Matthew 6:19-21(NKJV) 19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
As we continue our study on divine prosperity, I want to take a second look at Matthew chapter 6. We have already discussed the need to break the power of the god of mammon over our lives. Jesus points this out in verse 24. We also took time to look at verses 25-34 in which Jesus assures us that the Father knows our needs and intends to meet every one of them if we seek first His Kingdom. Today I want to look at another aspect of Jesus’ teaching on provision in this chapter.
In verses nineteen and twenty Jesus speaks of “laying up” our treasure. The first question we must ask is what he means by treasure. Many people will look at this scripture and conclude that he is speaking of two different kinds of treasure. This is because he speaks of laying up treasure either on earth or in heaven. However, I want to suggest to you that Jesus is not talking about two kinds of treasure but two different places it is possible to store one type of treasure.
What, then, is the nature of this treasure? If we consider the context of the chapter, we find that from verse nineteen to the end of the chapter, Jesus is talking about God providing for our needs. If that is the case, I believe we must assume that Jesus is speaking about the treasures we accumulate on earth in order to provide for our own needs.
What is this treasure? I would define it as the sum total of our resources. Certainly, it involves our money. I believe it also involves our homes, cars and savings or retirement accounts. If we have investments, that would be part of this treasure. Our treasure is our gifts, talents, education and relationships. Anything that is involved in providing for the needs and desires of life would be part of the treasure Jesus is talking about.
Jesus exhorts the disciples that they should not lay this treasure up on the earth but they should lay it up in heaven. He says on the earth, “moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal.” We should learn o store our treasure in heaven because as long as it is on the earth it is vulnerable to the enemy.
I have an investment account for retirement. When I signed up for that account, they told me it would be worth a certain amount of money when I reached age 65. I am 7 and ½ years from that point in life, and my account is not worth nearly what they told me it would be. Why? Of course, we know why. The stock market and the economy itself have taken some very strong hits in the past few years. A thief got into my accounts and stole from me. Many of us could say the same thing.
No treasure that we store solely on the earth is safe from the risks of life. Many have lost jobs and homes in the past few years. They found out that those treasures were not safe. Some had skills that applied a decade ago, but technology and downsizing have made their jobs obsolete. They found out that treasure was not safe. How many people with expensive college educations are working for fast food franchises or some other entry-level employment? Even the treasure of education is not safe.
The one investment Americans could always count on was their home. If you could buy a home, it would never be worth less than what you paid for it. For many of us this is not the case. Even that investment is not safe. I could not sell my home today for what I paid for it in 1990.
Jesus gives us another alternative. He says store these treasures in heaven. He assures us that no moth, rust or thief will get to it there. Many will say he is telling us we should not have any earthly treasures at all. Jesus is talking about spiritual treasures. He is telling us to store up joy, peace and good works. He is telling us that salvation is the treasure we need to store. If we simply have no earthly treasure, we will have heavenly treasure. There is some truth to this point of view.
We cannot deny that the New Testament teaches us to focus on spiritual things over natural things. Look at Paul’s words in Colossians 3.
Colossians 3:1-4(NKJV) 1If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
I have spent a great deal of time exhorting us to make sure we keep our attitudes toward material things and spiritual things in the proper order. In verse 21 of today’s reading, Jesus tells us the main reason we must keep our treasure in heaven. He tells us that where our treasure is we will find our hearts as well. However, that does not change the fact that this whole section of scripture is talking about God providing for our needs.
The emphasis in the later part of Matthew 6 is on trusting God for that provision, but there is no indication we should have no earthly or material treasure at all. The exhortation is to store it somewhere that will keep our hearts right and protect our treasure at the same time.
Part of our confusion is in the assumption that if our treasure is stored in heaven, we have no access to it. This is not true. We put our money in banks for three reasons. We want to protect it, better manage it, and allow it to be used so it can grow. Banks invest our money in various things. We make it available for them to use as mortgages or loans so that when we go back for it, there will be interest earned and we will have more than what we started with. Part of the assurance of a bank is that we have access to our money when we need it.
Jesus is telling us to store our treasure in heaven for the same purposes. If it is in heaven, it is protected. If it is in heaven, heaven is involved in managing it. If our treasure is in heaven, God is using it to bless others and interest on that treasure is charged to our account. Look at Mark 10:29-30.
Mark 10:29-30(NKJV) 29So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.
When we lay up our treasure in heaven, it will always be there for us when we need it. God says the rate of return on heavenly accounts is 100 fold. That is 100 times the investment. If we really study this term, I believe we can conclude that it really means “more than enough.” We can access it by faith and nothing can keep this treasure from us once we entrust it to the Lord. No depression, inflation or financial collapse can destroy treasure that is stored in heaven.
What we must learn is how Jesus intends us to get earthly treasures into heavens hands. Come back tomorrow.
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