Matthew 6:19-24 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
I am on a research trip in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visiting Vegas is always an interesting experience for me. For one, gambling does not really appeal to me. Which may cause you to ask why I go to Vegas in the first place? The reason I come to Vegas is it's an awesome place to do research for devotionals. Seriously, this is an incredible location to walk, talk and observe. If you have ever visited Vegas, you may have so understanding. The Las Vegas Strip has miles of opulent casinos and resorts. The stars in the night sky are obscured by the glare of neon lights. In fact, some casinos even have blue sky and clouds painted on the ceiling in order to try to fool you into thinking you are in an outdoor environment. This same casino has ornate statuary and columns of beautifully carved marble. The floors in many areas or marble tiles. Interestingly enough, the statuary are of pagan gods that were worshipped in Jesus' day. The designer of this structure sought to create a place where extravagance would be displayed and mere mortals could find hope in being able to win a fortune gambling. Quite the opposite of the marble cathedrals and basilicas designed as houses of worship. And while all this marble looks beautiful for a few feet away, upon close inspection, the flaws are quite remarkable. Wear and tear have taken their toll. And given this is a man-made structure, it should not be surprising. In biblical terms, the "moths and vermin" have been very busy destroying. The buildings created in Vegas have a purpose. That purpose is to separate the unsuspecting and vulnerable from their money. The palaces of gambling were not built to just be looked at. The palaces are there to draw in victims and replace hope of winning riches with the despair that comes from losing. A popular advertising campaign from a few years ago referred to Vegas as Sin City. The idea was to help people to believe that sin was the sole purpose of Vegas. And while that may be part of the purpose of Vegas, truth be told Vegas is just another city where sin can be found. Vegas is just another place that needs to Gospel preached and embraced. It's another place that needs to hear and embrace the words of the Apostle Paul from Romans 7:24-25. "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
Prayer: Father in heaven, our world is broken and lost in sin. Instead of spreading a message of rebuking sinful behavior, we hear the words telling us that sin is not really sin. And many of those voices tell us that to reject this sinful behavior is nothing short of hate for our fellow man. Lord, the light of the Gospel is missing in so many places. Help us Lord to be a beacon on a hill that shines the light of Jesus in a dark world. We ask this in the strong name of Your Son Jesus Christ, Amen.
