Emily Lyons

Dear Friends,

If you have been following the daily office readings this week, you will know that we are in the middle of Christ’s sermon on the mount. Already we have heard Jesus teach that we should share what we have freely with anyone in need, and that we should be generous for the sake of being generous, not to win praise from anyone.

Matthew 6:24, “you cannot serve both God and money,” is unambiguous. The message throughout the sermon is clear: our love for others and for God must come before love of money and possessions.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal” seem consistent with this message.

But I find myself wondering what Jesus means by what comes next: “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven […] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

What does this store of spiritual wealth consist of? What is its exchange value? What need could we have of this store of treasures in heaven?

When I give my college students an assignment, often I will have a few that want to know exactly what they need to do to earn an A.

I think I’ve already made it clear in my assignment guidelines, and in my general expectation that my students will put forth their best effort. Nevertheless, these students want step-by-step instructions that they can follow to the letter to ensure that they’ve met my standards for “A” work.

I understand this. Poor grades can have serious implications. Still, I find it disheartening; fixating on grades distracts from the value of what can be learned in the process of completing an assignment. The discoveries and insights are the real treasures, whose worth to a student might not become apparent until years later.

I wish I could make clear to these students that there is no one-size-fits-all way to earn an A. Indeed, earning an A isn’t even the point.

Similarly, when Jesus directs us to store up treasures in heaven, He isn’t saying that we need to earn our way into heaven. We already have a treasure of immeasurable worth in Him.

In showing our love for Him by loving our neighbors, we come to appreciate the value of this treasure in our lives.

In Christ,

—Emily