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“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

We can accumulate a lot of “stuff” in this world.  And a lot of this “stuff” has special meaning for us. Now, to lose everything.  I cannot imagine.  It happens.  Neither can I fathom the idea or concept of having to give everything away and have nothing.  Neither extreme sounds like a situation that I would like to be put into.  My son-in-law’s brother, Matt, is just now going through a moment in his life like this.  Matt lost everything he owned, which was a lot, in the fires in Pasadena, California last month. He had time to grab his dog and his car and drive away. 

Matt is a professional musician and had many musical instruments like guitars.  Many of them were one of a kind and collectors editions only.  Gone.  He also liked nice things… from around the world.  He liked nice clothing.  Gone.  He has spent the last month living at the house with my daughter and his brother and their family.  Homeless.  That is how he feels.  It seems very overwhelming.  At the same time, Matt says he feels some sense of peace.  Maybe even a little… free.

I called him last week to find out how he was doing and how this fire has changed his life.  I know his stuff meant a lot to him.  He said physical things really don’t mean as much to him as he would have thought.  Yes, he misses the sentimental things that cannot be replaced but he still has the memories.  However, the idea of having to go and replace the regular “things” doesn’t seem to be much of a priority.  Matt’s generation is the of the first minimalist groups in our time.  He says the more you have the more distractions we have in trying to enjoy the pleasures of life.  Obviously, Matt’s treasure or heart is not in the “stuff” of the world.  He is very thankful for the assistance and love he has received from others that have helped him get back on his feet.  He has received many gifts to help him with what he needs to move on.

For most of us, it is hard to give up the things of the world that we hold dear. But there is a distinction that needs to be made here. The Bible is not saying here, “Get rid of everything!” This exchange reveals that the rich young man was still holding on a little too tightly to his possessions to devote his life to Christ.

But there is hope, our Gospel assures us, for all of us who are sometimes guilty of putting Christ behind our possessions. “With God, all things are possible,” Jesus says. He makes it possible by passing through this earth, dying on the cross for our many worldly sins and opening a way for us through the empty tomb of Easter to live in heaven with him, where we will focus on him eternally.

The cross of Christ is a stark reminder to us all that we can’t take anything of this world with us when we die, so we must cling to Christ and his salvation if we hope to ever have life in heaven. Jesus’ life is what gives our life meaning, and not what we have or don’t have.

Once we come to understand that, our approach to the things of this world changes. Clothes become not only something that we enjoy wearing, but also something that we can, in Christ-like love, share with those who are poor or less fortunate than us. Food becomes not only something delicious to eat, but something we can donate to a food pantry to those who are hungry, serving them in their need, as Christ did.  We all know the saying, “You can’t take it with you,” and that is true, but in the meantime, we can use what God has given us in this world to bring the love of God to those around us.

So what heavenly treasures are you storing up for yourselves this Lent? It’s a good time to start building a stockpile of forgiveness, possessing merciful and gracious attitudes toward others. Other possessions to hang on tightly to are faith in Christ and trust in the promise that when this world comes to an end, he has a place prepared for us in heaven. We possess the greatest gift of all, the gift of love—love for God, love for Christ and love for our neighbor. The depth of our love will never match the depth of the love that Christ had for us when he went to the cross for us.  AMEN