Lent 2: Sacrifice: Treasure (feat. Pr. Vieth)

Trinity Lutheran Elkhart Homilies

Today Jesus is giving you and me, Abraham and Isaac, Peter and the disciples, and the whole church catholic a test: will we choose God or will we choose the treasures of God? Too often we choose the treasures of God because we think they’ll relieve our anxiety and worry and give us security. The truth is, though, that that is far from the truth. The more we try and hoard our treasures, the more worried and anxious we become. In that anxiety and worry, we try and rebuke Jesus when he comes to try and heal us. When we do this, he says to us what he said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God but of men.” He doesn’t say this to hurt us or to cast us into the darkness. On the contrary, he tells us this so that we would be reminded of who we naturally are and to lead us to the place where all of these treasures are sacrificed so that we might receive of the true riches of heaven thus freeing ourselves from all anxiety and worry.