Pentecost 9                        August 10, 2025
Luke 12:22-34                    Pastor Ryan Wolfe

True Treasure for the Christian Heart

Two weeks ago my wife and I were in Oregon for our pastor exchange with our mission partner church. It was awesome, and I’m happy to pass on to you all how excited they are to move forward sharing prayers and encouragement and hopefully visits. After the Sunday morning work was done though, Jessie and I took a couple days to explore a part of the country we had never seen. We had been told we should make the drive to the coast and see the beaches, even if the water was too cold to swim. As we started looking at where to go, we made a fun discovery. Astoria, Oregon is the setting of one of our favorite movies from years ago, and much of the movie was filmed there. It’s about a group of kids worried about having their homes foreclosed on because of a new development. In the middle of their worry, though, they find a treasure map in the attic. They take off to find it, make some extra friends along the way, dodge the Fratelli clan a couple times, and escape into movie history. Anyone know the movie? Yes, it’s The Goonies, a movie that should definitely never, ever, be remade or rebooted.

In a sense, Goonies is about the search for a treasure to take away the family’s worry. There are plenty of obstacles along the way, but the kids keep on going. And without spoiling the end of a 40-year-old movie (I know, I can’t believe that number either!), in the end they find that the treasure they needed wasn’t the treasure they were looking for.

For most of this summer we’ve been worshiping under the theme “Undivided Attention.” We’ve heard from Jesus in these chapters of Luke about Christian life and Christian living. Today is the last week of the series, and the worship themes last week and this week do indeed deserve our complete and total focus. Because they run absolutely counter to our nature and to our world. Last week Pastor Pedersen reminded us of the ultimate worthlessness of earthly treasure. Solomon had everything – maybe more than any human had ever had. He was politically powerful, feared and respected, wise by God’s own personal gift, wealthy beyond belief. And in the book of Ecclesiastes, he looks back on it all and calls it meaningless. A chasing after the wind. Indeed, overvaluing earthly treasures leaves us unfulfilled and unsatisfied.

Today we return to Luke’s Gospel and find Jesus reminding us of the other side of our sinful attraction to wealth. Overvaluing earthly treasures leads us into the sin of greed. But undervaluing heaven’s treasure – that draws us into an equal sin of worry. If we lose sight of what’s waiting for us in the end, we lose the peace and hope and joy God blesses us with now. So one more time, let’s give Jesus’ words and warning our undivided attention. Let’s hear is call from worry to peace.

Jesus says at the beginning of our text, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.” Living a life free of worry begins with seeing worldly things as they really are. Necessary, but not what life is all about. To make his point Jesus continues, “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” What is true of birds is true of most creatures. They don’t plant and harvest crops. They don’t have pantries, refrigerators, or freezers. Yet each day billions of animals around the world look for the food they need and find it. And Jesus says, “don’t you think you’re worth more to God than them? Certainly he’ll take care of you too.”

Jesus continues in v. 25: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” When we realize every day, hour, and minute that we have is a gift from God, that our very being alive right now is in his hands, doesn’t that change the way we look at worldly things? I depend on God for my very life, and he gives it. I can depend on him to give me what I need in this life too. And in that trust another shackle of worry falls of my neck.

There’s a story of a pastor in a very wealthy community who gave a powerful sermon on how Christians view their possessions. “Nothing we have is ours,” he said, “all that we have belongs to God.” As the story goes, this didn’t sit well with one member of the congregation in particular. The man was a successful surgeon. He had retired from a career that paid him very well and he was wealthy. When the man raised his objection after the service the pastor asked to visit him at his home later that week and the member agreed. The pastor arrived to a beautiful home. It had a beautifully landscaped yard and pool area. Many bedrooms and bathrooms. Some might call it a mansion. As the doctor gave the pastor a tour he asked pointedly, “Did you mean what you said in your sermon Sunday? That all of this that I worked so hard for and keep up with my own time is not mine?” The pastor simply smiled and replied, “Why don’t you ask me that question fifty years from now?”

Isn’t that the difference between earthly and heavenly treasure? No matter what we gain here, it’s not going with us then. God blesses us with all kinds of great things. Houses, careers, cars, friends, families. But every one of those things has an expiration date – if that date matches our own earthly expiration date. So enjoy those things. Thank God for those things. But don’t worry about those things. God knows you need them and he’ll give them to you. That’s the point of Jesus’ words about the flowers. Verse 27: “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.”

God knows when you need a job, and when it’s better for you not to have one. God knows when you need a spouse, and when you’ll be blessed more to wait. He knows when you need healing, and when we’ll learn more through our suffering. God calls running after those things part of the pagan world – the people that don’t know him or his promises. But our Father knows what we need. And like the Father we heard about a couple weeks ago who knows to give good gifts, so our Father will give us the earthly things we need when we need them. In his way. In his time. But always for our eternal good.

You see, God knows that the human heart tends to want most what it doesn’t have. The things we already have? Those we take for granted. But the blessings someone else has down the street, in the corner office, on the movie screen? That’s what the heart wants. So Jesus tells us, “Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink…But seek his kingdom, and these will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” You see, focusing on our little kingdoms keeps us from enjoying God’s greater kingdom. Whatever you’re most worried about today, does it compare to the good news that your every sin is already forgiven? Whatever you’re concerned about losing this morning, does it compare the eternity in heaven that God has given to believers that cannot be taken away?

Immediately after telling us to seek his kingdom, Jesus tells us the Father has already given it. Our seeking isn’t a matter of searching for God, it’s just opening our eyes to where we already are. Sinners, but with sins paid for by Jesus on a cross already. Imperfect believers, but knowing that our perfect Savior has reserved our mansion in heaven for us already now. What we already are? We are people that, Jesus says in verse 33, could sell all our possessions and give to the poor and still find our selves with wallets that don’t run out, a treasure in heaven that will not fail, and a security that no thief can take or natural disaster destroy.

So recognize your earthly blessings for what they are. If you have wealth, health, time, talents, friendship, family…praise your Father in heaven for those gifts and use them to serve others and to serve him because you know those gifts go far and beyond what we need. And if you don’t have those things, praise your Father in heaven that he has given you time to be refined in faith – to see the greater treasures of faith, forgiveness, our future in heaven. Trust that your Father knows what you need, and that he provides what you need for all eternity.

Going back to Goonies before I end…You’ve almost certainly heard the phrase “X marks the spot.” It’s a saying that goes back to actual historical treasure maps, with the X showing where the treasure would be found. That symbol in the Christian church means something different. (Mosaic picture) From ancient times, the “Chi Rho” has been a symbol of our faith. If we could get them out of our very tight hymnal racks, you’d see it on the front of our hymnals too. The “X”, or “Chi”, is the first letter of the word Christ in Greek. So when you think about it, maybe that symbol doesn’t mean something different in Christianity. Brothers and sisters, let “X mark the spot” for our treasure too. Christ is the true treasure of the Christian heart. The treasures of the world will fade, but Christ’s victory for us never will. In him we have all we need. He is worth our undivided attention, and our unending praise. To God be the glory. Amen.