Salvation: The Only Business You Need To Invest In

𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐄 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝟏𝟏𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟐 𝐂𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟏:𝟏𝟖, 𝟐𝟏-𝟑𝟎

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟑𝟒:𝟐-𝟕 “𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓 𝟔.𝟏𝟗-𝟐𝟑

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒚𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚.” (𝒗.22) 

         Yes, we have been told and taught that salvation is a gift from God, but it also doesn’t mean we can be saved by doing nothing. Just like any financial instrument that offers high yields at maturity, our salvation is a transaction that we need to work on because its yield will depend on the amount of investment that we put in.

         In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus talks about the need for us to store our treasures in heaven and not on earth which means that our entire preoccupation while living our lives that has been leased to us is to make sure that we produce the fruit (𝑮𝒂𝒍 5:22) out of the gifts (1 𝑪𝒐𝒓 12) that have been given to us.

         In other words, this life that has been given to us could be likened to a financial transaction in which God invests in us and we in turn are expected to also do the same while looking at our salvation as the yield upon maturity. Such is necessary because heaven is open only to those who believe in Christ.

         And as Jesus warns us “𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.” (𝒗.19) it means that we are to set our hearts on things above and to put the priorities of heaven into daily practice. Setting our minds on things above means focusing on the eternal rather than on the temporal (𝑷𝒉𝒊 4:8-9; 𝑪𝒐𝒍 3:15).        

        When we focus on heavenly things we put earthly things in their proper perspective. Since our home is where Christ lives (𝑱𝒏 14:2-3) our thoughts must be filled with heavenly matters by simply looking at our lives from the perspective of God and to seek what God desires for us.

         This reorientation of our perspective in life is in fact the antidote to materialism as we begin to look at material goods in the way God looks at these and the more, we regard the world around us in the way that God does we will begin to live in harmony with Him.

         Look at the things that we possess here on earth. There is nothing here on earth that is permanent including the life that we live. Wealth and possessions have an end. There was a time in my life when I was raking it in from the business I was engaged in and money was like rain pouring down on me and I thought this was the be-all and the end-all of life but this was not to be the case as everything also came to an end.

         Jewelry, fancy homes, flashy cars, designer clothes, will also pass away. Even the fame we may have built for ourselves will also pass and soon nobody even remembers. There was a time when I can go anywhere in the Philippines and hobnob with political leaders and prominent people in the area. This will also change in the course of time.

         Anicca is a word used by the Buddhists to describe the impermanence of things which means that everything will not last. In essence, the message of the Gospel is for us not to be attached to what is only temporary because there is an end to all that we have and possess.

         There are times when our attention is directed to talks on TV that we chance upon as we switch from one channel to the other in search of our favorite programs on cable TV and we are somewhat attracted to the topic of salvation that God has so generously apportioned to all of us.

         At the end of the day, we will have to ask ourselves what is it that we are seeking? Throughout our earthly existence we are in continuous search for that which will give us joy, comfort and peace and many times we end up frustrated and sad because of the insatiable greed for power, fame and fortune that is in us and we see this not only in business but even in the church itself with the quest for power and authority corrupting the practice of faith.

         Jesus is offering us a treasure of incomparable value and worth, but we need healthy eyes – good spiritual vision – to recognize it. What Jesus said about seeking treasure should make perfect sense to us all as He contrasts two different kinds of wealth – material wealth and spiritual wealth. Jesus is urging us now to get rich by investing in wealth and treasure that will truly last, not just for a lifetime, but for all eternity as well.

         Our Lord and Savior is offering us heavenly treasures which cannot lose their value by changing circumstances, such as diminishing currency, material degradation, income loss, or physical destruction. The treasure that Jesus is offering us is kept safe and uncorrupted by God himself.

         What then is this treasure that Jesus is prepared to give to us freely and graciously? It is the treasure of God himself – the source and giver of every good gift and blessing in this life – and a kingdom that will endure forever. The treasure of God's kingdom produces unspeakable joy because it unites us with the source of all joy and blessings which is God himself.

         God wants to share with us his treasure of unending joy and friendship with Himself and with all who are united with him in his heavenly kingdom. In Jesus Christ we receive an inheritance which St. Peter describes as imperishable, undefiled, and unfading that is kept in heaven for us (1 𝑷𝒕 1:4 ). St. Paul describes it as a kingdom of everlasting peace, joy, and righteousness in the Holy Spirit (𝑹𝒐 14:17).

         And so we ask ourselves how realistic is this heavenly treasure? Can this be enjoyed here and now or do we still have to wait for it in the next life? No. The treasure that Jesus is referring to in this Gospel is both a present and a future reality. It’s like an investment that grows and matures, increasing and multiplying in value.

         As we go through life, we focus all our energies and resources to seek that which will provide us with happiness and on the things that we value most. But to set our hearts on heavenly treasure we need to enter a deeper relationship with God. But we must first detach ourselves from the false and the impermanence of the earthly treasure before we can enter the everlasting joy of the heavenly treasure that will last forever.

         For us to see the beauty and value of this heavenly treasure we need good eyesight which is the window of the “𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈” – the heart, mind, and soul of an individual person. How one views their life, and reality reflects not only their personal vision – how they see themselves and the world around them, but it also reflects their inner being and soul – the kind of moral person and character they choose for themselves.

         If the window through which we view life, truth, and reality is clouded, soiled, or obscured in any way, then the light of God's truth will be deflected, diminished, and distorted and this could happen even to leaders or elders of the church or community.

         But when we turn to Jesus, He can deliver us from the spiritual darkness of sin, unbelief, prejudice, jealousy, and self-conceit that destroys our judgment of ourselves and others and lead us to moral blindness and self-righteousness. This is why Jesus calls Himself the light of the world – the one true source of light that can overcome the darkness of sin and the lies and deception of Satan. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘦 20, 2025)