Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts... trying to find a way out in our faith. I'm trying to comprehend, trying to talk to God. This makes it easier for me. So many questions, so many doubts. But my God, how many things are now cheated out of faith by various businessmen different interpretations, theories and other fluff. Everyone, however, is looking for the truth. Social networks are full of absolutely incredible prayers, the meaning of most of which is that our Savior would give as much wealth, money and other material benefits as possible. For some reason, the soul and loved ones are mentioned rarely or in passing. It is extremely difficult to get through all this, as if this were some kind of additional test and test for lice. The temptation is great to take it and ask! Or maybe it’s still not worth it? Thoughts... and yet it’s better to read Scripture, and there’s a lot of interesting stuff there about wealth and other material things.
"Don't give me poverty and wealth, feed me daily bread lest, having become full, I deny You and say: “Who is the Lord?” and so that, having become poor, I do not steal and take the name of my God in vain."
(Proverbs 30:8ff.)
"And one of the rulers asked Him: Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him: Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone; you know the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal , do not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother. And he said, “I have kept all this from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing: sell everything that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure for heaven, and come, follow Me. When he heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich. Jesus, seeing that he was sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to pass through.” needle ears rather than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
(Luke 18:18-25)
“Admonish the rich in this age not to think highly of [themselves] and to trust not in unfaithful riches, but in the living God, who richly gives us everything for our enjoyment. So that they may do good and become rich good deeds, were generous and sociable, laying up for themselves a treasure, a good foundation for the future, to achieve eternal life."
(1 Tim. 6:17-19)
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break through and steal.”
(Matt. 6:19-20)
“For we brought nothing into the world; it is clear that we cannot take anything out [of it]. Having food and clothing, we will be content with that. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and into a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts that plunge people into disaster and destruction; for the root of all evil is the love of money, to which, having given themselves over, some have strayed from the faith and subjected themselves to many sorrows. But you, man of God, flee from this, and thrive in righteousness, piety, faith, love, patience, meekness "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called and have made a good confession before many witnesses."
(1 Tim. 6:7-12)
“See, beware of covetousness, for a person’s life does not depend on the abundance of his possessions. And he told them a parable: One rich man had a good harvest in the field; and he reasoned with himself: what should I do? I have nowhere to gather my fruits? And he said "This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will gather there all my grain and all my goods, and I will say to my soul: soul, you have a lot of goods laid up for many years: rest, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him: You fool! this night your soul will be taken from you; who will get what you have prepared? This is what [happens to those] who store up treasures for themselves, and are not rich in God."
(Luke 12:15-21)
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not the life more than food, and the body clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns ; and your Heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you much better than them? And which of you, by caring, can add one cubit to his height? And why do you worry about clothing? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow: neither they labor, neither do they spin; but I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like any of these; but if the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, God so dresses him, how much more than you, O ye of little faith? "Therefore, do not worry and say, 'What shall we eat?' His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow [itself] will worry about its own things: enough for [every] day is its own worry."
(Matt. 6:25-34)
Photo by Ekaterina Voronina
One evening, returning from work, dad asked mom:
Darling, have you heard that our city will host social program"Good hands"?
No, I have not heard. What kind of program? - Mom asked.
This is a charity program by coming to which a person can get help if he needs clothes and food.
“We can also participate and help people in need,” said my mother.
How can we help? - Dima’s son was surprised, having been silent all this time and listening with interest to what mom and dad were talking about.
“I collected two large bags of things that we no longer wear,” my mother answered. - Other people may find them useful. And also, Dimochka, let’s go through your toys and take them there too.
Dima reluctantly agreed, he felt sorry for giving away his toys, but he did not argue with his mother.
The next day, dad and Dima had to take the things prepared by mom to the program. Dima said:
Dad, we are already not rich, and we still have to give something away. I would also like to be rich, to have everything I want.
Dad smiled and said:
You know, son, you can be fabulously rich in God's Kingdom. But heavenly treasures will be available to those who keep the rule of God's kingdom: “Lay up not for yourselves treasures on earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Listen, I'll tell you a parable.
One day, a rich man came to the sage from afar. Entering his modest home, the rich man looked around and asked:
Everyone calls you a sage. The fame of you reached me hundreds of miles away. But answer: if you are so wise, then why are you so poor? Why do you live in such a shack? With such a mind, couldn't you earn money to have a better house? Here I live in a house with many beautiful rooms, decorated with gold, where wide windows open onto a beautiful garden with fountains. And in your house there’s even nowhere to sit!
Tell me, friend, where did you spend tonight? - the sage asked in response.
