Building Treasure
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21
September means many things in our culture. It’s back-to-school time, which means different things to parents and students. The beginning of fall with foliage and color. The cider mills and pumpkin farms are open for business. A new thing has entered our lives, which is the pumpkin spice phenomenon. Personally, I’m not a fan. It’s also football season. Here, I’m a HUGE fan, which most of you know.
Football season in Western New York is special. The bond that folks share over the Bills is wonderful to see. There is an energy and camaraderie that makes strangers instant friends. People proudly wear their blue and red gear as well as decorate their cars, homes, pets, and anything else. Bills Mafia has done amazing things in the community, also. It’s almost as good as Steeler Nation. (Okay, I owe you one for that).
People invest significant time and energy into tailgating and watching a game. The amount of money people will spend on tickets, t-shirts, and other things Bills related is staggering. As I said, it’s a great shared experience. However, it does raise a question that I hope all of us might wrestle with this upcoming season. That is, “Would a person looking at your life from the outside say that you’re more passionate about a sports team or Jesus Christ?” Even non-football lovers have examples of things that would qualify instead of the Bills, like a favorite hobby or entertainer. Have you seen the mania around Taylor Swift this year?
Clearly, it’s not for me to judge how people express their love for Christ. Having a favorite band or team is different than being a disciple. However, the amount of time, energy, and money spent on the teams and sports so many of us love over the next few months does raise powerful questions of faith. Do we show similar kindness to strangers away from rooting during games? Will we share a story about a great thing Jesus did with the same energy and ease as we’ll talk about a Josh Allen touchdown pass? Would we be willing to rearrange schedules and finances to support a ministry at church the same way we would to go to a game? How much harder is it to say “I’ll pray for you” than it is to say “Go Bills” to your neighbor? These are just a few.
The Bible passage above challenges us in many ways. Building treasure in heaven is simple and free. It comes from loving God and our neighbors in tangible ways. We have no problem showing how much we love the Bills (or Steelers or Taylor or anything else). We joyfully give our time, energy, and money to it. This year let’s be more purposeful about showing the world our true passion and the One who really has our hearts.
Pastor Scott
