Treasure in Heaven
A Sermon on Matthew 6:19-24
Cheap Perfume
The story is told of the husband who was on a business trip and decided to buy a gift to bring home to his wife to show her how much he appreciated her.
The lady at the cosmetics counter showed him a bottle of perfume for $75, but the man thought that was a bit expensive. So the clerk pulled out a smaller bottle of the same perfume, which cost only $50.
Again, the man explained that this was a bit expensive. The clerk, trying to conceal her frustration, showed him the smallest bottle available, priced at $20.
The man shook his head and said, “I think I’d like you to show me something really cheap.”
So she reached under the counter and showed him a mirror.
Today’s Theme
When you love someone, you should want to give them the best you can. The expense isn’t as important as whether you are giving to the best of your ability. The way we treat our money, our possessions, and other material things speaks loudly as to what we value. And what we are willing to give, and to whom, speaks to whom we value.
We continue our series today from the Sermon on the Mount, entitled Extreme Makeover: Christian Edition. Two weeks ago, we talked about turning our faith around, and last week Pastor Kevin talked about how we handle our anger. This week our topic is our treasure – it’s been called the sermon on the amount – but it is really about much more than money.
What do we hold onto tightly? And do we hold on too tightly? As Christians, many of us would claim that Christ is our treasure above all else. But when we look at the evidence, what do we see?
If you have your Bibles with you, why don’t you take them out and turn to the 6 chapter Matthew’s Gospel. We’ll be looking at verses 19 through 24.
Chapter 6 of Matthew’s gospel draws a series of comparisons between Jesus’ followers and the hypocrites. He considers the outpouring of their lives in terms of almsgiving, prayer, fasting, and here in verse 19 – what we hold as treasure.
In a way, all of his prior exhortations are summed up here, for our habits of giving and prayer and fasting reveal to some degree what we consider to be real treasure.
Identify Your Treasure
Let’s listen to Jesus words, beginning at verse 19
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV)
The things of earth will not last, and yet it is in them that we so often choose to put our hope.
How are your investments doing? Do you have treasure in the stock market? We don’t like to talk about the down side of the stock market, but some of us put our treasure there anyway. Sometimes it pays off in the future, and sometimes it doesn’t.
How else do we hold our treasure? Some of us have rooms in our house full of items that are susceptible to moths and rust, as well as the opportunistic thief. Clothes that are worn regularly don’t tend to have problems with moths – it’s the unused ones, the ones that we store in the off season, that require mothballs. Some of those items we store up may have a future planned use – but many of them are just stuff that takes up our time, space, money, and energy. Some of us need two homes – one for us and one for our stuff.
The question is, do you have all of your stuff, or does your stuff have you?
Field Mouse Book
My daughter has a book about a family of field mice who are moving to a new house. Father Fieldmouse thinks this would be a good time to get rid of some of the rubbish – but the children don’t think they have any rubbish. He suggests “What about the orange juice cans?” and one child calls out, “We’d like to keep them please.” Father says if they don’t get rid of them, they’ll need another moving van. And Mother Mouse’s recurring phrase is, “We’ll find a use for them some day.”
This scenario is repeated with all the rubbish in the house: milk cartons, magazines, toilet paper tubes, and so on. In the end, it takes seven moving vans to move all their stuff. And they spend a great deal of time and energy to transport their rubbish and they have to move it around several times in order to make room for it all in their new house.
Unfortunately, the moral of this particular story is that our junk comes in handy. The truth is, more often than not, all the stuff we treasure requires a lot of money, energy, and time to maintain – and it isn’t always used in the end.
Speaking of time, sometimes our time is our treasure too. We want it for ourselves – to spend as we please. While moth and rust cannot destroy our time, there are plenty of thieves who steal it away from where it ought to be spent.
Worldly Wealth is not for Storage
Whatever we have in life, be it money or possessions or even time, we aren’t given them in life so that we can store them. When we store them, and tend them, and become afraid at the thought of letting them go, then they have become our treasure – and they have our hearts.
But if we weren’t given them to store them, then what are we supposed to do with them?
Speaking of a thief, Paul says in Ephesians 4:28, that he should steal no longer, but instead, work, so “…that he may have something to share with those in need.” (NIV)
I think those words apply to more than just thieves. Yes, we are to work hard, to obtain money and possessions and free time. But we do it not to hoard it and turn it into treasure, but in order to live and provide for the needy. We do not obtain money and possessions as an end in themselves, but rather, so they can be used. If your mind is set on things above, then earthly things won’t possess you as treasure is wont to do.
What is your treasure? What does your heart desire?
Captain Jack’s Compass
In the movie, “The Pirates of the Caribbean,” Captain Jack Sparrow has a compass. It is no ordinary compass. Rather than pointing north, it points toward whatever the person holding it wants most. It might be treasure, or a person, or a location. But it only works if the person holding it knows what they want.
