You can’t write a cheque in heaven- Friday, 11^th Week in ordinary time – Mt 6:19-23

Sometime ago I read an interesting comparison between the grave of King Tutankhamun and Jesus. Tutankhamun was only nine years old when he became king of Egypt during the 18th dynasty of the New Kingdom (c. 1332–1323 B.C.E.)  At age 18, when he died, his sarcophagus (a box-like stone container) held not one but three coffins.

The outer two coffins were crafted in wood and covered in solid gold along with many semiprecious stones, such as lapis lazuli and turquoise.   Five thousand three hundred and ninety eight items were found in the tomb, including a gold face mask, thrones, archery bows, trumpets, a lotus chalice, food, wine, sandals, and fresh linen underwear.

Jesus died at the age of 33. His body had been placed in a hewn rock. When the disciples discovered His tomb it was empty, there was no body, just some linen cloths.  King Tut had entered eternal life without his treasure; he had to leave them all behind. Jesus on the other hand came to give us eternal life by giving us His very life.

The Sermon on the Mount continues to instruct us as to how we should love God with all our heart, strength and mind.  Today’s Gospel examines the issue of how the love of wealth can distract our gaze away from God’s love to our earthly treasures. Make no mistake; there is absolutely no condemnation in the Bible of wealth per se. As I have often said, we should never make a virtue of poverty. Poverty is an evil, plain and simple and every effort must be made to eradicate it from society. The Bible does not condemn the possession of wealth but certainly condemns the love of it.