Living Religions

RESPOND TO THIS POST IN 7 sentences

3)Matthew 6:19 – 21 quotes Jesus as follows: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Do you think that Jesus is telling his disciples and followers to give up worldly possessions, in a similar fashion to the asceticism practiced by Jainist monks and nuns? Is it possible to have worldly possessions and follow Christ as He commands? Do you think that the treasure Jesus refers to is a treasure that you receive only in the next life?
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This is an interesting passage that is definitely open to interpretation. In my opinion, Jesus is not asking his followers to be without possessions like Jainism taught previously. To me he is bringing in the idea of excess – do not hoard more than what is needed to satisfy your needs. As Fisher mentions in our text, Jesus was human but full of love for humanity, and lived a life of sinlessness (2016, p. 344-345.) Jesus lived among humans and therefore lived through a human life that he had to have possessions in order to survive. He was not greedy and did not keep things to himself and instead shared in an attempt to show the world how to live while still being good to one another. Christians are still able to have possessions for themselves and their families but should avoid putting excess into lavish things when they could be putting more effort into caring for their families, friends, and neighbors. This caring nature and not falling to sin are the treasures that are being stored for heaven, though it also creates a good feeling immediately, knowing that they have done the right thing.
The thought that keeps coming to my mind is the difference in ages since Jesus lived. The time frame that Jesus was alive was very limited compared to our current time frame. Should Jesus live again, what would be considered excess by today’s standards? A car seems like a necessity, but would he attempt to travel by bus or bike? Would he own a cell phone for communication? How would he avoid the multitude of temptations that are in the world now that weren’t present back then?

Fisher, M. P., Rinehart, R. (2016). Living Religions, 10th Edition [VitalSource Bookshelf version].