Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Lent #11: Heavenly Treasures

 Store up for yourselves

   treasures in heaven;

where moth and rust do not destroy.

    and thieves cannot steal. (Matthew 6:20)

I thought of this while reading William Berry’s list of ten “dominate traits of mainstream society.” Here’s the tenth:

Marriage without love; sex without joy; drink without conviviality; birth, celebration, and death without adequate ceremony; faith without doubt or trial; belief without deeds; manners without generosity

It caused me to think, as most things do, of the Book of Ecclesiastes (9:7-9):

Eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has long ago approved what you do. Let your garments always be white; do not let oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your fleeting life that are given you under the sun, because that is your portion.

Maybe that’s what Jesus has in mind when he speaks of heavenly treasures: To eat with enjoyment; to drink with a merry heart, to dress up from time to time, and to love those whom we love. I just finished a call with a guy friend; and, I can’t believe this, but I think it ended with “I love you.” Thieves cannot rob us of such treasures.

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