Several weeks ago a modern mystery was solved. The mysterious Watergate informant, "Deep Throat" was revealed to be the former Deputy Director of the FBI, Mark Felt. Mark Fetl was right when he told Bob Woodward, "Follow the Money."

Jesus said the same thing: "Follow the money."

If preachers talked about economics as often as Jesus did, there would be at least one sermon a month devoted to "thinking about money theologically." Jesus loved to talk about money! In just the parables, 16 dealt with money and possessions. Jesus talked about money a lot because money impacts our daily lives. It consumes our thinking.

Sophie Tucker said, "From birth to 18 a girl needs good parents. From 18 to 35 she needs good looks. From 35 to 55 she needs a good personality. From 55 on she needs cash!"

Let's see what our Teacher said regarding money and material possessions and our attitudes toward them.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

There is something in us that drives us to acquire, to possess. Jesus teaches us that there is one true God and there is a rival to the one true God, and we have to choose which Ruler we will serve.

Where Is My Treasure?
Matthew 6:19 says: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

The Bible doesn't criticize hard work, the right to own property, wealthy status, planning for the future, or saving. Jesus doesn't ask us to impoverish ourselves or renounce "good things." But he points out that our possessions can end up possessing us. Jesus says, "Don't let the purpose of your life be about 'getting and holding on to stuff.'" The more you have, the more you have to worry about.

Moths: In Jesus' day, wealth was often measured in expensive clothes. He says, "People who devote themselves to getting expensive clothes ought to think about how that stuff will end up. The moths are going to get it."

Rust: This word means 'an eating' in every passage of the New Testament and is its most common usage. It appears that it is a reference to grain (wealth often held in grain). In a culture where people literally lived for "daily bread," to be able to store food meant that you were wealthy.

Thieves: There were no safes or lock boxes. Thieves would dig through walls and steal.

Jesus tells us that nothing we own is completely safe from destruction or theft. "Storing up treasure on earth" is like speculating in the junk bonds of an already bankrupt company! Instead "store up treasures in heaven" in a vault more secure. According to Jesus, the way to pile up wealth in heaven is to give on earth.

Jesus' wisdom clashes head-on with the wisdom of our world. This week, I read several examples of our world's conventional wisdom regarding wealth:

• "Money may not buy happiness, but at least it financees the illusion."
• "Those who believe that money doesn't buy happiness simply don't know where to shop."
• "We have certain inalienable rights: life, liberty and the purchase of happiness!"

But Jesus says, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

He is speaking of the direction of the affections of your heart. What a person truly "treasures" reveals everything about their heart; because the location of our treasure indicates where our heart is.

Here are two diagnostic questions to locate your heart: Am I giving more than I was a year ago? Am I more generous now that a year ago? Or, am I spending more on myself than a year ago?

Life in the world, apart from God, is primarily concerned with increasing your standard of living; life in the Kingdom of God is concerned with increasing your standard of giving.

It is a spiritual truth that giving is the only antidote to materialism.

How's My Sight?
Matthew 6: 22-23 says: The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good [single], your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad [evil], your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

We have various expressions about eyes in our culture: red/bleary-eyed meaning tired; bug-eyed meaning excited; sharp-eyed meaning crafty or insightful; dreamy-eyed meaning in love; or cock-eyed meaning to have a distorted view of reality.

Literal rendering of the word, good is "single," with bad meaning evil. What does it mean it mean to have a "single eye" or an "evil eye"?

In Jesus' day, it was understood that a "single eye" meant that a person was generous and practiced liberality in their giving. An "evil eye" meant to be stingy or greedy. One who "hastens after wealth."

According to Jesus, a single eye is evidence of the presence of inner light. To be generous one must be full of the light. The lack of liberality in giving is a sure sign that darkness reigns within.

It's one thing to be in darkness, but it's worse to have the darkness in you. Money has a wonderful way of revealing what we really trust in. The best way to know what someone's mental map of reality is not to ask," What do you value?" The best way is to look at their life. If you look closely, over time, you will be able to discern what they really value. "If the eye is good, the body will be full of light." It is darkness to think that "true happiness" will be found in money or possessions.

Who Will I Serve? Or Who Is Really My God?
Matthew 6:24 says: No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Jesus teaches us that there is present in our society another god that people regularly and willingly bow the knee to. Everyday, God longs to be your God. But everyday, wealth (or "mammon") wants to be you God.

Mammon wants your allegiance. Mammon wants to call the shots. Mammon wants your devotion.

"Money exertsa powerful and seductive force. It can make a table mysteriously appear in a crowded restaurant and allow the insignificant and ugly man to purchase companionship and sex with a beautiful woman...Money works on me much like lust and pride: it holds me in a pythonic grip and attracts me to fantasies it can never fulfill. And like lust and pride, money presents an arean of personal struggle that I will never 'get over.' It is a force with a personality. It is, in truth, a god, and Jesus called it that." (Yancey, Rumors, p. 210)

Beware the temptations that affect you; that are unique to you. Be honest about your vulnerable areas. Look out for temptation and flee.

Profane mammon. "To profane" means to make something [that a culture says is] special or sacred, trival or ordinary; to even disrespect it and show disdain for it

"Without question, money has taken on a sacred character in our wold, and it would do us good to find ways to defame it, defile it, and trample it under our feet. So step on it. Yell at it. Laugh at it. List it way down on the scale of values - certainly far below friendship. And engage in the most profane act of all - give it away. The powers that energize money cannot abide that most unnatural of acts, givng." (R. Foster, The Challenge of the Disciplined Life)

When we give gifts to the true God and we give the "best" gifts off the top (first), lavishly, sacrificially, gladly; we profane the power of Mammon. We show our disdain and contempt for that god and his value system.

In the writing of one check we say, "Jesus is Lord...the god of this world - money - is not. I will not bow the knee to mammon and I will resist its power over me."

Profane mammon by speaking back to your TV! John Taylor tells us in his book, Enough's Enough, that every time a commercial says you need their product to be sexy or successful or loved or to make life meaningful, we should reply, "Who are you kidding?!"

Open Up Your Financial Life to Another Person
We talk about a lot of things; finances tend to be one area not talked about. If you're going to defy the god that is pressing you for allegiance, you're probably not going to do it by yourself. Find another person with whom you can share what you're doing.

Richard Foster writes, "Create an atmosphere in which confession is possible. Many of us feel isolated and alone, as if we were the only ones who count our gold in the night. How much better it would be to create a climate of acceptance in which we can talk about our mutual problems, frustrations, fears, and temptaions. Let us learn to receive from each other the heart cry, 'Forgive me, for I have sinned; money has captured my heart!'" (R. Foster, p. 33)

[Read James Dobson, "It all goes back in the box."]

Everything you clutch and hoard is going back in the box and you'll lose it all. That's not a very good "Return On Investment." But what you invest in God takes on eternal significance.

So, "follow the money."

What matters? What's the true treasure? What's worth giving your one life to?

Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and Mammon."