I spent the whole of last day on the road and spent the night in a small hotel along the road. This is the only overnight stay that I could find on my way to you,” the guest answered.
ABOUT! You probably weren’t very comfortable in such an unusual home for you! How could you stop there?
But this is temporary,” said the rich man. - This is not my home. I know my home is beautiful and I will return there one day. But temporary difficulties can be tolerated.
“You know, all this is also temporary,” the sage said, looking around him. - This is not my home. My Lord has prepared my home for me in Heaven. I know it is beautiful because its architect is God Himself! And one day I will definitely return there. And everything I use here on earth is temporary. So is it worth worrying so much about this temporary thing?
You know, son, the Lord has already prepared a wonderful home in heaven for every person. And we must believe that one day Jesus will return to our land and take with Him people who love Him and keep the commandments.
Hello, dad. Next time, let’s give my construction set to someone as a gift,” Dima suggested.
30. The power of attraction of the heart (Matthew 6:19-23)
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in and steal;
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys
and where thieves do not break into or steal;
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The lamp for the body is the eye.
So, if your eye is clear,
then your whole body will be light;
But if your eye is evil,
then your whole body will be dark.
So, if the light that is in you is darkness,
then what is darkness?
The message running through Matthew 6:1-18 is that true and eternal reward can only come as a result of union with God; this entails the next part of the Sermon, in which such reward is considered as the real treasure of life. The two parts carry one idea, touching at several points. True worship is opposed to hypocrisy, true wealth is opposed to greed. These couples are so often together that this must be considered as a double spiritual danger in the pursuit of righteousness; and if the righteousness demonstrated by some of the Pharisees turned out to be false, then there were rich people, whom they trusted.
With a power that weakens in translation, Jesus says: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth...” People think they are making preparations, stockpiling entire warehouses. expensive clothes, stocks of cereals or money. But moths can ruin fabric, insects and rodents can destroy or render grain unusable, and thieves can dig a tunnel under the wall of a house and steal gold, possibly killing the owner to avoid identification. All are listed here traditional ways destruction of wealth. Rust (“rust”) literally “destroys,” and this refers more to “eating” by pests than to a chemical change in the metal. James, however, in a passage clearly based on what the Lord said, uses a word specifically describing the corrosion of metal.
The double reference to Isaiah hidden in the Lord's words, which still requires further verification of some passages, refers us to earlier chapters. In the prophecy of the Suffering Servant in chapter 50:9, it is said: “Behold, they will all wear out like clothing; the moth will eat them.” In the next chapter the faith of the Slave is made a model for God's people, for which he suffers, and his words are repeated, urging them to look at the essence of eternity in contrast to the “heaven” and “earth” of the passing world order. Thus, “the people who have the law of God in their hearts,” we adjure not to be afraid of the reproaches of people: “for the moth will eat them like clothing, and the worm will eat them like wool; but My righteousness will endure forever, and My salvation to all generations.”
Once we understand the passages the Lord is referring to, his relationship to the ordinary facts of decay and loss takes on important implications. From what has been said it is quite clear that earthly wealth can perish, and only spiritual treasures are unfading; but spoiled grain or a moth-eaten robe are living symbols of something greater. They are emblems of the world to which people give their hearts; these people are doomed to destruction, like the entire world order to which they belong: they, like him, will melt away like smoke. Behind these words of the Lord is the same deep faith as that of the prophets, whose life, full of patience, could be based only on the eternal and all-conquering power of God.
Therefore, Jesus says: “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” “Earth” and “heaven,” as ordinary words meaning place, give what is said the character of a poetic opposition; in the Hebrew language the word “heaven” is a reverent synonym for God, and the expression “in heaven” means “with God.” The Old Testament speaks of God as “preserving” good things for the righteous. If they strive for these divine treasures, then they truly have “treasures with God.” But God can store up condemnations for the future, just as he can store up blessings, and it is only a person's own life that determines what will be stored up for him. Therefore, people themselves must accumulate treasures for themselves through their own actions: “Riches will not help in the day of wrath, but righteousness will save you from death.” Therefore Jacob, in the passage quoted above, says to the ungodly rich: “You have laid up for yourselves treasures for last days". While they are amassing earthly treasures through extortion and oppression, they are gathering up other supplies: the wrath reserved for them in the day of judgment; and James, keeping in mind the parable of the “day of wrath,” makes a sharp turn to the image used by Jesus. This is another example of the fact that the Gospel is replete with references, which, taken from different sources, are merged into one phrase. Paul also mentions the words of the Lord when he exhorts Timothy: “Admonish the rich in this present age, that they... should not trust in riches, but in the living God... that they do good, be rich in good works... laying up for themselves treasure, a good foundation for the future, to achieve eternal life.”
