Sometimes it is a good challenge to think, ‘How would I feel if Jesus were to walk into my life, physically, right now?’ In his parable about the watchful slaves in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 12: 35–40) this is precisely the sort of thinking Jesus is encouraging. We are to be ready for action, because the master of the house may return at any minute. In other words, we are to work out what our priorities are in life, because Jesus may demand an account from us at any time.
Jesus often challenged his listeners to direct their effort and their energy toward God, and to caring for other people, and not towards the accumulation of possessions for their own sake. This week the teaching continues with the command to put our efforts into making a treasure in heaven, not here on earth. We are to make purses for ourselves “that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Purses are interesting things. I always marvel at how many things can be crammed into them, even my little phone holder is crammed with cards & ID. It’s extraordinary how people can burden themselves with so much.
In the time of Christ, just about everyone carried a purse with various useful things in it, including of course money. Jesus tells us that it would be good for us to make for ourselves spiritual purses – with spiritually useful things in them – and especially with treasures that will not fail in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. The truth of that particular saying was brought home to me when we were burgled a few years ago. The thief struck during the middle of the day, when we hadn’t bothered to put on the alarm, and Mrs McCall came home to find a window broken and stuff missing. I think the burglar might have been disturbed, because he or she only took an iPad, a Kindle (which I suspect they must thought was an iPad mini, because how much money would you really get for a device that is really just an electronic book?) and, annoyingly, Mrs McCall’s handbag: annoying, because it meant we had to cancel all the credit cards, and order new cards, as well as a new driver’s licence, Zoo membership etc. etc.
Our so-called “treasured possessions”, how permanent are they really, when you think about it?
Jesus urges his listeners not to waste their time with treasures that wear out. Obviously, we need some money, but in the end true meaning is life is to be found in a different area: through our very being, who we are, and also through our actions, especially the way we treat others.
There is a delightful story about the apostle Thomas, who obviously took this teaching of Jesus to heart. The story is told in the apocryphal Acts of Thomas, which tells how Thomas was sent by Christ to India. Thomas was employed by the local king Gundaphorus to build a new palace, and Thomas was given money to buy materials and hire workmen. Thomas gave the money to the poor, but always assured the king that his palace was rising steadily. Eventually the king became suspicious when Thomas kept putting off his requests to see the work in progress and finally sent for Thomas.
“Have you built my palace?” he asked.
“Yes,” Thomas replied.
“Then we shall go and see it now,” said the king.
Thomas answered: “You cannot see it now, but when you depart this life you shall see it. I have built you a palace in heaven by giving your money to the poor and needy of your kingdom.”
Somehow Thomas survived intact and eventually Gundaphorus became a Christian, along with many others. This is what God is calling us to do in our lives, building up our treasure in heaven.
The Reverend Dr Theo McCall
School Chaplain
