The Sermon on the Mount (cont'd) : Detachment from Riches.

St Matthew Chapter VI : Verses 19-24

Contents

• Matt. vi. 19-24 (Douay-Rheims text) & Latin text (Vulgate). (b) The Christian’s Rule of Life.1. Detachment from Riches.
• Notes on text

Matt. vi. 19-24

He taught them. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

19 Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal.

Nolite thesaurizare vobis thesauros in terra : ubi ærugo, et tinea demolitur : et ubi fures effodiunt, et furantur.

20 But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal.

Thesaurizate autem vobis thesauros in caelo, ubi neque ærugo, neque tinea demolitur, et ubi fures non effodiunt, nec furantur.

21  For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.

Ubi enim est thesaurus tuus, ibi est et cor tuum.

22  The light of thy body is thy eye. If thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be lightsome.

Lucerna corporis tui est oculus tuus. Si oculus tuus fuerit simplex, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit.

23 3 But if thy eye be evil thy whole body shall be darksome. If then the light that is in thee, be darkness: the darkness itself how great shall it be!

Si autem oculus tuus fuerit nequam, totum corpus tuum tenebrosum erit. Si ergo lumen, quod in te est, tenebræ sunt : ipsæ tenebræ quantæ erunt?

24  No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Nemo potest duobus dominis servire : aut enim unum odio habebit, et alterum diliget : aut unum sustinebit, et alterum contemnet. Non potestis Deo servire et mammonæ.

Notes

    19. Lay not up, etc. In this section Jesus gives His disciples four reasons why they should avoid avarice : —

    1. Physical and human agents alike combine to strip us of our earthly riches.

    2. Attachment to earthly goods keeps our affections chained to this world.

    3. Our intention determines the character of our deeds, which are good or bad according as our intention is “ single” (i.e. pure) or evil.

    4. It is impossible to serve God and mammon, since these masters are diametrically opposed.

    The Christian is to lay up treasures, but in the right place, namely, in heaven ; Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto life everlasting, which the Son of man will give you (St John vi. 27).

    to yourselves. There is no selfishness in looking to our eternal interests, since salvation depends on our co-operation with grace.

    rust, — i.e. the deterioration to which all material things are subject. Lit. it signifies the act of corroding or eating away (βρῶσις). Banks were unknown in those days, consequently treasures were often buried in the earth for security.

    St James, who quotes so largely from the Sermon on the Mount, thus paraphrases our Lord’s words : Your riches are corrupted : and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered : and the rust of them shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up to yourselves wrath against the last days (St James v. 2, 3).

    moth consume, — i.e. cause to disappear. The same verb is used here which is employed twice in verse 16 (ἀφανίζουσιν) where it is translated “ disfigure ” and “ appear.” The Orientals had richly embroidered robes, and these were stored up in large chests. Being rarely worn, these garments were frequently destroyed by moths.

    thieves break through. Lit. “dig through” (διορύσσουσιν). In the East, the houses of the poor were made with mud or sun-dried bricks, hence these dwellings could be easily broken through. Cf. He diggeth through houses in the dark (Job xxiv. i6).

    20. But lay up, etc. Here, as elsewhere in the Scriptures, we have a positive precept corresponding to the negative form (see v. 33, 36, 37, 42).

    thieves do not break. No thief approacheth (St Luke) ; still less do they deprive us of our treasures in heaven.

    21. For where thy treasure is, etc. Our Lord gives the reason why treasure is to be stored in heaven ; it will help to draw our thoughts heavenward.

    22. The light of thy body. With the eye man sees ; if it be diseased, the light shines to no purpose ; so if a man has not a conscience that is sincere and upright, the truths taught by Christ cannot enlighten him. Prejudice, passion, and perversity of will exclude the divine light.

    thy whole body shall be lightsome, — i.e. full of light. The whole man, everything connected with him, all his powers and faculties, everything emanating from him, will be lightsome.

    23. the light that is in thee, — i.e. the light which should be in thee.

    24. You cannot serve God and mammon. Because the commands of God are absolutely opposed to the commands of mammon. He who abuses wealth falls under its tyranny and is enslaved by it. He no longer serves God, therefore. On the contrary, the Christian who owns God as his Master, uses riches as a means to an end, and thus they become his servant.

    The word here rendered “ serve ” signifies in the original “ be the slave of” (δουλεύειν). Mammon is personified in this verse in order the better to bring into relief the antagonism between the service of God and that of the world.

    “ Mammon” in the Syriac signifies “riches” or “ money.”

    It is not found in the Old Testament, nor have we any proof that the word was given to some false god, such as Plutus, the god of wealth, whom the Greeks worshipped. Riches are called the mammon of iniquity because so often men commit crimes to obtain them.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.