Matthew 6:19-21 - Store Your Treasures In Heaven And Not On This Earth.
Mat.6:19-21: Store Your Treasures In Heaven And Not On This
Earth.
Mat 6:19-21 (NIV) Do not store up for yourselves treasures on
earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and
steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and
rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
DEVOTIONAL PEARL
So few things in our lives last forever. In fact, Jesus tells
us in Matthew 24:35 that "heaven and earth will pass away, but my
words will never pass away." It makes you wonder, doesn't it, why we
spend so much time, energy, and resources on the things of this world
- making money, creating a name, impressing our neighbors,
collecting treasures, seeking pleasure - when we know that they will all be
gone one day. Like God Himself, His Word is eternal. What results
from His Word is also eternal: fruits of the Spirit such as love,
joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control;
fruits of our labor such as soul winning, seed planting, soil watering;
the fruit of righteousness such as a pure life. What will you say on
that day when you stand before the Lord to give an account of your
time? Today is a good day to start over: read His Word, apply it to
your life, and live it out! [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]
THE FOLLOWING FOR THOSE WHO DESIRE DEEPER STUDY:
CONTENT; What's in the verse; Translations; Paraphrase; Word
Study:
Mat 6:19-21 (KJV) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon
earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break
through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break
through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be
also.
Mat 6:19-21 (NIV) Do not store up for yourselves treasures on
earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and
steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and
rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Lay not up. The accumulation of worldly goods is generally
motivated by a desire for security, and reflects fear and uncertainty for
the future. Jesus points out to those who would be citizens of His
kingdom that the possession of material wealth is a source of anxiety
rather than a means of escape from it. The Christian will not be
anxious concerning the material necessities of life because of his
confidence that God knows his needs and will provide for them (vs. 31-34).
As Paul later pointed out, this does not mean that the Christian
will be indolent in providing for his own needs and for those of his
family (1 Thess. 4:11; 2 Thess. 3:10; 1 Tim. 5:8). [SDA Commentary]
Treasures. Christ here refers to wealth in the broad sense of
all material possessions. The love of money was the ruling passion
of thousands in the time of Christ, as it is of millions today.
[SDA Commentary]
Moth and rust. Every material possession is affected in one way
or another by loss, decay, depreciation, or deterioration. [SDA
Commentary]
Moth and rust. Representative of all agents and processes that
destroy worldly possessions. [NIV SB]
Corrupt. might here better be rendered "consume." [SDA
Commentary]
But lay up. In the Sermon on the Mount there is no injunction
against the laying up of treasure provided it is laid up in the right
place. Christ would have citizens of the kingdom of heaven make a sound
investment of the time and strength their heavenly Father has seen fit to
allot them in this life. All that a man owns in this life is merely
lent to him by God; [SDA Commentary]
Treasures in heaven. Investments in heavenly treasure appreciate
with time, whereas those in earthly treasure inevitably depreciate in
value. [SDA Commentary]
Treasures in heaven. Anything done in this life that has eternal
value. The phrase is the equivalent of being "rich toward God" (Lk
12:21). In this context it probably more specifically refers to using
one's material wealth for good causes. [NIV SB]
Your heart be. Treasure is that on which a man sets his heart,
regardless of intrinsic value. A child's "treasures" may have little
intrinsic worth, but they often mean as much to him as a king's ransom.