God, however, not only lays up treasures for those who fear God, but these people themselves are His wealth. “And they will be mine,” He says, “my property in the day that I will do it.” This is the essence of Malachi's message, that the true Israel are the people who "fear the Lord" and they are the ones who are written in His "book of remembrance"; the same expression that was used at the beginning of the history of the people of Israel is deliberately mentioned here. They are chosen as the desired property of God. However, they, through faith, are Abraham's seed, that is, God's true treasure, and therefore Peter writes to “the strangers in the dispersion,” who were chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ”; in the language of the law and in the spirit of the prophets he says: “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
They are the “heritage” of the Lord: a term used of Israel in former times. Paul, speaking in the language of the Old Testament to spiritual Israel, can write to the Ephesians about “what are the riches of his glorious inheritance for the saints.” If they are the Lord's heritage, then he is their Lord. “The Lord is part of my inheritance and my cup. You hold my lot. My lands have passed through beautiful places, and my heritage is pleasant to me.” These words from the psalm are Christ’s in spirit, but what is his truth is the truth of those who are “in him.” If they are the Lord's portion, then He belongs to them, and together with Asaph they can exclaim: “My flesh and my heart fail: God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.”
In light of what the psalmist said, we can feel the power of the Lord’s words: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Undoubtedly, the heart, like a compass needle, will turn towards what we truly value. None of the religious manifestations will change their direction until magnetic pole peace will remain. However, if God is our desired destiny, then our hearts will be directed in His direction; He is the only treasure that cannot perish, guaranteeing that the owners of this inheritance also do not perish. Man cannot pretend to easily attain pleasure and the realization of wealth in God; only a determined mind, as a result of long and constant work, can realize this precious treasure. “Set your mind on things above,” says Paul, “and not on earthly things. For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Life is our wealth, and it is as much wealth as our heavenly citizenship.
Christ also has his own treasure, which God has prepared for him from the beginning of time, and therefore he could pray to the Father like this: “And now glorify Me, Father, with You, with the glory that I had with You before the world was.” Sharing the glory with him will be a multitude of those who are called “to share in the inheritance of the saints in light and hope for the things prepared... in heaven,” because “Christ in you” is “the hope of glory.”
“The lamp of the body is the eye”; if the eye cannot perceive light, then the person will be surrounded by darkness, no matter how brightly the sun shines. Jesus, using a comparison, called the eye a lamp, a lamp. The world is bright for a person with a clear eye: such a person is filled with light. So it is in the spiritual sphere: sunlight God's truth illuminates everything around; but can it penetrate inside us? If not, then nothing illuminates the darkness of one’s own human nature; if this light has faded in us, then our natural darkness must become real darkness.
What can darken the eye so much that it weakens its functions? The key is in the following context: Jesus spoke of the treasure to which hearts incline; in Hebrew, however, the use of the words “straight, simple-minded” and “evil” eye have a special meaning that sends us back to Old Testament. When a poor Israelite wanted to borrow, Moses told the potential lender: “Beware lest the wicked thought enter into your heart: “The year is approaching, the year of forgiveness,” and lest therefore your eye become unkind to your poor brother, and you refuse him. ". “Unmerciful” was an eye blind to the needs of others, which saw in everything only the possibility of making money or suffering loss. During periods of siege, when famine sets in as one of the punishments for the disobedience of Israel, it may happen that a person will look at his closest relatives with an eye even more distorted, he can be brought to a state of terrifying greed: “he will look with a merciless eye on his brother. ..and he will not give any of them the flesh of his children, whom he will eat.” Possessive passion is an impulse that corrupts the eye. “An envious man rushes to wealth” (in English version- “a person with the evil eye""). Greed leads to envy, and that leads to treachery: “Do not eat food from an envious person... because what are the thoughts in his soul, so is he; “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.” On the other hand, “the merciful (in the English version - “he who has a generous eye”) will be blessed, because he gives to the poor of his bread.”
In the New Testament, the evil eye is one of the bad qualities that comes “from within, from the heart of man”; when the Master of the house from the parable reproaches the workers who were envious of those who came to work later and received the same pay as them, he says: “or is your eye envious because I am kind?” Are they greedy and envious because he is generous?
