Ignorance

TITLE: Ignorance
DATE: November 20, 2019

Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed.

TEXT  -Matthew 6: 19-21 – ESV - 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[a] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


I hate to be ignorant, but this week a story appeared in the news which showed me just how much I don’t know. It was the story of a valuable painting and its auction. The amount of things I didn't know was just astounding. 
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FACT #1 – THE PAINTER
The painter was a 13th century master by the name of Cimabue. (Never heard of him.)

FACT #2 – THE PAINTER’S REAL NAME –
 A lost 13th-century masterpiece has sold for almost 24.2 Cimabue is not the painter’s legitimate name. His real name is Cenni de Pepo who was born in Florence around 1240. (Didn’t know any of that either.)

FACT #3 – CLAIM TO FAME –
The article said Cenni is a “father of painting.,”  thought that meant he had done enough work that he influenced everyone. Not so, we only have 11 of his paintings. The one which was auctioned off really wasn’t known. (Good. I certainly didn’t know it,.)

FACT #4 – DID THE PREVIOUS OWNER KNOW WHAT SHE HAD?
 Nope, she was as ignorant as I am. She thought it was a Greek icon of Jesus being mocked. (Good guess. I would have thought so, too,) She hung the painting in her kitchen... over the hot plate on which she did her cooking.

FACT #5 – DID I KNOW WHAT IT WOULD  SELL FOR?
I didn’t. Nobody else did either. The Company which appraised this panting guessed it would go for about 7-million. (It went for almost four times their appraisal.).

Like I said, “I hate being ignorant. Especially that ignorant.”

I hate being ignorant, because, who knows, I might have an 8 x 10 inch painting in my kitchen drawn together by some guy that I’ve never heard of.  

Now I’m not  going to tell you that having an extra 25-million saved for a rainy day doesn't appeal to me. It do
es. The idea of being financially prepared for almost any emergency seems like an extraordinarily good idea.

But the bottom line is this: knowing Jesus as my Savior and Lord covers situations that 25-million bucks can’t touch.

• That kind of money is not going to buy forgiveness for a single sin.
• All that cash can buy a lot of stuff, but not a clean conscience.
• Having a healthy bank account may get you a good table at a restaurant, but it’s not going to get you in the door to heaven.

That is why Jesus spends no little time speaking about making sure your treasure and your heart is in the right place and has the right focus. And in case there is any question.... the answer to both is the Savior.

THE PRAYER: Lord, there are times when total financial independence seems like paradise. Help us remember that it is only in You that we can find true, peace, protection and happiness.  This I ask in the Savior’s Name.  Amen.

The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://ktla.com/2019/10/28/medieval-masterpiece-found-in-french-kitchen-sells-for-over-26-million/ and the article written by CNN Wire .

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html