you this very day.” To use the language of today’s verse “the master has come back...”

And that’s why I think it’s important for us to not just read this as a second coming type of thing. There are all sorts of “the master coming” moments. Even daily the Lord calls us to be and to do and to reflect His glory and be image bearers. Yes—the ultimate expression of this would be at the Lord’s second coming…but this text is about perpetual readiness because you could be called by the Lord to give an account at any moment.

Let’s ask the treasure question of these servants. The master is going away. They have no idea when he will return but they want things to be ready for him when he returns…they don’t want the lights out. Why? Because he is their treasure. That’s why you stay ready…because you want to please the Master.

And you don’t know when he is coming…if you get lax and think “ah, a thief will never come and take this”…then you’re opening yourself up to getting everything stolen. In the same way if you get assuming that Jesus isn’t going to return, that he isn’t going to call us to account, then we won’t be ready. Yes. Jesus could return at any moment. But we could also die at any moment. And furthermore that thing that Jesus is calling us to do could be needed in this very moment. The character that you were supposed to be planting into the ground—this moment could be where you are called to rise to the occasion. If you haven’t been sowing—then you aren’t going to reap.

About Those Beatings

Then we’ve got Peter who steps in and says...”so are you talking about us here…or is this thing applying to everyone else...”

Now listen to Jesus’ answer. He gives another illustration. And I think we can stumble over this because it sounds harsh to us. It’s kind of foreign—thankfully—to our way of thinking about stuff. But it wasn’t foreign in Jesus’ day. He’s taking a contemporary illustration and he is applying it in such a way that will answer Peter’s question.

So let’s sum up that first part…the part before Peter’s question. Live a life of integrity, always. Always be ready to give an account, you never know when the Master is going to come. If you treasure him—that’s a non-issue. You long for his return. If you’re just trying to “look busy” then you aren’t going to sow a life of integrity.

Be ready always. That’s what is meant by that.

So Peter says, “this be ready always thing…does that apply to just us…or you talking to these other dudes as well?” Now the illustration.

You’ve got a faithful and wise manager…put in charge of the master’s business. And when the master returns he finds this guy is doing exactly what he was told to do. So let’s take something like Micah 6:8

Micah 6:8 ESV

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

He is reflecting God. He is loving others. Doing justice. Creating flourishing for others. Relating to God. So what does the master do? He returns the favor—he let’s the guy enjoy “their portion of the food at the proper time”.

But then you’ve got the other servant. He says, “my master is delayed in coming...” and so what does he do. He turns that on its head. He doesn’t create flourishing for other people—he beats them. He uses people. He eats and gets drunk. (Not an accident that we have similar language to the guy with the barn). How does the master respond? He cuts him off…he returns the favor. Marks him among the unfaithful.

But we’ve got two more people here. And they are important for answering Peter’s question. There is also one who knew his master’s will but he didn’t do anything. This guy isn’t abusive…he’s not doing the opposite of his call…he’s just doing nothing. I suppose this guy is somewhat better than the guy who turns God’s call on its head…this isn’t outright abuse…but it’s still disobedience and it still harmful and it still receives punishment.

Those who work in fields where they are trying to see justice happen…say someone who is working in India trying to end their trafficking....there is a principle called the 15-70-15 principle. In most of these situations you have 15% of people who are ‘incorruptible” these are the people of integrity. Those who are about creating flourishing for others. Then another 15% who are the “overlords” these are the bad dudes. The ones who are about preserving their way of life. The ones who are about self-flourishing. Then you have 70% of people who are really neither fully. One observer had this to say:

“The society is shaped not so much by the choices of the incorruptible 15 percent, nor by the corrupt 15 percent, but the wavering 70 percent—the ‘underlords’ who forfeit much of their image-bearing and image-restoring-power in others.”

That’s good news in that if that 70 percent shift just a little..then the overlords don’t stand a chance. But it’s bad news in that all an abusive system, all the overlords need, are for the 70% to say nothing and just be the status quo. And so many follow the path of this servant. They aren’t actively against the Masters will…they aren’t opposed to things like justice, loving kindness, or walking humbly with God. But they are just going to stand on the sidelines. They are just going to go with the flow. But the indictment is still there...”did not act according to the Master’s will”.

Then Jesus introduces the third guy…he didn’t know....he gets a light beating because he still didn’t do the right thing. But he wasn’t doing the opposite, nor did he actually know. Listen, if you don’t know about an injustice—or you just legit don’t know or understand what is going on—you are going to be judged differently.

Now you might think…well then ignorance is bliss. I’m just going to bury my head in the sand. I’m going to pursue just staying out of everything and not putting myself in a place to where I have to know. The only problem with that…is that your strategy is evidence that you DO KNOW. Running from knowledge, running from truth, even inconvenient truths…is not who is in this passage.

This is here to say that the Master is fair. But how is this answering Peter’s question? Is this for us or for everybody?

“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

So what is Jesus’ answer? He’s saying this is for everybody…but it’s especially for the disciples. They’ve been given much. They’ve been entrusted with much. And so they’ll be responsible for more.

I go back to the guy with the good crop and who decided to build bigger barns with it. He’s doing the opposite of what God calls him to do. He’s taking everything that God has given him and he’s turning it inward…it’s about self-flourishing....it’s furthering himself, it’s abou this kingdom. And you can see that this is what he is treasuring—himself. His treasure isn’t big enough to captivate his heart. He needs bigger barns and bigger barns and it never satisfies. And then the Master comes and says, “so how were you fruitful and multiplying? Who did you disciple? Who did you help flourish? How do you make the world a bit more just? How did you love kindness? How did you walk with God?”

And this guy has nothing to show for it. He’s got a big barn filled with all kinds of stuff to his own glory and it’s all swallowed up as a big nothing. Is this not a bit concerning when you think about all of the blessings and resources and such that we have here. All the knowledge at our finger tips. All the resources we have. And the size of our barns.

But what happens if our treasure changes? What happens if we treasure the Master and we delight that His kingdom is better and he delights in giving to us His kingdom....that changes everything. Because that treasure is big enough to sustain us. It’s a treasure big enough to sell all your possessions. It’s a treasure big enough to captivate our attention, our affections, our lives.

Honest self-assessment. What’s my life about? For some you aren’t worried about stocking up money---but maybe it’s pleasure, comfort, approval, applause, attention. Your time, your resources, etc. are given to this thing. Even if you aren’t successful this is what you are thinking about.

Do you believe that Jesus is the greatest treasure? And your life is about others. Using the gifts that God has given you to create flourishing for others, to grow in love, to help others to see this treasure and embrace Christ.

Perhaps a time of repentance...

Call for our church family....