But Captain Jack, self-centered as he is, doesn’t really know what he wants and so the compass doesn’t always work for him. In the second ‘Pirates’ movie, when he is trying to find the chest containing the still-beating heart of Davy Jones (giving new meaning to “where your treasure is, there your heart will be”) Jack can’t get a heading from his compass. So he convinces Elizabeth that finding the chest will reunite her with her true love. And because her heart is more certain at that moment than his, they get their heading and continue their journey.
What is Your Treasure?
If you were holding Captain Jack’s compass, where would the needle point? What is the thing that you want most – more than anything in all the world?
Or would the needle on your compass spin because you don’t really know where your treasure lies? Or as was suggested to Captain Jack, “do you know but are loath to claim it as your own?”
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be. In an honest moment, ask yourself, “What is my treasure?" And can it perish or will it go with you into eternity?
Jesus tells us clearly in John 6:27:
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. …"(John 6:27)
Valley of the Kings
No matter how much you accumulate in this life, it won’t go with you. In the Valley of the Kings there is many a pyramid that attests to this. Kings were buried with all the things they were thought to need to make the journey into the next world. But many years later when archeologists dug them up, there they lay, untouched.
Antiques Road Show
And how many of our possessions lie untouched too? I like to watch Antiques Road Show, especially when the things people collect that are worth much more than the owner suspected. It’s fun to watch their eyes get big as they take in a deep breath and try not to show how excited they really are. And then they usually comment about increasing the insurance coverage.
When they didn’t know the value, they kept it in the closet or let the kids play with it or ate off of it and then ran it through the dishwasher. But now, they pay money to protect it and they don’t enjoy it the way they used to. The antique begins to own their hearts – it has become their treasure. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone ask how to go about putting their antique up for auction once they found out its worth.
If we are to change our thinking and seek the right sort of treasure we have to find a way to own our possessions rather than the other way around. And frankly, we are quite good at fooling ourselves into believing that we have succeeded. In theory, we can convince ourselves of almost anything.
Giving in Theory
The story is told of the missionary who asked a new convert, “Pablo, if you had a hundred sheep, would you give fifty of them to the Lord’s work?”
“You know I would gladly give them,” he replied.
“Pablo, if you had fifty cows, would you give twenty-five to the Lord’s work?”
“Of course, I would be more than happy to do that,” came the confident reply.
Once again the missionary asked, “Pablo, if you had two pigs, would you give one of them to the Lord’s work?”
“That’s not fair!” Pablo said, “You know I have two pigs.”
How often have you said, “If I only had more, I’d give more.” “If I had a million dollars, I’d give half away.”
A more honest reply was given in a popular song a number of years back: “If I had a million dollars – I’d be rich!”
It’s OK to Earn a Living
I’m not saying we shouldn’t try to earn a living wage and set money aside.
The apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians:
After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. (2 Corinthians 12:14, NIV)
And in 1 Timothy we read:
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8, NIV)
We are charged to provide for our families. And as I read earlier from Ephesians, we are to work so that we “may have something to share with those in need.” (Ephesians 4:28)
Loyalty
The issue Jesus is getting at in His sermon is not that we should rid ourselves of all material possessions. The issue is where your heart is. The issue is loyalty - what are you going to do with your possessions rather than what they are going to do with you. If we are loyal to Christ, our money and our possessions will be used properly – and what we do with them will prove that Christ is our treasure instead.
Jesus wants us to recognize that no matter how much lip service we give to honoring Him, when we look at our treasure, we will know where our heart really is. And once you know, ask yourself if you are satisfied with the answer.
Let Your Eye be Generous
Jesus goes on to say:
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23, NIV)
But what does seeing have to do with treasure? Did Jesus just change directions here? I don’t think so.
A good eye allows us to see well and find our way. It is sound. But a good eye can also mean generosity.
The Evil Eye
The opposite of a good eye might be called an evil eye, which is a Semitic metaphor for greediness or a grudging spirit. Some folk religions believe that the envy elicited by the fortunes of some people may ultimately bring them harm when an envious person casts the evil eye upon the object of their desire. The one with the evil eye is a person who is envious, greedy, and covetous – even if it isn’t intentional.
In this context, a good eye would be the opposite - a generous one, not given over to envy.
When our eyes see something and we desire to use it for God’s glory, to provide for our family or help the needy, we treasure the right things and our body is full of light. When our eyes lead us to envy and a grudging spirit, we are full of darkness, for our treasure is laid up on earth.
It isn’t necessarily wrong to desire things, but we have to constantly examine our reasons for doing so. And if we find that we are not about God’s glory, then maybe our loyalty needs a makeover.
Monk and the Precious Stone
There was a monk who found a precious stone. He put it in his bag and carried it around with him. One day he was sharing his provisions with a traveler and the man saw the jewel in his bag. On impulse, he asked if he could have it and monk gladly gave it to him. The traveler quickly left, overjoyed at his great fortune.
A few days later, however, the man sought the monk out. He returned the stone and said, “I don’t really want the stone. I want something much more valuable. I want whatever it was that enabled you to give it to me so freely.”
When you set your eyes on something, do you want it for its inherent value as the traveler in the story did? Or do you want it so you can use it when the opportunity comes to help a brother or sister? When you look upon your possessions, are they tools or treasure?