[SDA Commentary]
CONTEXT; What's around the verse; Overview; Topic:
Overview
Kingdom citizens have an "in-secret" relationship with God
(6:1-5), knowing how (vv. 6-8) and what (vv. 9-15) to pray. Such prayer
has nothing to do with outward show (vv. 16-18). With our attention
on heaven (vv. 19-24) and our trust in God as Father, we are freed
to concentrate on kingdom living (vv. 25-34). Because relationship
with God is "in secret," we do not judge others (7:1-6), we
consciously depend on our Father (vv. 7-12), and we choose His "narrow gate"
(vv. 13-14). As we do, God's power is exhibited in our good lives
(vv. 15-23) and obedience (vv. 24-29). [The 365-Day Devotional
Commentary]
Chapter six is a small book on Christian spirituality. Our full
worship to God should include: ministry to the needy (vv. 1-4), prayer
(vv. 5-14), private forms of spirituality (vv. 19-24), and leaving
things with God (vv. 25-34). [Disciple SB]
Treasures evidence heart attachment. In Matthew 6:1-8 the focus
was on the choice between receiving rewards from men or from God. In
6:19-34 the focus is on the choice between the treasures of earth or the
treasures of heaven. [New Bible Companion]
Freedom from anxiety, which arises from trust in God, comprises
the theme of vv. 19-34. The new way of life demands the abandonment
of commitment to earthly treasures (vv. 19-24). The only true
treasures are heavenly ones (vv. 19, 20). Citizens of the kingdom must be
single-minded in devotion to God (vv. 22-24). Anxiety denotes impoverishment
of faith and is alleviated when ambition is directed toward God's
kingdom and righteousness, since God can be trusted to provide the
necessities of life. [Believer's SB]
6:19-21 The dangers of riches are often mentioned in the NT
(e.g., v. 24; 13:22; 19:22; Mk 10:17- 30; Lk 12:16-21; 1Ti 6:9-10,
17-19; Heb 13:5), but nowhere are they condemned in and of themselves.
What Jesus condemns here is greed and hoarding of money. [NIV SB]
SECTION HEADINGS
Jesus teaches about money (6:19-24)
True Riches (6:19-24)
True treasures (6:19-21)
God Is More Important than Money
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven (6:19-24)
CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses elsewhere.
19
Proverbs 11:4 (KJV) Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but
righteousness delivereth from death.
Proverbs 16:16 (KJV) How much better is it to get wisdom than
gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
Proverbs 23:5 (KJV) Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is
not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an
eagle toward heaven.
Luke 12:19-21 (KJV) And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast
much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and
be merry. [20] But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy
soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be,
which thou hast provided? [21] So is he that layeth up treasure for
himself, and is not rich toward God.
Luke 18:24 (KJV) And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful,
he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the
kingdom of God!
1 Tim. 6:8-10 (KJV) And having food and raiment let us be
therewith content. [9] But they that will be rich fall into temptation and
a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men
in destruction and perdition. [10] For the love of money is the
root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred
from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1 Tim. 6:17 (KJV) Charge them that are rich in this world, that
they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the
living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) Let your conversation be without
covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
James 5:1-3 (KJV) Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for
your miseries that shall come upon you. [2] Your riches are
corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. [3] Your gold and silver is
cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall
eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for
the last days.
1 John 2:15-16 (KJV) Love not the world, neither the things
that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the
Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of
the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not
of the Father, but is of the world.
20
Matthew 19:21 (KJV) Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be
perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt
have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
James 2:5 (KJV) Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God
chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom
which he hath promised to them that love him?
21
Proverbs 4:23 (KJV) Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out
of it are the issues of life.
Isaiah 33:6 (KJV) And wisdom and knowledge shall be the
stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is
his treasure.
2 Cor. 4:18 (KJV) While we look not at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are
seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Col. 3:2 (KJV) Set your affection on things above, not on
things on the earth.
COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart
What is God teaching here? What does it teach about Jesus?
This verse makes it sound like your treasure and your heart are
linked together somehow. That what you spend your time, energy, and
resources on is what is really important to you. That others could
evaluate your priorities by looking at your calendar, your schedule, and
your checkbook. That what you say is important, and may or may not
line up with what you do. It would be good for all of us who call
ourselves Christian to reevaluate how we spend our time, who we spend our
time with, and what we spend our money on. This would provide real
insight into our priorities. Could you withstand the careful scrutiny
by others into these areas of your life? Are you willing to
scrutinize them for yourself? [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]
Jesus says we can have only one master. We live in a
materialistic society where many people serve money. They spend all their
lives collecting and storing it, only to die and leave it behind.
Their desire for money and what it can buy far outweighs their
commitment to God and spiritual matters. Whatever you store up, you will
spend much of your time and energy thinking about. Don't fall into the
materialistic trap, because "the love of money is the first step toward all
kinds of sin" (1 Timothy 6:10). Can you honestly say that God, and not
money, is your master? One test is to ask which one occupies more of
your thoughts, time, and efforts. [Life Application SB]
Material things are not bad in themselves. They become bad when
we place more importance on them than on our relationship with
God.... Money must not dominate life. We give greatest thought and
priority to what we really love. Jesus did not condemn money in itself.
