First Mennonite Church
September 28, 2025
Sermon on the Mount Daily Life of Faith
Text: Matthew 6:19-33
In the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus gives 25 of his 60 teachings he gave throughout the Gospels. Last Sunday, we saw Jesus’ teaching on how his followers should to carry out their practices of alms giving, prayer, and fasting. These are essentially religious practices.
Our passage for today, is Jesus’ teaching about how to live our daily lives and its mundane and earthly needs that are essential to it. And although we are considering these two aspects of life—the practices of piety and the mundane and daily life, these are not mutually exclusive. That is, there is no separation between the sacred life and a mundane life. For Jesus’ followers, there is only one life in which they are to reflect their commitment, trust, allegiance to him alone. We cannot say, when I am at the park with friends, I can behave as it pleases me but when I am at church, my behavior is different. Or, when I deal with my customers my faith has nothing to do with it. No; in everything we do and with everyone we relate or interact, we should reflect the spirit, concern, and character of Christ Jesus.
If we look closely, we will see that Jesus makes a connection between how alms giving should be done and what he says in verses 19-21. It is the use of money and material things. Jesus says, when you give alms, do it secretly. Do it without making of it a spectacle only to be praised for giving to the poor. Therefore, in verses 19 -21, Jesus expands on that topic. But here he speaks about the things we value most in life. And his warning is, “Be careful where you put your investments because wherever you put them, your heart will be there.” He calls them “treasures.” These are the things that make us get up early, commit to them our time and energies. These are the things that we give ourselves to, wholeheartedly. This can be our work, to make money, to accumulate material things, or seeking for the things that give us pleasure or our treasure can even be the people we love. It is not that the Lord is against us making a living, spending time with our loved ones, or having fun on occasions. He is warning against us wrapping our hearts around things that in the end will not last.
In the Judaism, there is the belief that when someone gives to the poor, they are making treasures before God. So, again, Jesus is here reinforcing the importance of helping the needy, but without seeking to attract attention when we do it.
Let me tell you beforehand, beginning next Sunday, we will be inviting you all to join in the effort to help some needy families. So, be in the lookout for more information coming soon.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, Jesus warns. Interestingly, what Jesus says about our eyes is closely related with his warning about treasures. The eyes are the light of the body, so if your eyes are good, your body is healthy but if your eyes are darkness, the whole body is full of darkness.
Here is the reality of the world we live: we are bombarded with ads and infomercials. The people who make these ads know how to make us feel not only that we need to have their products, but that we deserve to have them and that they will make us better or solves our problems. The message is intended to enter into our brain and will through our eyes. In other situations, we see what others have and we feel that we want what they have. So, we begin to get this and that. What was the last thing you bought for yourself because you saw someone having it? A new device, a brand of clothes, a car, a kind of food, etc.?
Jesus places this teaching about good healthy eyes for a body full of light in the context of riches and material things. Which leads to the last part of his teaching in chapter six.
Do not worry about what you will eat, drink, or wear. Jesus reminds us that life is more than food and the body is more than clothes and if our God feeds the little sparrows, which don’t sow nor harvest and if our God dresses the lilies so beautiful even if for a short while, how much more will he not provide for us his children? Once again Jesus repeats what he taught in his prayer: Do not worry about these things because your heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Jesus says that pagans go after material things because they do not know God who lovingly and faithfully provides for those who trust in him. Therefore, Jesus commands his disciples, “Seek the kingdom of God first, the other things for life will come as a bonus to you.
My dear brothers and sisters, everything has gotten to be very expensive these days, and still yet, we live in a world of abundance. As we enter fall followed by winter, we enter a very materialistic season of the year. Let us follow Jesus’ teaching. Let us open our heart to those who are struggling—the families with young children. Again, when time comes, let us participate in the mercy ministry our sisters are leading in the name of the Lord and on our behalf as a congregation.
When the festive days come, use simplicity. Extravagance often only benefits those who already have—the merchants and manufacturers. Let us not be distracted by the things of this world. Give yourself and what you have to make the presence of God closer to your family, friends, neighbors and those who are in need. Or give from what you already have. Maybe you have lots of stuff just sitting somewhere. Find who can use them or benefit from some of it and give it away. That is called being generous.
Here it is once again: Do not store up for yourselves treasure where they go bad or with which thieves have a good time. But make for yourselves treasures before God. Remember if your eyes are good, your whole body, mind, and soul will live in light. So, do not worry about what you will eat, drink, or wear. God knows you have need for these and he will give you because you are worth the life of his Son, Jesus Christ who gave himself for you. Instead, seek first everything that pleases God and he will grant you the things you truly need. Amen!
Pastor Romero