Lay Up Your Treasures In Heaven
“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.” - Matthew 6:19-21
I always loved the idea of a treasure hunt as a kid (any other fans of the National Treasure movies?). How cool would it be to stumble upon a mysterious chest someone left behind and find it filled with jews, gold, and other treasures?! And while it’d still be amazing to find buried treasure, throughout the Gospels, Jesus teaches us an important lesson about what kind of treasure we should really be searching for.
In Matthew 6 (the middle of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount), Jesus tells his followers to store up treasures for themselves in heaven rather than storing up earthly treasures (money, clothes, material things). I don’t know about you, but this is hard for me!
We live in a culture that constantly chases after more, and so often I find myself fluctuating between wanting bigger and better things and trying to save up money so I feel more secure.
Jesus tells us there is a better way. Whether we are searching for newer and nicer things or we are focused on making more and more money, Jesus tells us that what we try and store up for ourselves here on earth will either fade away (Mt. 6:19) or be given away to someone else one day (Luke 12:20). Luke 12:21 says it clearly: “[The parable of the rich fool] is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
So how do we become rich towards God, or store up treasure in heaven?
- First, we trust Him for what we need. Matthew 6:25-33 promises us that we do not need to worry about what we eat, wear, or need because God knows we need it and will provide. We don’t need to store up wealth out of fear, but instead can trust that God sees our needs and will provide for us.
- Secondly, we invest in God’s kingdom through living like Jesus and loving His people. Where we invest love, goodness, and our relationship with God, we will find ourselves rich in relationship and the fruit of the Spirit. Just like He promises to take care of our needs, Jesus promises that when we store up these “treasures in heaven,” we will reap a reward that no one can take away.
Jesus says that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also. Let’s rejoice in the gift of relationship with God and that His presence is the greatest treasure and the safest place for our hearts.