I lost 200 bucks!  Not much in some respects.  On the other hand, I could have bought 4,000 Snickers bars with it in my teenage years (and I am not kidding!)  

It began this way. I was in a strange town but saw a familiar sign.  It said, “Texas Bank.”  I assumed it was a branch of my bank. So, I pulled into the drive thru, put the check for $200 in the tube, and watched it zip away.  I crossed that off my to-do list and headed for home.

BUT later that day, I got a call from the bank.  “Uh sir, you made a deposit in the Texas Bank, but your account is with the Texas Bank and Trust.”   

Seriously?  How could this happen?   The teller deposited the check and gave me a receipt.  Was there another James Johnson.  Well of course there was – maybe 30 of us.  But surely, we didn’t have identical account numbers? 

OK I know I’m shifting the blame.  It’s my fault. I should have read the sign more closely.  In any case, I ended up depositing my $200 in an account from which I could not draw.  I should have invested in Snickers bars.

Jesus had better advice when it comes to making a deposit.  He said, “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and devouring insect destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” –  Matthew 6:19:

He alluded to an earthly bank of sorts.  This bank is overstocked with earthly goods.  In Jesus’ day, one’s well-being was measured by their wardrobe collection; the volume of stored wheat in the grain bin, and the amount of money that was buried in the dirt wall of their home. 

The problem with that bank is that moths feast on stored clothing.  Insects devour food that is not soon eaten, and thieves are relentless in their effort to find what we hide.  It is the excess – the surplus that is in peril.  

Therefore, Jesus suggested a better investment strategy.  He said, “Accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven…”  – Matthew 6:20. We are to use what we have now to make eternal deposits in the bank of heaven. 

Does this mean I need to quit my job, give everything away, shave my head, join a monastery, and think thoughts about God? 

Not at all!  Jesus was speaking to everyday people like us.  People who were instructed to work with their hands (1 Thessalonians 4:11) and who were scolded if they didn’t (2 Thessalonians 3:10). They were exhorted to provide for their families (1 Timothy 5:8) and to give on a regular basis (1 Corinthians 16:2).   If they had given it all away to follow Jesus, what would they have left to give the next week?

Jesus did not deny us our basic needs.  In fact, He promised later that the Father would make sure that we have them (Matthew 6:33).

So, what was His point?  Clothing, food, and money are essential to life but not the essence of life.   We enjoy what we have, but we’re also compelled to amass more than we need. 

We ought to make some deposits in the bank of heaven – investments that will yield eternal dividends.  So, maybe you could sort through your clothes and give some to the neighbors who lost their house to a fire.  Donate to the local food bank so that the undernourished are fed.  Make a financial commitment to support that missionary couple that serves In Rwanda.

I advertised a set of used bunkbeds.   I was asking $200.  A young single mother was excited to buy them as first beds for her little girls.   I spontaneously decided to give them to her and told her that they were a gift from Jesus.  She was grateful, but so was I.  It was fun to give.

Another $200 was denied to my bank account, but a super deposit made for me in heaven.

A PRAYER: God, we are holding on to things that need to go.  Help us!

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you always.

Scripture references are from the NETBible ®