The evil eye is the result of attachment to earthly treasures, which corrupt the spirit and blind the heart. On the other hand, the “kind” or “pure, simple” eye is the eye of a generous person, whose vision is not clouded by greed, and whose mind is not torn by envy, and therefore simplicity of heart becomes an expression of generosity in the New Testament (especially in Paul).
In Luke 11:33-36 a similar statement is found in the sermon following the Lord's refusal to give a sign other than “the sign of Jonah the prophet.” The generation seeking some sign while Jesus was among them was condemned by the example of the Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba. If they weren't blind, they wouldn't ask for it; and if they did not see a living example, it was because they themselves walked in darkness, and the organ that was supposed to give them light was sick. In this context, “pure” and “bad” must have a broader meaning: they were blinded by an envious spirit more than by stinginess. What is said in Matthew builds a bridge between the thought of the treasure and the warning against mammon.
Notes for Chapter 5.1
1. Jacob 5:2-3
2. Isaiah 51:6-8
3. Psalm 30:20
4. Proverbs 11:4
5. Jacob 5:3
6. 1 Timothy 6:17-19
7. Malachi 3:17
8. Exodus 19:5
9. 1 Peter 2:9
10. Exodus 34:9; Psalm 32:12; Wed Psalm 77:71; Isaiah 63:17
11. Ephesians 1:18
12. Psalm 16:5-6
13. Psalm 72:26, cf. Psalm 119:57; 141:6
14. Colossians 3:2-3
15. Philippians 3:20
16. John 17:5
17. Colossians 1:12, 5, 27
18. Deuteronomy 15:9
19. Deuteronomy 28:54
20. Proverbs 28:22
21. Proverbs 23:6-7
22. Proverbs 22:9
23. Mark 7:21-22
24. Matthew 20:15
25. Luke 11:29
Answered by Alexander Dulger, 01/19/2015
Peace be with you, brother Alexander!
Here is the biblical passage that interests us:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break through and steal, for where your treasure is, there so will your heart." ()
Clearly Jesus is speaking figuratively here, as He often did. But is there an interpretation of this image in the Bible or can everyone understand it as they see fit?
Does the Bible talk about any valuables, treasures or riches that will be taken from earth to heavenly abodes? It turns out yes.
The wealth valued by Christ above all else is “the wealth of His glorious inheritance for the saints” ().
The Bible compares Jesus' disciples to precious stones, His special treasure:
"Like stones in a crown, they will shine on His earth" ()
"People will be more expensive than pure gold and men are more valuable than the gold of Ophir" ()
"And you will crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and royal diadem in the hand of your God." ()
Jesus Christ looks upon His people, in their purity and perfection, as a reward for His suffering, humiliation and love. God's people saved in heaven add to the glory of Christ.
Thus, the first type of “treasures” that will go to the heavenly mansions are people saved by the gospel of Christ.
Anyone who sincerely invests his talents (time, money, abilities) in the work of preaching the gospel for the salvation of people is laying up for himself treasures in heaven.
The following type of "treasure" is mentioned in the book of Revelation:
“And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me: Write: From now on blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; to her, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labors and their deeds follow them." ()
The second type of “treasure” is good deeds in the broad sense of the word. These are deeds aimed at promoting and supporting the worldwide preaching of the gospel, these are selfless good deeds towards others, these are good deeds towards society, social activities, etc.
It should be noted here that not every good deed is “treasure” in the eyes of God. Jesus says: "...for where your treasure is, there it will also be heart yours."
Motivation is important to God. Do our good deeds come from the heart, i.e. selfless deeds out of love or is it our tribute to customs, public opinion, our desire to earn forgiveness or God’s favor, the desire to balance the burden of our sins with good deeds?
Other answers on this topic:
http://www.site/answers/r/36/305154
http://www.site/answers/r/37/324101
http://www.site/answers/r/36/311976
Sincerely,
Alexander
Read more on the topic “Interpretation of Scripture”:
| 08 Feb |
Lesha Lopatin
"Do not store up treasures on earth"
This is a rather controversial question in Christianity, to which it is difficult to give a definite answer. Personally, for example, I have two points of view.
First. If we completely reject even the slightest possibility of mysticism in our lives, and focus on purely materialistic principles, then this expression simply does not make sense. If life is just a collection of different chemical processes in the human body, which cease after death, then life, accordingly, ceases. And if there is no life after death, then what else should you spend your “life force” on, your time, your thoughts, etc.? If there is nothing further, then, of course, it would be wise to make your life as comfortable as possible.
