Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys 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 was talking to the kind woman who was helping me to prep for the upcoming inventory and online auction following my mother’s passing. The words slipped without thought, under my breath: ‘It’s hard.’
‘It is hard,’ she agreed. Hard to separate the emotion.
In Ecclesiastes, we read, ‘For everything there is a season.’ This was our season of paring down. Sometimes I wanted to let it all go and questioned why we buy anything. Ever. Other times, I wanted to cling to every last thread and knickknack and worried that I had hoarder tendencies. On one level, I understood that this was all just stuff—and in this case, quite picked-over stuff. But on a deeper level, these items were treasures for the memories they held and for the much-loved people who once held them. I wonder how many roasts we ate on that dining room table, the solid oak, Amish-made double pedestal with extra leaves and chairs that Mom and Dad saved up to purchase.
Years earlier, when Dad was still alive, he helped us finish our basem*nt, a labor of love to make space for our growing family, another baby on the way. Less than a month after we had applied our last stroke of Sherwin-Williams, we came home to the sound of rushing water. In our newly finished basem*nt, we sloshed through six inches of water, a winter thaw bringing the mean realization that a pipe had burst earlier in the season. As we pulled up carpet pads and cut into damp drywall, Dad kept reminding us, ‘Sticks and bricks, kids. This is all sticks and bricks. It’s not what matters.’
I thought of his words, and the cliché, ‘you can’t take it with you,’ as I surveyed what was left of my parents’ belongings spread out in lots for the auction—Mom’s sweaters, Dad’s tools, odd trinkets. I realized that underneath the clichés lay deep Ecclesiastes wisdom and soul-searching truth. These are temporary gifts—even our earthly bodies—and we accept them with gratitude, delight in them, serve with them, worship with them, offer ourselves a living sacrifice. But one day, we will shed all of it for a glory no eye has seen, or ear has heard, or mind has conceived.
Knowing this, we store up treasures in heaven. If we find our hope in the things of earth, the monuments, trinkets or bodies themselves, it all disintegrates to ashes, to dust. So, we set our minds on things above, not on things of earth. For we have died, and our lives are hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then we also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:2-4).
Dear God, let our hearts be fixed on this truest treasure.
FAQs
Here, Jesus tells the crowds not to stockpile temporary treasure on earth. Rather, they should be working towards godly goals—''storing up'' rewards in heaven with choices driven by sincere devotion to God. Where we place our treasure indicates the real priority of our hearts.
What are the heavenly treasures? ›
God lays up His own treasures in heaven. They are the souls of His people. Our treasures are the gifts that God has given us to use for His glory. Our treasures consist of time, talents, energy, creativity, and material wealth.
What does it mean to store up treasures in heaven? ›
So what does it look like to lay up treasures in heaven? It means believing God's promises and identifying with God's people despite the sure affliction that will follow (Hebrews 10:32-34). God is faithful to his promises and what he promises his people—salvation, life and inheritance—is eternal and incorruptible.
What is the prayer for Matthew 6 19 21? ›
Cause me to be more concerned about laying up treasure in heaven than having treasure here on earth. Lord, most of all help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to guard my relationship with You. Let everything I do with what You give me bring glory and honor to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
What does Matthew chapter 6 verse 21 mean? ›
This verse states that if one places one's treasure in heaven that is where one's heart or attention will be. This is an implicit warning, which is made clear later in the chapter, that if one's treasure is on earth, one's heart and attention will also be on earthly matters, to the exclusion of God.
What does this teaching reveal about Jesus Matthew 6:19-24? ›
THE BIG IDEA: What Jesus begins to address in 6:19-24 is that we look at and strive after what we desire, and THAT is our treasure, and what we treasure indicates what really owns us. Jesus wants us to treasure him and his kingdom because that brings the Father glory and results in our flourishing.
What is the hidden treasure of God in the Bible? ›
Isaiah 45:3 New International Version (NIV)
I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
What is God's greatest treasure? ›
God's only begotten Son is Heaven's greatest Treasure; and with great love, God gave that Treasure to us. God told me that when He gave Jesus, it was the only time He used all of His love. God made Adam and Eve and saved Noah and his family from the Great Flood.
Is Jesus the treasure of heaven? ›
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.” It does not say, “Jesus is the treasure.” But as Jesus and the writers of the New Testament unfold the meaning of the kingdom, it becomes plain that the value of the kingdom derives from the value of Christ himself (the King!), and is inseparable from him.
How to get treasures in heaven? ›
God's Ways for Laying Up Treasures in Heaven
- Believe He is a rewarder. ...
- Be self-controlled and content in all things. ...
- Seek out the treasures of God's word. ...
- Become a vessel of His good works. ...
- Invest your “talents” wisely (Matthew 25:20-21, above).
- Receive persecution as a blessing. ...
- Sell what you have and give to the poor.
Jesus spoke of this truth when He stated, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, NIV). Instead of valuing and building treasure on earth, Christ urged His followers to store up treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-20).
What are the treasures of God? ›
God's treasure is those that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. All people are loved by God, but only believers are His treasured possession. Being God's treasure means that we are greatly loved. God showed His love for all people by sending Jesus (see John 3:16).
What is the prayer for Matthew 19 21? ›
Oh, Jesus, do the impossible today and give me faith in you that makes me follow you with all my being. Make me a steward and not the owner of this life you have lent to me. Make the rest of my sojourn an act of praise, worship and generosity.
What does Matthew 6 teach us to pray? ›
Summary. Jesus taught, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.”
What does God command us to pray for? ›
We should pray that God's love and justice reign on earth (Matthews 6:10; Luke 11:2). We should pray for daily provisions (Luke 11:3). We should pray for forgiveness of sin (11:4). We should pray for God to protect us from temptation (11:4).
What does it mean I will have mercy and not sacrifice? ›
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” That is, “I desire to show mercy to you, I do not desire to demand a sacrifice of atonement from you.” God does not desire to extract from us sacrifices for our sins and promises that we'll do better next time and all the other things we might do to make up for our weakness.
What is the meaning of he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire? ›
John promises in today's passage that the Messiah will baptize not just with water but with the Spirit and fire (v. 11), an image with double meaning. The long awaited flame of the Holy Spirit will purify the soul and eventually remove all corruption from those who submit to the Son of David (Isa. 1:24–26).
What does goodness and mercy will follow me mean? ›
David is testifying that whatever threats have chased him, there is always a greater pursuer afoot—goodness and mercy. Though he has been hounded by those who seek to harm him, he remains confident that this divine love will stalk his every step. He is convinced that divine love will be with him to the end.
What does it mean when Jesus said the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel? ›
Jesus' message is to repent and believe in the salvation that is now here. To repent, from the Greek metanoeo, is to change one's mind and agree that one's sins are abhorrent. It is not only remorse for sin but also a changed attitude that chooses to live for God.
