Today's Daily Bread
Most of us look to friends and colleagues for rewards: a slap on
the back, a hero’s medal, applause, a sincere compliment. But according
to Jesus, the more important rewards await us after death. It’s possible
that the most significant human acts of all are carried out in secret,
seen by no one but God. In a nutshell, the message of the kingdom is
this: Live for God and not other people.
As Jesus explained it, we are accumulating a kind of savings account,
storing up “treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20) rather than on
earth—treasures so great that they will compensate for any amount of
suffering. The Old Testament has dropped a few scant hints about an
afterlife, but Jesus spoke plainly about a place where “the righteous
will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt.
13:43).
In their quest for a kingdom, the Jews of Jesus’ day had been looking
for signs of God’s approval in this life, primarily through prosperity
and political power. Beginning with this speech, Jesus changed the focus
to the life to come (ch.6). He discounted success in this visible
world. Invest in the future life, He cautioned. After all, rust, a
thief, or a lowly insect can destroy all else that we accumulate (v.20).
Lord, help us not to seek the applause of our friends
and colleagues, but rather to look to You for approval.
Teach us to put into practice the principles of the
Sermon on the Mount. Amen.
and colleagues, but rather to look to You for approval.
Teach us to put into practice the principles of the
Sermon on the Mount. Amen.
Reward in eternity does not depend upon recognition in life
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