Matthew 6:19-21

Moth and Rust (2014) (14" x 14")

collage on canvas

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus advises his audience not to rely on material possessions that are subject to decay of one sort or another, but instead build up heavenly treasures. Interestingly, his brother James, whose epistle is almost a commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, states that these same rotten and rusted possessions will be used as evidence against the rich at the Last Judgment. This is probably because these material goods should not have been hoarded, but could have been used to help others, thus purchasing the "pearl of great price" that Jesus speaks about elsewhere (and is shown in the center of the above collage).