Are you near-sighted? Can you see things that are fairly close but have difficulty seeing things that are farther off? Or are you far-sighted? Can you see things that are farther off but have difficulty seeing things that are closer? Perhaps you are neither; perhaps your sight is good both in seeing things that are near and things that are far. That, of course, is the ideal; that is what we want.
But when it comes to the way we view this world and the world that is to come, Jesus wants us to be far-sighted rather than near-sighted. That is, the Lord wants us to be more concerned about the world that is to come than we are with the concerns of this world. That is what we hear the Lord Jesus saying to us today in the gospel reading for this Sunday. So, in the coming minutes, let’s consider together what we hear our Lord saying to us about being far-sighted rather than near-sighted.
Perhaps you remember that last Sunday Jesus told a little story about a man who was foolish because he put his entire trust for his future in the wealth he had accumulated and gave no thought for what lay ahead of him after his life in this world was done. And, in fact, unsuspected by him, his life was done the very night after he had congratulated himself for piling up much wealth that he could enjoy in the years to come. Only there were no years to come; he died that very night. What a fool he was, Jesus says. Jesus told this story after he had been approached by a man who was trying to recruit Him to help get money from his brother that he felt should be his. Jesus then warns His disciples: "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15). Our reading this morning follows up on what we heard from Jesus last Sunday as Jesus admonishes us not to be worrying about our daily needs but to trust our heavenly Father to see that we have enough to eat and something to wear and all of the other concerns that can become all-consuming of our attention.
Such an all-consuming concern is common. In the opinion of most people around us, someone who is not concerned about where his next meal is coming from is thought either to have a lot of money stashed away somewhere or to be irresponsible. The concern of this life is to make a living and, if possible, to put money away for the future. And making a living can be tough enough. Some have to work at two jobs to make ends meet. And certainly it is our responsibility to attempt to earn what is needed for ourselves and for those who are dependent upon us. The Bible urges us to be diligent and productive so we might provide for our own needs and so we might have something to share with others who need our help. But in our diligence we are to remember that our success depends on the blessing of God and that the strength and intelligence we use to make our living as well as the results of our work all come from the generous hand of God. In the efforts we expend, we are to give none of our energy to worry because we do not trust God to bless our work and through it to supply our needs. The old adage tells us to "work as if everything depended on you, but to pray knowing that everything depends on God."
To make His point, here as well as in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus taught the same lesson in practically the same words, the Lord points to God’s creatures we see all around, the birds whom God feeds one day at a time and the lovely wild flowers whose beauty is so great and so brief. If the Lord provides for these creatures of His, don’t you think you can trust Him to see that you can get what you need? Worrying is not going to help us live one day longer; in fact, we know that worry will probably shorten our days rather than increase them. Jesus concludes this part of His admonition by declaring: Your heavenly knows what you need better than you do. "Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you" (verse 31).
Jesus assures us, "Fear not little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom" (verse 32). We need have no doubt about our heavenly Father’s desires for us. Certainly we can depend on our Father in heaven to provide what we need as we make our way through this life. Our heavenly Father is going to be generous in supplying our needs. But our heavenly Father’s goal for us looks beyond our life in this world. Jesus assures us that an eternal home in God’s Kingdom of Glory is being readied for us. As Jesus Himself was about to leave this world with His physical presence, He reassured His disciples by telling them: "In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also" (John 14:2-3). And St. Paul assures us: "For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens....He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee" (2 Cor. 5:1, 5). And to encourage us to be anticipating that heavenly homecoming with a growing sense of anticipation and excitement, the Lord provides a vision of our heavenly home through St. John in the closing chapters of the Bible: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:1-4).
This is the eternal Kingdom that our Lord takes pleasure in giving us. The Lord gave the best He had to see that that Kingdom might be ours. He purchased it for us, "not with perishable things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Peter 1:19). So now, Jesus urges us, invest the treasure valued by this world in a heavenly treasure secure from every threat. Invest your earthly goods in heavenly good, employing your money and possessions in doing God’s will in this world. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (verse 34).
Use not only your possessions with God’s eternal kingdom in view, but give your attention to God’s coming kingdom. Keep looking ahead, watching eagerly for the Lord’s arrival. Jesus tells us, be faithful servants in God’s house, in His kingdom of grace, His church. Be alert and ready for the knock at the door that signals the arrival of the Lord. For when the Lord comes, He will seat you at His table and set the delights of His eternal kingdom before you to enjoy. "If He comes in the second watch, or the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!" (verse 38). Be a faithful wide-awake servant in God’s house, alert and watchful lest the thief break in to steal your heavenly hope from you. "You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (verse 40).
Yes, Lord, we will stay awake. We will be alert. We will be ready. We will be far-sighted, keeping our eyes glued on the horizon, eager to see you coming. "He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen." (Rev. 22:20-21).