In the ancient world, pagan religion functioned as a quid pro quo. You made a sacrifice to a god in the hopes of something in return.
By giving the gods something they wanted, it was expected that they would provide you with the things you need for daily living: a good home, food, and happiness.
It was an “I scratched your back, so now scratch mine” sort of world.
However, Jesus turns all this upside-down.
Now, instead of sacrifices, Jesus was preaching a message of trust in God. It doesn’t matter what animal we sacrifice, or what we can give to God.
What matters is fully trusting that God will provide.
If anything, we sell our possessions, not to make a sacrifice to God, but rather to be merciful to others!
Jesus assures us that this is true treasure.
This is how we seek “favor” with God.
By loving others, we are, in truth, loving God.
The Reading
And someone spoke to him out of the crowd: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide his inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who appointed me judge or arbiter over you?” And he said to them, “Be wary and guard against all greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions.” . . . And he said to the disciples, “I tell you, therefore, do not be anxious for the soul, what you might eat, or for the body, what you might wear. For the soul is more than food and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, they who have neither storehouse nor granary, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds? And who among you can by being anxious add a cubit to the span of his life? If, therefore, you are incapable of the least of things, why are you anxious concerning the rest? Consider the lilies, how they neither spin nor weave; but I tell you, Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed as one of these. And if God thus clothes the grass, which is in the field today and tomorrow is flung into an oven, how much more so you, you of little faith? And you, do not seek after what you might eat and what you might drink, and do not fret. For these things all the gentile peoples of the world seek after; but your Father knows what you have need of. But seek after his Kingdom, and these things will be given you in addition. (Luke 12:13-15, 22-31)