Seeking Simplicity: A Study in Matthew

An immersive study of simplicity in the Sermon on the Mount.

This study offers a biblical perspective on the Christian discipline of simplicity.
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Simplicity in the Kingdom of God

If you want to know what really matters to a person, don’t listen to what they say - look at what they treasure. How do they spend their time and money? Jesus knew that the human heart follows its deepest desires, and He knew that a desire for earthly treasure leads us away from God and His will for our lives.

In Matthew 6:19-34, Jesus presents a radical contrast between the world’s approach to life and the life of a believer. The world says, "Accumulate, protect, and worry about money and things." Jesus says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) At the heart of Christian simplicity is trust. Simplicity is living based on our trust that God is enough, that His kingdom is our stronghold, and that we do not need to chase after the things that enslave the world.

Where Is Your Treasure? (Matthew 6:19-21)

Jesus begins this section of the Sermon on the Mount with a direct command for believers: “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” (Matthew 6:19-20).

In the first-century world, wealth was often stored in material goods - fine clothes, livestock, grain, or precious metals. But Jesus points out the temporary nature of these things: moths eat fabric, rust destroys metal, and thieves take what is not theirs. Modern treasures - bank accounts, possessions, even lifestyles can be just as vulnerable. Jesus’ warning is not about wealth itself, but about what happens when wealth becomes a defining part of who we are.