Matthew 6:19-34 – The Father’s Provision, Part 1

It might be safe to say that most people have never wondered from where their next meal was coming; we have pantries, bank accounts, and friends upon whom we can rely. We have jobs, or if not, savings, social security, or welfare. So it is that when we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” we express thankfulness to God for the means to feed ourselves but don’t think much more about this portion of the Lord’s Prayer.

Of course, there are some who also think about the little “Daily Bread” booklet when they pray this portion of the prayer. And that is certainly appropriate since Jesus did say that he was the bread of life come down from heaven, remember?

So far, so good.

But, I think Jesus may have had some more things in mind when he told us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Most of us don’t idolize our next meal, the “Daily Bread,” or even the Bible, but we certainly idolize other things. I don’t mean literally placing something in a shrine and bowing down to it a number of times a day, that’s just silly. But we do have some things from which we derive our greatest satisfaction—things that are our greatest treasure.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with having money socked away to pay for upcoming bills. In fact, I think we would be unwise to not prepare for possible future tragedies, just look at Joseph and the Egyptian famine! But I don’t think this part of the Sermon on the Mount is focused on such things. Jesus warns us about treasures, not about meeting needs.

Specifically, the word “treasure” indicates not only something of high value (worth a lot of money) but something that is highly valued (something we love excessively). It is possible to have something of high value that isn’t highly valued, and it is possible to have something that is highly valued that isn’t of high value. Does that make sense?

For instance, you might live in a very nice house and drive a good car, both of which are of high value; but if you don’t highly value them—place the weight of your trust, happiness, and well-being in them—then they are not your treasures.

On the other hand, you might have something that is not worth a brass farthing, but it is the love of your life. It is the one thing that if your house was burning down you would risk life and limb to go in and save. But who needs that Beanie Baby anyway? It’s an item that is not really of high value (though to be sure, some Beanie Babies are with a lot of money), but to you, it is highly valued; it is your treasure.

The things that are highly valued by you are the object of Jesus’s words. They are the things you use to show off, to claim some sort of superiority, and in which you find your meaning. But here is the thing; there is not a single item, relationship, or position of power in this category that cannot quickly disappear.

Most of us think of money as one of the things of high value that can be highly valued. We chase it and hold onto it for self-esteem purposes, for power, and for protection. Just like our worthless Beanie Babies, our fiscal wealth can be our treasure. It seems to provide us with confidence about retirement, peace about potential future problems, and security from life’s storms. Again, there is nothing inherently wrong with Beanie Babies or piles of money; the problem comes when we choose to highly value them; to make them our treasure.

Jesus says, “If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” If we are so focused on these highly valued earthly treasures that we do not see and seek the Father’s real treasures, then nothing we see or do will be good, nor will it be satisfying. Everything will be dark.

Jesus continues to say that we can’t serve two masters; we can’t serve God and money. We’ve all probably heard the Greek word here, mammon, and have just translated it as money. And while it does mean “money,” its fuller meaning indicates any treasure other than God. Some people could replace the words “mammon” with “Beanie Babies” and the meaning of Jesus’s words would fit them perfectly. For others, the word would actually be “money,” and others will have something else to put in there. [It might be a good use of time to ask what word you might use instead of “mammon.”]

One of the major problems with misplaced valuations is that these “treasures” can become our salvation. It is the thing to which we go when all else seems to be falling apart. Some people go to their music, some to their possessions, some to their money, some to their Beanie Babies; we all go to something—our treasure. But if your treasure isn’t God, you may have a difficult time actually praying “Give us this day our daily bread.” This is because you aren’t really looking to God for your daily sustenance, you are relying on your highly valued earthly treasure to get you through your day.

Maybe you puff that weed, hug that Beanie Baby, drive your car, listen to that new album, take a peek at your bank account, do that other thing…and, maybe those things help a little bit. But guess what? They really can’t save you; they can’t protect you or your loved ones from life’s storms. Yet, even though we probably know that, we still hold onto these treasures; we know that lurking just beyond the comfort they offer stands a new problem that they can’t protect us from.

This is why Jesus has his disciples pray “Give us this day our daily bread.” Jesus wants them to place their trust in the Father and to rid themselves of their idols and treasures. And amazingly, when we place our trust in the Father we rid ourselves of all anxiety; by submitting fully to the will of God and admitting that it is only by the Father’s hand that we eat, drive a car, live in a house, have a job, and earn an income, the burden of our future is no longer in our own hands. We become truly free.

The Father’s grace and mercy become our treasure. Unlike cars, houses, jobs, savings, and Beanie Babies, the Father cannot rust, burn down, be lost, stolen, or consumed by a rabid cat. The Father never changes, never fades, never disappears. His love is eternal. In fact, when we pursue him and his righteousness, Jesus promises that even our daily needs will be provided. Those things for which we hold fiscal treasures—security, meaning, hope, the future—are in the hands of our Father. And when those things are in the hands of the Father, what is there for which we should be anxious?
Again, is there anything wrong with a pantry, a car, a bank account, or a Beanie Baby? No, not really. But if those things replace God as our life’s treasure then we probably need to rid ourselves of them. Harsh? Yes. But necessary? Yes.

But there is yet another reason why I think we are told by Jesus to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” but I am running out of room for this week. Next week we will look at a possible reason why this section of the Lord’s Prayer is placed where it is. Until then, let us contemplate our treasures as we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Read the Next Post: The Father’s Provision, Part 2