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Gospel: Matthew 6: 19-23
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.
But store up treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light;
but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness.
And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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I was in Kansas last week, celebrating the baptism of my cousin’s daughter. While it was wonderful being with them, there’s always a certain stress I associate with airports.
You have to wake up early, plan your arrival, and then begin standing in a series of lines.
For example, when it’s your turn to pass through security, you must empty your pockets, remove your belt and shoes, separate your electronics, and slide everything you’ve packed onto a conveyor belt.
Then approach the x-ray scanner with your arms up, pockets empty, and shoes off.
That narrow gate has no room for your luggage. I myself can barely fit!
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Isn’t that an appropriate image for life?
We cannot take anything with us when we pass through that narrow gate of death; all we can bring with us are the good works we’ve done, the faith and the relationships we’ve nurtured.
“Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and decay can destroy,” Jesus says, “but store up treasures in heaven.”
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How much treasure do I have stored up in heaven? And how much do I have stored up on earth?
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May we spend the day doing what matters – loving our God and our neighbor as ourselves.
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(A little humor today!)
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Image credits: (1) Kingdom Virtues (2) HolyArt.com (3) India Travel, IndiaMike.com