Perilous Peace

Matthew 6:19-34

We may never be fully conscious of our need until a crisis slams us

up against a wall...or pulls us down and under and won’t let us go

-we need peace...not only during times of upheaval...but even

during the daily struggles of waiting for test results...paying bills...

getting a speeding ticket...contemplating a move or job change

--that’s real life...and we need real peace

But just as we read Jesus’ words earlier, we usually do a pretty

crummy job of finding that peace we so desperately seek

-primarily because we have had a lifetime of practice of looking in

all the wrong places...Jesus makes those places pretty clear

--temporary treasures on earth

--money

--food and drink

--clothes

--worry—yes, worry!

---the weird thing is that we are so messed up that we

actually search for peace by worrying

---look at v. 27 à Who of you by worrying can add a single

hour to your life?

----but still we think Jesus was just a little loony on this

one and so we continue worrying...about our caloric

intake, our cholesterol, our retirement savings (or

lack thereof), our investments...whatever we try to

grab hold of that we think we can control and

therefore hold our own destiny in our hands

-----revealing just how foolish we really are

Some of you know that I am the worst at this!

-I eat every bite of food with a nutrition label flashing in my mind

--sodium...transfat...cholesterol (good or bad?)...calories...

partially hydrogenated vegetable oil...carbs (good or bad?)

-and as you might imagine, as a result I find very little joy in eating

-it’s one thing to be healthy...it’s another thing to lose perspective

and lose joy...and to believe that by obsessing over the presence

of that evil, enriched flour I can add a single hour to my life...or by

losing 1 more pound, I’ll finally reach some elusive, ideal weight

And when I lose a pound...and my resting pulse rate is around

60...and my blood pressure stays where it should be...I feel peace

-but it’s an illusion...it tricks my mind into believing something that’s

not true or real

--my blood pressure is 108 over 72...therefore I am healthy...

therefore I’m less likely to have a stroke or some coronary

event...therefore all my joyless eating has paid off...and I

really am in control...and I’ll live another 3 weeks...3 weeks

of misery worrying about whether or not pork truly counts

as a white meat

What’s really pathetic is that in contrast to me, Jesus is addressing a

crowd of people who have plenty to be worried about

-sure, a few are worried about what they will eat tomorrow

-but most of them are worried if they will eat tomorrow

-so this isn’t some hypothetical, “I-want-you-to-imagine-you’re-poor”

scenario Jesus creates to make a point in His message

But it’s not just diet and health that promise a peace they can’t deliver

-money...IRAs...house...car/truck...education...wardrobe...even

marriage and family and friends and church

--all of those things and people, Jesus says, will eventually be

unable to fulfill their promises of peace

---and our chasing after them not only robs us of peace...it

robs us of a relationship with the only One who can

envelop us with genuine peace

Many of us—me included—likely apply the words of Jesus this way:

-I worry what shall I eat: El Nopal or El Toro?

-I worry what shall I drink: Gatorade or Aquafina?

-I worry what shall I wear: Dockers or Levis?

And because those are our worries, we’re missing it

-I’m not saying it’s a sin to eat out, to drink over-priced bottled water,

or to wear name-brand clothes—I’m really not

--and Jesus isn’t saying it’s a sin, either

---instead, Jesus, as always, is more concerned with our hearts

so we’d better pay careful attention to what He’s calling “sin”

-plain and simple, it’s idolatry

Yes, idolatry…that Old Testament word no one uses anymore except

maybe when talking about the Ten Commandments

In v. 24, Jesus says it’s impossible to serve 2 things at once

-you can be a slave to God

--or you can be a slave to money...or the KJV = “Mammon”

--you cannot serve both God and “stuff”

-why?

--it helps to understand the development of the ancient word that

the KJV translates as “Mammon”

---originally, mammon was money that was entrusted to

someone else for safe-keeping

----say, I’m going on a trip and I need to protect my

money...since there is no Jerusalem Savings & Loan,

I turn to a trusted friend and ask him to watch it

----Jewish law commanded you to treat that money as if it

were your own

---over time, however, the word evolved so that by the time

Jesus is teaching, “Mammon” is now capitalized because it

refers to money someone is trusting in...in other words,

money that has become a god

And Jesus uses that word to convey the truth that it’s possible to

have true devotion to only one object, one person, or one god

-sure, we often try to be completely committed to two or more

things, but our heart can only be faithful to one

--the other huge problem is that God simply doesn’t allow any rivals

---He requires that He, and He alone, be the center of our lives

---if we allow anything or anyone to take God’s rightful place, then

we’ve made that thing or that person into an idol—a false god

-Jesus’ warning is blunt: if we are serving or worshipping anything

then we’re not serving or worshipping God

Ephesians 5:5 à For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

I want to go back to something else Jesus calls “sin”: worry

-in fact, in this short passage He says it four times: we are

commanded not to worry about the necessities of life

Why not?…because God provides what we need

-He takes the responsibility for sustaining His creation…from birds

and flowers to us

--in fact, Jesus makes it clear that you and I are far more

valuable in God’s eyes than a bunch of birds

--would you strap your little girl’s doll in a car seat, but make your

daughter ride on the hood? of course not!!!

