Jesus has been speaking
about the hidden life,
the secret places of the heart.
Now he turns
to the outward things—
the stuff we store,
the things we trust,
the treasures we keep
in the storeroom within.
What do I cling to?
What captures my attention,
my hope,
my ambition?
Treasure is not only
jewellery, clothing, food, money.
It is anything
I believe will keep me safe:
control,
comfort,
security,
a future I can manage.
But moth and vermin come.
Thieves break in.
Markets collapse.
Even good things
cannot carry the weight
of our hearts.
My parents came from China
and worked hard
to build a life for our family.
Properties, apartments,
a visible kind of security.
Then the GFC came
and took so much away.
Not only material things.
Hope too.
Motivation too.
My father lay on the lounge,
depressed beneath the loss.
And then someone spoke
to them of Jesus.
They found another treasure:
the wealth of the divine story,
the promise of eternal life,
an inheritance stored in heaven
where nothing can rot,
nothing can be stolen,
nothing can be swept away.
And so Jesus asks us:
where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.
What do I most dread losing?
What do I dream about?
What do I measure myself by?
The eye is the lamp of the body.
Set your eyes on Jesus.
Let the window be clear.
Let the light come in.
Let him enter the storeroom
and do a deep clean.
Do not look at God
with one eye
and the world with the other.
No one can serve two masters.
Mammon is anything
I trust my life to.
Often it is money.
Often it is the illusion
that I can secure myself.
But God is not a cruel master.
He is kind.
He is generous.
There is lavish love
in the Father’s storeroom.
And still we worry—
about food, clothing, tomorrow.
Jesus does not deny
that these things matter.
We need them.
But we are not to bow before them.
Look at the birds.
Look at the lilies.
Your Father knows your needs.
Worry can dress itself up
as wisdom,
but often it is fear
that has forgotten
the promises of God.
Seek first the kingdom.
Seek what lasts.
Seek the life of heaven
breaking into earth.
Tomorrow will bring trouble.
Jesus says that plainly.
But tomorrow will also bring
the mercies of God.
Again bread.
Again grace.
Again enough.
So teach my heart, Lord,
to treasure what lasts:
your kingdom,
your presence,
your righteousness,
and you.
Original message by Leon Chen, The Bridge Church Macquarie Park NSW
15 March 2026
The Afterword 
Leave a comment