“Tests and Treasures of the Heart”
Luke 18:18-34
“How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom. For 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.” – Luke 18:24-25
If tests of the heart can be measured by the amount of teaching that Jesus did on a topic, then money would be at the top of the list.
Jesus spent a whole lot of time warning about money and possessions. The height of His instruction came when He said, “No servant 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.” [Lk 16:13]
Our passage before us is about a young man who was faced with such a dilemma. “Do I side with Jesus or my possessions?” Unfortunately, he sided wrongly, but the warning is for us as well. The rich young ruler “became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.” [Lk 18:23]
Over the last several chapters of Luke, there has been an emphasis on our Lord’s teaching. Jesus taught by many parables and paid particular attention to the challenges of living by faith. Living by faith would not be easy. But faith is the fundamental key to salvation and spiritual growth.
The Bible says, “the righteous shall live by faith” [Ro 1:17], and “without faith it is impossible to please God.” [Heb 11:6] But there lies the challenge. Our natural inclination is to live by sight. We are drawn to the things we see, touch, and feel, like our jobs and homes and bank accounts. But these are the world’s treasures, not God’s, and the world’s treasures do not bring eternal life and peace.
“Riches are of no value on the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” [Prov 11:4]
At the end of the day, you are either for the Lord or against Him. There is no middle ground when it comes to Jesus [ref. Mt 12:30; Lk 11:23].
We would do well to reflect on this message today. Are we living for God or are we living for someone or something else?
Because the fact of the matter is that the investment of our time, energy, and money reveals our heart.
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” [Mt 6:21]
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Lord, renew our hearts for You.
