“In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
I Timothy 6:19 NIV

There is an ancient legend about a monk who found a precious stone, a precious jewel. A short time later, the monk met a traveler, who said he was hungry and asked the monk if he would share some of his provisions. When the monk opened his bag, the traveler saw the precious stone and, on an impulse, asked the monk if he could have it. Amazingly, the monk gave the traveler the stone.

The traveler departed quickly, overjoyed with his new possession. However, a few days later, he came back, searching for the monk. He returned the stone to the monk and made a request: “Please give me something more valuable, more precious than this stone. Please give me that which enabled you to give me this precious stone!”

Jesus teaches us that the world in itself is not important, but how we exist in it and where it leads us is the important consideration. This world is not an end in itself, but a stage along the way.

Since this world is not the end of our path, we should never sell out to it, lose our hearts to it or lose our souls because of it. Richard Glover, in his Commentary on Matthew, says this: “He builds too low who builds beneath the skies.”

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Content © Rich Brott, 2011

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