BY JON CROCKER
Treasure
in Heaven?
Jesus spends a large portion of His Sermon on the
Mount addressing our attitudes toward material
possessions. In Matthew 6:19–24, He gives four
motivations to store up treasure in heaven.
First, the location of your treasure determines its
longevity. In verses 19–20, Jesus contrasts earthly
treasures with heavenly treasures in terms of how
long they last. Treasures on earth are vulnerable to
both destruction and theft, but treasures in heaven
are truly secure. A life oriented toward the here-and-
now must grapple with this truth: All earthly treasure
can wear out or be taken away. Banks fail, markets
crash, currencies fluctuate, properties deteriorate
and lose their value, and economies plummet. With
those changes go our earthly possessions. Even
what remains in our grasp will not stay with us after
death, because “we have brought nothing into the
world, so we cannot take anything out of it either”
(1 Timothy 6:7). We will leave it all behind.
But every cent joyfully given in the name of Christ
for the spread of the Gospel, the fellowship of the
saints, the edification of the Church, and the glory
of God will generate interest forever and never
lose its value. No destruction can touch it; no thief
can take it. If you invest in the cause of Christ, your
investment is secure. Let’s send our treasures ahead
of us to glory, because there they last forever.
The second motivation is found in verse 21: The
location of your treasure moves your heart. For
many years I assumed that the words “where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also” mean
that your treasure will invariably follow your heart,
i.e., what you love determines what you do with
your money. That principle is true. But later while
meditating on this passage I realized that the word
order is intentional. Your thoughts, desires, and
emotions will naturally be set on the place where
your treasures already lie.
Think of a man with two cars. One is
a rusty 1981 hatchback with 318,000
miles and hasn’t started for three
years. The other is a $90,000
sports car fresh from the showroom.
One night during a storm, the man
is awakened by a thunderclap, a falling
tree, and the sound of twisting metal and shat-
tering glass. Which car is causing
the pounding of his heart in his
chest? Which of the two is he
wondering about as he dreads
looking out the dining room
window? His heart is running
toward the treasure.
Christians long to have our affections freed from this
passing world and set on Christ and His kingdom.
Verse 21 reveals how this can happen by God’s grace.
Do you want a deeper thirst for God? Do you want
your heart to be liberated from infatuation with this
world? Do you want to grow in your love for Jesus
and His work around this world? Start giving to His
cause, and your heart will follow. You won’t be able
to stop thinking about God’s kingdom, praying for
His working, and giving yourself more and more
to Christ for His purposes because your treasure
is already there.
WHY LAY UP