Second point of view. If we admit the possibility that the death of a material body is not the death of a person and has some kind of continuation, then it is more complicated. For example, the Christian idea of heaven (or hell, it doesn’t matter), where people are essentially immortal, then the accumulation of great wealth is simply meaningless. Instead of thinking about providing comfort at the intermediate stage (life in a material body), which is not the main thing in a person’s life, it is better to think about the future, develop in oneself what is called the soul. If we narrow our understanding of pre-Christian heaven or hell a little, then if you spend your life ensuring material comfort without “bothering” with more complex things, there is a very high chance of sinning so much that you can then end up in hell. In the Christian understanding, this is the worst case scenario, so this question is quite understandable from a religious point of view.
In the Bible, Gospels and others scriptures There are a lot of contradictions, and not even with the real world, but with the text of Scripture itself. This is not the case - here we see precisely a clash of different points of view, each of which can be justified. This is one of those cases when it is impossible to unequivocally refute or confirm the correctness of a statement only on the basis of theory; everything is much more complicated.
Yulia Maluneeva
The difference between miracles in the Gospel and other miracles.
First, let's figure out what we mean by miracles. This concept is common to both the Gospel and everything else. Miracles are something that goes beyond the usual and ordinary, something that does not happen to every person (creature) every day. Now let’s find the difference between ordinary miracles and miracles in the Gospel. For a miracle to happen to you in real life, you do not have to do anything. It simply either happens or it doesn’t. And the lucky one is chosen by a sort of “number generator”. In order for a miracle to happen in any fantasy universe known to us, a certain set of circumstances is required. Like the murder of Harry Potter; separation of a piece of the soul of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named; Horcrux formation; The Boy Who Lived. But to perform miracles in the Gospel there is only one prerequisite - faith. As soon as a person begins to believe in God and recognizes Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the miracle that the believer has been waiting for happens. When the centurion came to Jesus to ask for the healing of a servant, he showed faith that the Savior did not find in Israel - faith in His word. When the Canaanite woman asked for her daughter to be healed, Jesus repeated once again that He was “sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” but the woman showed Him greater faith than in His fatherland. Where Jesus was unable to perform many miracles due to the unbelief of the people.
This is the whole difference between ordinary miracles and Divine Miracles. First there was faith and only then did a miracle happen.
Ivan Shubin
Who will enter the Kingdom of God?
Christ's Sermon on the Mount is one of the most striking moments that allows us to clearly imagine the whole idea of Christianity. He opens the gates of the Kingdom of God for those who mourn and meek, those who are poor in spirit and hungry for righteousness, those who are persecuted for this truth and those who are pure in heart, merciful and creating peace on earth. All these epithets, so to speak, are associated with one thing - weakness. A crying person, meek (submissive), persecuted for the truth (unable to resist), merciful (unable to show strength and will), creating peace on earth (cowardly) , poor in spirit (without a sense of dignity) - those around him often perceive him exactly as I wrote in parentheses. A person who is pure in heart and loves with Christian love is always considered weak by everyone else, even if they do not admit it to themselves, and this person becomes a victim for them.
Christianity and weakness are synonymous concepts, for Christianity is incompatible with strength and everything that exists due to strength. So it is incompatible with masculinity, with empire, with fascism. And it is precisely the weakness in Christianity that appeals to me most of all, and therefore I consider myself a Christian.
Do not lay up treasures for yourself on earth...
...but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven - Christ tells us.
He explains this very simply: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Consequently, a person who throughout his life tries to make a fortune for himself in this sinful and short-lived world, where this fortune can be destroyed by moth and rust and a thief can steal, leaves his heart and immortal soul on earth, where the devil walks like a roaring lion, looking for whom absorb. It is precisely such a person who will turn out to be one of his victims, for there is only one path to salvation, which Christ showed us - through the Kingdom of God. It is necessary to collect treasures in heaven, intangible treasures, which means they cannot be measured. How? Very simple. Christ left us two main commandments - “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” and “thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” A person who has realized them and observes them with a pure heart has already collected enough treasures in heaven for himself so as not to be among the victims of the devil prowling everywhere.
Blessed are the poor in spirit...
This phrase, at first glance, is extremely incomprehensible. Why Jesus preaches against the financially rich is understandable and natural, for “do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.” Jesus proclaims that the most important thing is that he strives for the Kingdom of Heaven, but why did he not like the “rich in spirit” and why should they become poor? Isn't it the spiritual side of life that Jesus exalts? I understand this phrase this way: blessed are those who consider themselves poor in spirit. That is, they are not proud. Only those who consider themselves unworthy of the Kingdom of Heaven, the meek, constantly striving to become more complete spiritually and never achieving satisfaction in this are poor in spirit, which means they are blessed and worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
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