THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
Where your treasure is: Mt 6,19-34
Verse 25 begins with "Therefore I tell you". Verses 25 to 34 then form one teaching linked to the preceeding sayings about treasure (verses 19-21), the eye (verses 22-23) and mammon (verse 24).
These verses make us reflect upon our priorities, the choice between God and his kingdom or the treasure of this world.
Three sayings: Mt 6,19-23
The first saying, verses 19-21, about treasure, begins in verse 19 with false treasure and then a similar (therefore parallel) line in verse 20 giving the contrasting message, storing up true treasure in heaven. The letter of James makes plain the dangers for the rich in similar terms (James 5,1-6).
The statement about false treasure is counter-cultural because in the OT, prosperity is traditionally a sign of God's blessing. The two verses from Deuteronomy (Dt 30,5.15) are typical of a theme which pervades the book: choose God and prosperity in the land will follow.
we could say that Jesus locates the land no longer on earth but in heaven. That is where the heart must lie (following 5,8, the clean or pure of heart who see God).
Today of course we see the eye as a receiver of light, not a lamp producing light as the ancients understood it (as for example, Ps 38,11 or Prov 15,10).
As with the heart so with the eye, it is the choice which matters. True treasure gives light, not darkness (verse 23), it serves God, not mammon. The evil eye occurs a number of times in the OT, not always surviving into translation.
Verse 24 makes a statement and gives a contrast. The choice is then presented: God and mammon, the traditional transliteration, that is, wealth (as NRSV).
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God's care: Mt 6,25-34
"Therefore I tell you" in verse 25 opens this teaching. What follows is clearly linked to the three preceeding sayings and gives the consequences: if we choose God, then God will look after us.
So the whole teaching revolves around the repeated "do not worry". The first two are in the similar verses 25 and 31 where concern for food, drink and clothing follow. The third "do not worry" comes in verse 34, following the positive statement in verse 33: seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness". It is clear that Matthew has put this teaching together with great care.
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The first "do not worry" then unfolds in verses in verses 25 to 30, over half of the teaching in length. As I commented, the questions are rhetorical and can speak for themselves with a bit of highlighting.
Psalm 147,9 speaks of God giving animals their food. I also suggested the manna and the water from the rock as further examples (Ex 16,4; 17,6)
Comparing translations for verse 27 will show some speaking of a longer life and others speak of being taller. Both are possible.
I've given a reference to Solomon in all hs glory (verse 29) though clothing is not mentioned there.
In verse 30, the great poem of Isaiah 40 mentions the grass withering, the flower fading. At the end of the verse Jesus says "you of little faith". This phrase occurs a few times in this Gospel and, as in 8,26 and the calming of the storm, is usually used of the disciples. Whilst they are the primary audience of the Sermon, perhaps the crowd needs to be kept in mind as well. Thus "you of little trust" may be a better way of putting it.
In verse 32, some translations speak of Gentiles, others of pagans. The Greek word is "ethne" (which becomes ethnic in English), meaning nations. It just refers to non-Jews here. At the end of the Gospel (28,19), it is the nations who are to receive the Gospel.
Verse 33 forms a climax with its two halves, God's kingdom, his righteousness, meaning much the same: we must seek God's saving activity and make it a priority ("first") in our lives.
It is with that saving activity of God, we need to live each day. Christian life is one day at a time, "O that today you would listen to his voice" as the psalm puts it.
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8th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mt 6,24-34
This Sunday's Isaiah passage could hardly be shorter but it is a unit within the second, exilic, part of Isaiah. The use here of maternal images for God is a reminder that our human language is but a weak means of attempting to speak about God. We need to remember that God is neither male nor female while we have to use male or female language to speak about him or her as appropriate.
For many people today this female, nuturing understanding of God is so important when the rather stern judging male image of God has been so predominant over the centuries. It is a reminder of God's care for us celebrated in this Sunday's Gospel. The psalm though recalls not the God of mercy but rather the God who is a rock, a stronghold. It's a more masculine image, perhaps it was chosen as a balance.
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