The way our eye sees betrays our heart.
Offer Undivided Loyalty
Jesus concludes this section of His sermon by saying:
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24, NIV)
The word translated as money here is sometimes translated as mammon. Mammon is all property, not just greenbacks. It comes from the root which means, “that in which one trusts.” You can’t serve God and trust in something else. Is your security in your property or is it in God? You can only truly love one of them.
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. If money is your treasure – whether it be cold hard cash or possessions of value to you – then your heart will not be serving God.
As Craig Blomberg says, “We try so hard to create heaven on earth and to throw in Christianity when convenient as another small addition to the so-called good life.” (p.124)
To God, a divided loyalty is no loyalty at all.
I’m guessing there are some people out there who have had or do have divided loyalties. There are some with covetous eyes and treasure consisting of earthly fortune. We all struggle against this. But how do we go about turning that around?
Lay up Treasure in Heaven
Jesus told us back at verse 20:
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:20, NIV)
What sorts of treasures are these? How do we lay up treasure in heaven?
Well, we know that this sort of treasure doesn’t perish. If we value holiness and obedience to God, a heart of service, and a generous spirit, these are things we can take with us to the eternal kingdom. If we value our faith and the souls we win for Christ, these too can come with us. These cannot be touched by moths or rust. This is treasure stored in heaven.
Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about our desire for treasure, noting that Christ recognizes this desire in us – and so provides the opportunity to create treasure. But rather than earthly treasure that will not last, He offers eternal, spiritual treasure that glories in God. Through faith in Christ we can have this treasure.
But we often settle for a cheaper sort of treasure. We have an opportunity to invest in something far greater than moths and rust – something that will accrue interest in eternity. But, as David Jeremiah says, “Far too many Christians lack the desire to obtain something grand.” (How to Live, p.118)
If you want to obtain something far grander than earthly treasure, then listen to the words of the apostle Paul from Colossians, chapter 3:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:1-10, NIV)
Shun your old life that sucks your energy and time and money into earthly treasures. Set your mind on things above. If you know Jesus, you can do that because you have been raised with Christ and His Holy Spirit dwells in you. It is by His power that we can treasure the right things.
Paul put it more positively in his letter to the church in Philippi:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9, NIV)
Send your heart after the right treasure, and you will know the God of peace.
When our loyalty is with God, our mind will be set on the true and noble – that which is worthy of praise. When we cultivate a desire for what is right and admirable, that desire will not perish in eternity. And whatever worldly goods we have at our disposal, whether little or plenty, we can invest them in heavenly treasure, using the earthly tools God has given for His glory.
Korean Farmers
A story is told of a couple who was visiting Korea and talking to their interpreter who was a missionary there. They saw a father and son working in a rice paddy. The old man was guiding the plough as the boy pulled it.
“They must be very poor,” the man said to the missionary.
“Yes,” he replied, “when the church was built, they were eager to give something to it, but they had no money. So they sold their ox and gave the money to the church. This spring they are pulling the plough themselves.”
“That was a real sacrifice,” the woman said.
“No,” the missionary replied, “they do not call it a sacrifice. They are just thankful they had an ox to sell.”
What we have in life isn’t really our own. God gives and takes away. When your treasure is in heaven, that is much easier to accept.
Whatever you own in life, examine its purpose. Consider your loyalties and see if they are to mammon or to God.
Conclusion
In the movie Gladiator, General Maximus was trying to inspire his troops to give their best in the battle against Germania. As he addressed them, he challenged them with these words, “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”
I challenge you with those words today. We are all creatures created for eternity. What will your echoes be?
© Susan Blader, 1/21/07, from the Sermon Series, ‘Extreme Makeover Christian Edition’
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Sources:
1) Bible Works 5, Revision 2, (Bigfork, Montana: Hermeneutika Computer Bible Research Software, 2001).
2) Craig L. Blomberg, The New American Commentary, Volume 22: Matthew, (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press), 1992.
3) Franz Brandenberg, What Can You Make of It?, (New York, NY: Greenwillow Books), 1977.
4) Bishop Ray W. Chamberlain Jr., “Season of Sacrifice,” in http://www.sermonsplus.co.uk/illustrations.htm (accessed 1-16-07) - Korean farmer story
5) Kent Crockett, “Making Today Count for Eternity, (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers), 2001, in http://www.sermonsplus.co.uk/illustrations.htm (accessed 1-16-07) - Generous in Theory
6) R.T. France, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Volume 1: The Gospel According to Matthew, an Introduction and Commentary, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985).
7) David Jeremiah, God’s Principles of Stewardship, (SanDiego, CA: Turning Point for God), 2005, p.116 – perfume joke
8) David Jeremiah, How to Live According to Jesus, Volume One, (SanDiego, CA: Turning Point for God), 2004
9) Robert H. Mounce, New International Biblical Commentary, Volume One: Matthew, (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1991).
10) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Jack_Sparrow (accessed 1-16-07)
11) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_eye (accessed 1-16-07)
12) http://www.sermonsplus.co.uk/illustrations.htm (accessed 1-16-07) - Monk and precious stone