He condemned obtaining or using money instead of serving God.
Anxiety over possessions is also condemned, because it allows one to be
troubled over the unknown tomorrow. God's sustaining care allows Christ's
followers to serve Him without anxiety. Incomplete loyalty to God, love of
money, and anxiety over material things are attitudes which corrupt
God's intended role for material possessions. These sins are caused by
greed, which robs the steward of the joy and contentment of using
material things to serve God. Seeking security in possessions causes much
of our frustration. Only God provides true security. Secure in Him,
we can meet family needs and serve others. [Disciple SB]
Jesus contrasted heavenly values with earthly values when he
explained that our first loyalty should be to those things that do not
fade, cannot be stolen or used up, and never wear out. We should not
be fascinated with our possessions, lest they possess us. This
means we may have to do some cutting back if our possessions are
becoming too important to us. Jesus is calling for a decision that allows
us to live contentedly with whatever we have because we have chosen
what is eternal and lasting. [Life Application SB]
Storing up treasures in heaven is not limited to tithing but is
accomplished by all acts of obedience to God. There is a sense in which
giving our money to God's work is like investing in heaven. But our
intention should be to seek the fulfillment of God's purposes in all we
do, not merely what we do with our money. [Life Application SB]
Spiritual vision is our capacity to see clearly what God wants
us to do and to see the world from his point of view. But this
spiritual insight can be easily clouded. Self-serving desires, interests,
and goals block that vision. Serving God is the best way to restore
it. A "good" eye is one that is fixed on God. Our desire should be
to discover what God wants and then invest ourself in obedience. As
we do, our understanding of God will increase. Our vision of God
will become clearer. [Life Application SB]
Our heart will be restless and bored if our "treasure" isn't
focused on knowing and obeying God. [Life Application SB]
So few things in our lives last forever. In fact, Jesus tells
us in Matthew 24:35 that "heaven and earth will pass away, but my
words will never pass away." It makes you wonder, doesn't it, why we
spend so much time, energy, and resources on the things of this world
- making money, creating a name, impressing our neighbors,
collecting treasures, seeking pleasure - when we know that they will all be
gone one day. Like God Himself, His Word is eternal. What results
from His Word is also eternal: fruits of the Spirit such as love,
joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control;
fruits of our labor such as soul winning, seed planting, soil watering;
the fruit of righteousness such as a pure life. What will you say on
that day when you stand before the Lord to give an account of your
time? Today is a good day to start over: read His Word, apply it to
your life, and live it out! [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Treasure laid up on the earth will engross the mind to the exclusion of
heavenly things.... Avaricious greed for wealth exerts such a fascinating,
bewitching influence over the life that it results in perverting the
nobility and corrupting the humanity of men until they are drowned in
perdition. The service of Satan is full of care, perplexity, and wearing
labor, and the treasure men toil to accumulate on earth is only for a
season.... The instruction is to "lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven." It is for your own interest to secure heavenly riches. These
alone, of all that you possess, are really yours. The treasure laid up
in heaven is imperishable. No fire or flood can destroy it, no
thief despoil it, no moth or rust corrupt it; for it is in the keeping
of God. This treasure, which Christ esteems as precious above all
estimate, is "the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."
Ephesians 1:18. The disciples of Christ are called His jewels, His
precious and peculiar treasure. He says, "They shall be as the stones of
a crown." "I will make a man more precious than fine gold;... Christ
looks upon His people in their purity and perfection as the reward of
all His sufferings, His humiliation, and His love, and the
supplement of His glory--... We are permitted to unite with Him in the great
work of redemption and to be sharers with Him in the riches which His
death and suffering have won.... This is the treasure for which Christ
bids us labor. Character is the great harvest of life. And every word
or deed that through the grace of Christ shall kindle in one soul
an impulse that reaches heavenward, every effort that tends to the
formation of a Christlike character, is laying up treasure in heaven.... {MB
88-90}
The Lord calls His followers to a life of patient waiting; the
world urges immediate gratification. The Lord calls His followers to
labor for the kingdom; the world strives for bigger, better, and the
most now. What do you do more than others? Are you more selfless or
selfish? Are you waiting or striving? Does what you do have eternal or
temporal significance? Think about it! [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]
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