--and it’s just as ridiculous to think God would provide for birds

but allow His own children to go without food and clothing

-the problem with worry—and what makes it a sin—is that it’s proof

of our lack of faith in God’s willingness or ability to meet our needs

As I’ve spend time studying this passage, there was one phrase of

Jesus’ message that really stuck with me like never before

-and I’m convinced that it’s the key for understanding this passage,

especially considering the affluence of our society

It’s found in v. 32 à the pagans run after all these things

-Jesus is describing those who aren’t trusting God to provide the

essentials of life

--I also think, that when taken in context, Jesus is saying that even

Christians can behave like pagans when it comes to this

---in fact, I think that’s exactly how many of us live

How do you and I act like pagans?

-when we serve money and make it our god (v. 24)

-when we worry (vv. 25, 27, 28, 31)

-when, instead of trusting God, we trust in our own abilities to meet

our needs (vv. 26b-27, 30)

-when we believe that things can satisfy our needs

-when we feel like we must have certain things or brands to make us

feel good about ourselves and give us a sense of “worth”

*when we attach value to other people based on the tennis shoes

they wear, the name on their shirt tag, the car they drive, the size

and location of their house

*when we make fun of someone or look down on them (even if only

in our minds) because they wear K-Mart shoes, Wal-Mart jeans,

or a winter coat from the Salvation Army

-when we try to make our parents feel guilty for not buying us more

expensive clothes

-when we, as parents, buy the trendy brands so our children will fit in

with the cool crowd

--it’s not wrong to spend a little more to buy quality, long-lasting

clothes and shoes

--but we must be careful we’re not unintentionally sending wrong

messages, “You look cute in this outfit.” or “You have to have

these shoes to be accepted.”

---yes, I recognize the power of peer pressure…and yes, I do

remember what it was like to be a teenager

---but it’s far more important to teach our children that they are

valued, accepted, and loved because of who they are…not

for the swoosh on their shoes

----it’s even more important for them (and us) to realize that

they (and we) are valuable, accepted, and loved

because of who we are in Jesus Christ…not because of

all the stuff we have

--we parents have to set the example for our children

---by our stewardship

---by our refusal to pursue the empty promises, not only of

advertisers, but of “things” themselves

There is nothing you can pay for that will make you happy—nothing!

-we’ve all tried it or at least thought about it…a new car, a bigger

home, the right wardrobe, a nice vacation

--but when the newness wears off and the reality of the mortgage

or the credit card hits us…we begin to grasp the idea that we’ve

just been chasing after things…pursuing empty promises

A few years ago I told you about the action figure named Invisible Jim

-no kidding…

--in Great Britain you could pay $5 for an invisible toy

-the American company behind “Invisible Jim” says it’s the perfect

toy because it encourages children to use their imaginations and it

doesn’t take up any room

--a store spokesperson said: "When we got the first shipment we

weren't sure that it had arrived. The worker who unpacked it said

we'd got the packaging but not the things inside.”

-among other qualities, the box up says the doll has “realistic fake

hair” and boasts “Invisible Jim. As not seen on TV.”

At least they were being honest about what they were really selling

-how long will it take for the rest of us to see…

--when you buy the biggest, baddest SUV, you’re really paying for

“invisible macho image”

--when you buy the most hip jeans, you’re really paying for

“invisible conformity”

--when you buy the most expensive tennis shoes, you’re really

paying for “invisible cool

-all of those things are invisible because they cannot be packaged

and sold at the mall…despite the attempts of advertisers

A Nike swoosh on your shorts can’t make you run faster, jump

higher, or shoot better…it just lines Michael’s and Tiger’s pockets

A Mercedes can’t give you lasting satisfaction and fulfillment

A cologne can’t attract a man or woman of substance…I mean, do

you really want a person to like you because of some chemicals you

spray on your body?

We’re chasing empty promises…and will always wind up…empty…

So what’s the solution to this “plague of the pagans”?

-Matthew 6:33 à But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness,

and all these things will be given to you as well.

--notice that it begins with the word, “but”…that’s because seeking

God’s Kingdom and righteousness first stands in sharp contrast

to what the pagans are doing…chasing after things

---we’re seeking only one thing: life in God or life in “stuff”

For the Christian, everything hinges here, on “first things first”

-if we don’t seek first His Kingdom and the righteous life He desires

for us, then we don’t seek it at all

--it’s important to see that Jesus doesn’t command us to sell all we

we have and give it to the poor…He commands us to seek first

God’s Kingdom and His righteousness

--Jesus doesn’t command us to tithe… He commands us to seek

first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness

--Jesus doesn’t command us to sell our baseball card collection

and give the proceeds to the building fund… He commands us

to seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness

Sometimes we wish Jesus would have said, “Give me 15% of your

pre-tax income.”

-that we can calculate…and we can determine paycheck-to-

paycheck how we are doing

Instead Jesus gives us a higher standard

-make Kingdom things, the things that are eternal…and living a

righteous, Christ-like life…make those things your single priority

We hear empty promises every day

-but a long time ago God made a promise through the prophet

Isaiah…a promise that still stands because God keeps His word

--in chapter 55 à Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the

waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come,

buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend

money on what is not bread , and labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will

delight in the richest of fare…seek the Lord while He may be

found; call on Him while He is near.

What God offers us is genuine…He offers a life with purpose and

meaning…He offers a life of freedom because we don’t have to

chase after all of these things

Jesus challenges us to abandon the chase...today...right now

-His way of living is demanding, no doubt—no idols, no worrying—

but His way of living is truly living...

--it’s the only thing worth seeking