Treasures In Heaven (Or Earth) Series

That is why Jesus says don’t get caught up in storing up treasures here on earth. It doesn’t last. Instead he says, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” This is kind of a difficult passage to think about because, for one, we don’t always have a clear understanding of what heaven is and so we certainly don’t understand what treasures in heaven are. Depending on who you are, you may have a different perspective of heaven than somebody else. Some people think of heaven as this distant galaxy far away and when you die, somehow you sprout wings and you go off to that place. Other people believe heaven is just another dimension that is as close as your hand where there is a lot of activity going on there all the time and even right now. When you pass you just simply pass into that dimension that some refer to as the kingdom of God. Whatever you believe about heaven doesn’t really matter. What matters is the good news that because you know that in heaven things last eternally, you don’t have to focus on storing up stuff in heaven because you have this eternal spiritual lockbox available to you. It is as spacious as space itself and as timeless as all eternity.

You may say what kind of stuff do I get to put up there? The problem is Jesus doesn’t give us an example. He doesn’t tell us what kind of stuff it is, but we can probably be pretty certain that the types of treasures we are going to have in heaven are the types of things that Jesus treasured while he was on earth, which really boils down to anything that expresses love of God and love of others. We know that things that express love of God and love of others are often classified as good deeds and generosity. That is why Paul also writes to Timothy and says “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of life that is truly life.” So we know that good deeds and acts of service help us accrue treasure in heaven. Beyond that, I think it is anything that helps advance God and his plan to bring all his creation back to him. That could mean something as simple as sitting with a friend and having a cup of coffee and sharing faith with the person. Drawing that person closer into God. Or really just prayer and encouragement for someone who is hurting or some sort of forgiveness and reconciliation. Those would be classified as treasures that would be stored up in heaven. Jesus says don’t waste your time on this stuff on earth. Focus on the treasures that may be hidden but have this eternal, lasting value.

Jesus is concerned about the treasures that you are storing but not just because he is worried about whether or not they are going to last. What he is really worried about is the impact that the treasures can have on your inner life or what Jesus refers to as the heart. That is why he goes on and gives us a warning. He says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The word heart just like heaven is very difficult for us to get our hands around because it is a spiritual term. When you think of heart, we know that he is not talking about the physical organ that pumps blood. Jesus is thinking about something in the spiritual realm. Specifically what some think he is referring to is the inner life that controls your decisions, your will, your affection. That is what they believe he is referring to. Some people call the heart the executive command center of your life. We know that people with a good heart or a healthy heart often make good decisions. When they encounter all sorts of situations in life, they generally respond in a good, positive way. When people with an unhealthy heart encounter different situations, they end up responding sometimes in a negative way. Proverbs 4:23 talks about the need to guard your heart because it is the wellspring of your life. The condition of your heart determines what is going to spring up and spring out of you. Jesus is very concerned with where you put your treasures, what your heart is focused on.