Intrusion

Have you ever had an unwelcome visitor?  How do we deal with these unwanted situations?  Last week, there was an attempted burglary in our home.  We had finished a jolly evening of old friends visiting from the UK and had ended rather late, around midnight.  That same night at around 3 am, we were woken up by some banging and glass shattering!  I had heard that sound even in my deep sleep but it seemed like  construction work happening at night.  But then the glass shattered and so was our sleep, we woke up and my husband boldly went out making a noise and waking up the watchman and those who stay in the outhouse.  Everyone was asleep and I felt like cowering around somewhere.  Finally taking courage, I went towards the dining room and saw that someone had tried to come in through the window because the curtain had been pushed aside and tucked behind the now opened wire mesh window this side of the grill that protected intrusion.  Then, I went to the kitchen and saw two glass windows broken and some of our kitchen appliances usually kept on the mantel but now on the floor.  The banging had happened because the impatient thief had tried to get the grill broken through and didn't succeed and in his frustration, had started banging loudly with a metal rod which was kept outside and used for raking out leaves etc. Of course the burglar loped off in the dark and nobody could tell where or who!  The police came and went through the place but no clues as to who it could have been. 

It is disconcerting to know that intruders can come inside.  These days, burglars are getting bolder and bolder.  A spirit of jealousy, greed and covetousness is overpowering people at every level, be they the rich and wealthy or those who are poor and deprived.  We have them in our families, amidst our friends and perhaps when we examine ourselves, we too might be prey to jealousy, greed and covetousness.  That is why many cannot understand what Jesus has said about wealth and mammon.  A rich man wanted to follow Jesus and was told to give away his wealth to do that.  The rich man couldn't part with his riches and went away and Jesus loved him but said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.  The eye of the needle was the narrower aperture gate on the side of the main city gate, in those days.  If a traveller came with his cargo on the camel, he had to wait till the next morning outside the big city gate as it was opened only from dawn to dusk and outside the city gate he and his cargo were prey to intruders and thieves.  Or else, he had to unload the camel and remove all the baggage and then take it through the narrow gate.  Jesus indicated through this situation, that before entering heaven, you have to leave your earthly riches behind.  However if your heart is in the wealth and riches then you can't get into heaven.

Jesus tells us in Luke 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.  If our heart is in worldly wealth and riches then we can't get to heaven, but if our treasure is Jesus and He is all that matters, then we not only get to enjoy riches here on earth but the heavenly riches as well.  Because we know the joy of giving and that it is more blessed to give than to receive, we part with worldly wealth without any rancour or resentment and become a channel of God's great generosity.  He Who gave us His Son as a sacrifice, will He not freely give us all things through Christ Jesus?  God is a Giver and He wants us to make Him - the Giver - our Treasure and part with any worldly treasure with the greatest of ease - that is the secret of a prosperous and successful life!

Intruders will come and intruders will go, but our Treasure will always remain in our hearts!