“Treasure”
July 31st, 2022
Rev. Rebecca Migliore
When we were young, we dreamed of following a map to a place of buried treasure. Or we watched with eyes agleam as treasure was found in dwarves’ caverns or elves’ glens or somewhere out there in space. Now, we might still dream of winning the lottery, or hitting it big at the casino. What would we do with all that excess? What would it buy us? What could we accomplish? What difference would it make in our lives?
Jesus seems to be addressing a timeless human desire in our reading from the gospel of Luke today. We want what we think we deserve—right now. If possible, we want treasure, we want more, we want … And Jesus tells us a parable about someone who got everything they thought they wanted. So much that they had to build more places to store all their excess; they had to rent more storage bays. And yet, as Jesus tells the story, if they die tomorrow—what good has it brought them?
“So it is for those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” Jesus says. This isn’t the end of the whole passage, we will read more of it next week. But the sting is still there. Don’t be like that man, don’t think that stuff (gold/diamonds/silver/moolah) can give you all you want. We have a plaque that reads something like, “They say money can’t buy you happiness—but it can buy you ice cream, and that’s a good start.”
I’m not unrealistic—money, treasure, is necessary to live in this world. Jesus isn’t knocking our land owner for having land, or being successful—I believe it was this man’s single-threaded obsession with getting, more, More, MORE that he is pinpointing. What does the more get you? Why aren’t you sharing? Those are the questions.
If we want more, More, MORE—it should be riches in God. As Jesus will say next week, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be.” And if we have lots, how do we figure out ways to share? So today, I thought we could all take a moment and think about what Treasure we already have, and what treasure we should seek.
As I was considering this for myself, a favorite song came to mind. It’s called “You are precious, Lord, To Me” and was written by Douglas Nolan (aka Joseph Martin) and Jimbo Stevens (aka Dr. James Stevens). The words are:
More than silver, more than diamonds
You are precious, Lord, to me.
More than riches, more than power,
You are precious, Lord, to me.
More than kingdoms, more than honor,
Lord, You’re everything I need.
More than silver, more than diamonds,
You are precious, Lord, to me.
If the riches of earth were mine to hold,
All the silver and all of the gold,
I’d rather have treasure in heaven above
Nothing compares, nothing compares,
Nothing compares with Your precious love.
More than silver, more than diamonds,
You are precious, Lord, to me.
More than riches, more than power,
You are precious, Lord, to me.
More than kingdoms, more than honor,
Lord, You’re everything I need.
More than silver, more than diamonds,
You are precious, Lord, to me.
You are precious, Lord, to me.
I invite us to take 5 minutes and begin to think about what Treasures we already have, and what riches we can spread around. I’ve provided some starting questions—choose one that strikes you—or allow them to create musings for this week.
What is your most precious Treasure?
What treasures can’t be stored in silos or security boxes?
What kinds of things does God want us to be rich in?
What does it mean to be “rich in God”?
Does being “rich in God” have something to do with sharing?
How might I share more treasure with others?
Here is a God wink. Joe and Jimbo wrote that song, “You Are Precious, Lord, To Me” when they were young—and before the music industry had yet to figure out how to fully compensate people for their talents, especially on the international stage. It was copyrighted in 1993 as a printed song. And it was very popular, particularly in Korea.
Someone translated it into a ringtone, and millions of people in Korea and the Far East, downloaded it to their phones. Joe and Jimbo didn’t see one cent.
But I like to think that the treasure of their words and music, the reminder that “You are Precious, Lord, to Me—you’re everything I need” was a treasure shared, and has made them richer by far in God.
May it be so for us as well, Alleluia, Amen.