Jesus states clearly the most important commandments in all of Scripture: love of God and love of neighbor. These are the only treasures in the life of a Christian. Everything else should be subservient to those values and goals. God invested centuries cultivating an exclusive relationship with Israel, always insisting in the abandonment of all other idols. While God is faithful and constant, we tend to be whimsical wanderers when it comes to love.
In these modern times we consider ourselves to be living beyond the consideration of idols. We no longer call our idols Baal, Odin, Ra, or Zeus. Yet our modern lives are full of idols: greed, power, titles, money, education, pleasure, pride, house, car, material goods, esteem, the latest style, and even our own selves. These vices and sins lead us to more serious vices and sins. Mortal sins lead into a tangled spider’s web full of more sins and vices. Jesus is speaking today about how greed leads us into that deep darkness. How many personal conflicts and international wars are based on greed and power?
It seems the human heart shrinks when it is full of things, vices, and sins. It becomes something small and centered on itself. A small heart does not see nor take into consideration anything else but its insatiable need for more. We become slaves to things, slaves to our false idols. When the human heart has as its only center love of God and love of other, it becomes larger. It becomes an expanding, explosive center of love that encompasses all of creation.
Take time this week to evaluate your life and heart. Where do you invest your money, power, time, energy? Is your answer a modern idol or love of God and love and service of others?
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
Image: https://medium.com/@apellazar/empower-your-faith-friday-of-week-11-matthew-6-19-23-fcdf4a9f272e