Heavenly Treasure – Matthew 6:19-245 min read

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Before scratching the surface of these precious words, we must first realize that this passage is dealing with much more than just material possessions. It applies to our whole outlook on life and where our focus should be; either the things of the world or the Saviour.

Earthly Treasure

The fact that they are referred to as earthly “treasures” proves to us that there are things on earth that do satisfy… at least for a short while. There is a real temptation for the things of this world that we must avoid, and at times, this is a burden in itself. But regardless of our nature of the flesh, the Lord commanded us not to lay up treasures on earth where all will eventually burn, but in Heaven. Perhaps a treasure can be money, friends, self – could it even be a smart phone? But money can be stolen, friends come and go, phones die, clothes wear out, cars break down, and even our earthly bodies will come to an end. So if these things are our focus, what will we gain? We’ll gain wood, hay, and stubble, which will all burn at the Judgement Seat. “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!” We must prepare to meet our God; will there be fruit for Him?

Heavenly Treasure

Thankfully, the Lord not only told us what not to do, but He guided us to the very source of eternity: God Himself. Heavenly treasure is precious, because it lasts and it does so for Him, the very God of eternity! Things that are often secondary to us – communion, meditation, kindness, long-suffering, etc. – are precious. These are the treasures that result in gold, silver, and precious stones; when the fire comes, these are treasures that will last. What is the point of treasure if it does not last? How is it worth pursuing if we cannot cherish it? The issue of living for heavenly treasure is not trivial. It is not just another decision in life, for it is decided by how we serve the very Source of life! Do we take the Lord seriously? Is He our Lord? If He is Lord, why should we not seek first His Kingdom? How precious it is to treasure godly things.

Where is your Heart?

So then, we are faced with two options: lay up treasures in Heaven or lay them here on earth. The decision is most important, because it determines where our hearts are located and where our allegiance is. Am I saved? If so, do I cherish Christ? Do I love money? Are my goals set for eternity or for earth? Do I love and edify the brethren? Do I love souls, saved and unsaved? It is the personal choice of every believer where he lays his treasure, and he himself will be accountable for it. As believers, we have only one life to live for Him, and only the things of Christ will last. Do we really want wood, hay, and stubble to present before the Lord (1 Cor 3)? Does my life support my claim of being Christ’s? Where is my heart? Where is my treasure?

Looking from the Right Perspective

After establishing the fact that our treasure must be Heavenly, He gives us the key to laying it up: we must have the right focus. If the eye is single (single in focus, clear, focused), the whole body is full of light; our life depends on our focus. Focus on Christ. If we are taken up with the Light of the World, our body will be full of that light, and our treasure will be worth laying up.

But if the focus is evil (undecided, unfocused), the whole body is full of darkness. And we therefore conclude that the heart is in great darkness. These words should strike fear in our hearts, especially considering that these words came from the great Judge of the universe. This is the description of one whose allegiance is to Satan. Rather than serving sin, we must look unto Christ. May this be our life verse: “Looking unto Jesus…” (Heb 12:2).

Choosing a Definite Master

This is the focus point of the whole section. No man can serve two masters, ever. Either we serve the flesh or God. Our affections are either fully set on things above or fully on things below, and we cleave with our whole heart to one or the other. So we are faced with a choice: I will eternally serve and cleave to my Saviour, focus on eternity, and lay up my treasures for Him. Or I will despise His precious blood that He so graciously gave, my focus will be on self, and I will live my sinful treasures in disobedience to God Himself. How evil if we choose to serve sin! Does our Lord, Who allowed His visage to be marred more than any man, who shed freely His precious blood, not deserve at least our utmost devotion? Colossians 1:18 “…that in all things He might have the preeminence.”