Who Is Your Master?

Matthew 6:19–24 is the fifth division of the Sermon on the Mount. As noted previously, Jesus addressed the errors of the Jews regarding the kingdom of God, His Messianic role, and the nature of His mission. The heart of the issue is how unregenerate and carnal people view life and, thus, the expectations they had of the kingdom and the King. Paul succinctly summarized the truth behind this sermon: “We are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh” (Romans 8:12). The carnal mind is fixed on the temporal, not the spiritual. The kingdom Jesus introduced was “not of this world” (John 18:36). It would be in the world, but not of the world (John 17:14).
Our text highlights three things kingdom related: treasures (what is valued), eyes (the means of valuing), and masters (those establishing the values). All humans are debtors (slaves) either to the flesh (owned and controlled by Satan) or to the spirit (owned and controlled by Christ). The last petition in the Lord’s Prayer relates to the hoarding of worldly treasures and cherishing them.

The Jews of Jesus' day wrongly regarded wealth as evidence of divine favor as seen in the account of the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18–30). It is supported in the disciples’ reaction to the remark about the difficulty of the wealthy entering the kingdom (Luke 18:24). In shocked surprise, the disciples asked, ‘Who can be saved?’” (Luke 18:25, 26). Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God” (v. 27). Peter reacted with, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” This underscores the false concept of wealth and divine favor. If Jesus condemned wealth as the means of kingdom entrance, surely poverty assures admission. Jesus does not correct Peter but assures him that all who forsake their own lives for the kingdom (for Christ and His mission now) will be generously rewarded both in this life (not necessarily materially as per the prosperity gospel) and in the age to come. (As an aside, this incident also proves the kingdom to be a present reality, not one on hold for a future millennial reign.)

 Both the Sermon on the Mount and the confrontation of the rich young ruler focus on the evidence of salvation, not the cause. The order of these words in the text is also significant in that Jesus argued from consequence to cause. What one values demonstrates who define his values, the flesh or Christ. “You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24).

Who is your master? If Jesus is your Lord, you have been born again and your eyes are now enlightened and see what is truly valuable, the greatest treasure, which is Jesus Himself. If Christ is your treasure, then the following words make colossal sense: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Love for Christ and treasuring Him above all flow from the same saving grace.

Many believers miss the blessedness of treasuring Jesus because their vision is filled with false worldly allurements. These see Jesus as a fixer and getter of what is hoped will truly satisfy. However, Jesus made it abundantly clear, “You cannot serve God and money [mammon, a Semitic term for wealth]” (Matthew 6:24). As John Piper put it, “Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there.”