TREASURES OF THE HEART

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-21; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 12:32-34

INTRODUCTION

In June of 1971, when I married Barbara who worked for Citibank in New York City, it was a great relief to me to turn over to her most of the financial transactions in our family. Back then and still today, it was and is something akin to what another man had to say when a friend asked him “How do you keep peace in your marriage?” “Oh that’s easy” he replied. “We agreed from the beginning that I would make most of the major decisions related to international trade and world peace, while my wife would take charge of how we managed and spent our money.”

So I confess to you this morning, that over the past 33 years, as I have focused my attention on theological, philosophical, ecclesiastical and eternal issues, Barbara has handled the practical matters of filing our income tax forms, taking care of the monthly bills, making our mortgage payments and balancing the checkbook.

But when it comes to deciding what we will pledge to the ministry and mission of this church, that is a mutual decision which we make together. And that is what I hope and pray all of us will think about today – the stubs of our checkbooks which reveal the real “Treasures of Our Hearts.”

I

Dr. Halford Luccock, who taught preaching at Yale Divinity School a generation ago, believed that the stubs of our checkbooks were far more important than we might imagine. In commenting on a biography of the Duke of Wellington, Luccock asked the question “What would be trustworthy evidence of the kind of man Wellington actually was?” He answered that “He found such unimpeachable evidence when he came across the stubs of Wellington’s old checkbooks.”

Then Dr. Luccock went on to say this: “What could be more trustworthy evidence about us than the stubs of our checkbooks? For there is the evidence of what we really care for…so if someone took a close look at your expenses, would it show that ‘this is the checkbook of a Christian?’” (From “Unfinished Business” by Halford E. Luccock, Harper and Brothers, New York, 1956, page 127: “The Stubs of an Old Checkbook”)

If you read the New Testament carefully, you will discover that Jesus talked more about the stewardship of our money and possessions than almost any other subject. And in today’s gospel lessons, we can catch a glimpse of the truth from Jesus’ own point of view.

The texts from Matthew and Luke are nearly identical, wherein Jesus tells us that we should not cling too tightly to the gifts we have received from God: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19)…instead, sell your possessions, give alms and do not let your purses grow old (Luke 12:33). And both passages conclude saying that Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Now there was a time when I wondered why Jesus didn’t put it just the opposite way – “Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also.” But 32 years of experience in the ministry has taught me that while the intentions of our hearts might be good, we don’t always give as much as we could.

I like the old story about a rural Baptist church that was having a hard time meeting its budget. On a Sunday morning, the preacher suggested that a special offering be taken, and recommended that the elected leaders of the congregation set a good example by being the first to make their contributions.

At that moment, he looked straight into the eye of one of the most affluent and yet least generous members of the church. She hesitated, and then said with reluctance, “I’ll give a thousand.” Just then, a small piece of plaster fell from the ceiling and hit her on the head. “I’ll make it two thousand” she said, and someone in the back of the church bowed his head and prayed out loud for all to hear: “Hit her again, Lord, hit her again!”

That old story probably isn’t true, but it makes the point I want to convey to you – that the heart might be open and somewhat inclined, but the stubs of our checkbooks are still the bottom line when it comes to those things which are of greatest value to us. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also, said Jesus.

So as we begin this Annual Giving Campaign, I want to ask you to think, to examine and to pray about the way you allocate your resources…and then to consider this question: “In response to all that I have received through God’s grace, how much of a pledge does He call me to make to support the ministry and mission of this congregation?”

II

That question leads us to the gospel of Mark, where we encounter a man who was facing that same situation. He came to Jesus and began the conversation, asking Him Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Summarizing the commandments, Jesus answered Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.

Looking Jesus in the eye, that man replied All these things I have observed from my youth. And whether or not that was the truth, the Bible says that Jesus looked back at him through the eyes of love and offered an invitation: Go, sell what you have, give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven…then, come follow me. And Mark concludes that the man walked away in sadness, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:17-22)

Now here’s the point: when we consider the question of how much we should pledge to the Annual Giving Campaign of this church, the biblical answer is “ten percent, which is a tithe of our resources.” You can calculate that by the salary you make, the income you take from your investments, the amount of your entire estate or ten percent more than what you pledged last year – before or after taxes, either way is ok.

But Jesus and that man weren’t talking only about money. They were talking about sacrificial commitment and what the Lord requires from those who desire to follow Him and to reach out to serve others. It’s not what Jack Benny used to joke about – “Your money or your life.” Just the opposite – it’s about the sacrificial commitment of both your money and your life.

Years ago, the Reader’s Digest ran a story about a young girl who needed emergency surgery. And because she had a rare blood type, the doctors said it was essential to have a supply of plasma available if the operation was to be successful. The only donor who could do it was her ten-year-old brother.

The doctors and the parents explained the situation to him, saying that they had to extract some blood in case his sister needed it. The boy thought for a moment, and then consented.

Surgery was scheduled for the following day, and the boy was brought to the hospital early in that morning. His mother and father stood beside him as he lay on the table and the needle was inserted. He watched as the plastic bag slowly filled up with blood, and then he looked at his parents and the doctors and nurses and asked them, “How long will it be till I die?”

You see, that boy had not understood what they told him the previous day. But he knew his sister needed blood, and he was willing to give his life for her.

Well, as you know, we are sponsoring a health fair today, including a blood drive to find a matching donor for a bone marrow transplant to help save the life of our dear sister Rev. Murphy Davis from the Open Door Community. I hope and pray that you will go to Fifield Hall following the Benediction today to find out about how you can get involved.

CONCLUSION

In fact, there are a myriad of ways that you can get involved in the worship, work and witness of this church, and the Annual Giving Campaign helps us to become more aware of what needs to be done and to focus our attention on the things that matter the most and not to worry about the things that matter the least.

So, on this Stewardship Sunday, as we consider these opportunities for sacrificial commitment – to give our money, our time, our energy and even our blood to reach out to others – let us remember that we have all been called to follow the One who gave His life and shed His blood for us.

His name is Jesus, and His love is alive and at work in this world, just as it was long ago when He said to those first disciples as He says to us today, Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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