T H E O P H I L U S

¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ²³ but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money. 

– Matthew 6:19-24

Throughout every era, our world has been captivated by narratives of wealth and prosperity. The allure of riches is a constant theme, even in today’s society where mainstream media frequently showcases fortune, luxury, and lavish lifestyles as the epitome of what we should aspire to. It might seem trite to echo the biblical warning that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10), yet it’s crucial to understand why an obsession with material wealth could lead to one’s downfall.

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

The problem isn’t money itself. In a rational sense, possessing wealth isn’t inherently evil; it’s what we value most that matters. Holding wealth is not sinful, but misplacing our worth and life’s purpose into material possessions, rather than acknowledging God as our provider, is where we falter. When money and material goods become our idols, we lose sight of what truly sustains us. When we mistake that our money and possessions are worth more than that of what God offers us.

Verses 22-23 remind us: “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

Do we cherish our comforts, our possessions, and our wealth more than our relationship with God? When faced with the possibility of sacrificing our material comforts for God’s sake, do we hesitate or rationalize our attachments? Are we ignoring the plight of those around us, those we are called to love and show generosity towards during their times of need? Our willingness to let go of our earthly possessions, or the lack thereof, reveals our true priorities and the depth of our faith.

Conversely, embracing a spirit of detachment from worldly goods can liberate us, enabling us to cling more firmly to our faith in the Lord and follow Him with greater freedom.

Jesus taught us the difficulty for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God, saying, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:24-25).

This teaches us the importance of loosening our grip on material wealth and instead, holding fast to Christ. Just as Jesus lived according to the Father’s will on earth and offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, so should we find our true worth and promise in Him alone, not in the transient things of this world.