treasure in heaven

¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys 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

Jesus answered the question of rewards by speaking of treasures in heaven. Of course there is a reward for following righteousness; otherwise, we ask, “Why be good?” To what end does one follow righteousness? The reward is not material, or tangible. Worldly values are corruptible and the plaudits of the crowd are soon gone. But the values of the kingdom continue with the kingdom. A clear conscience and a free and joyous spirit are present rewards. The kingdom is eternal, and the kingdom member is sharing eternal life, a quality of life that is eternal.

Gathering earthly treasures is not a great enough cause by which to structure a philosophy of life. Earthly treasures offer no long-range security, for moths destroy, deterioration ruins, and thieves break through the walls and steal. Rather, the treasures of the eternal life are the securities that remain. Such “treasures in heaven,” as Jesus called them, were understood in His day to be matters of character. They are the development of a godly personality, of minds that can enjoy the great thoughts of God and His creation, of hearts that transcend selfishness by loving. Such treasures have heavenly meaning and will abide forever.

Jesus concludes this section with a reference to the importance of our goals. He introduces a formula which is as real as life: where a man’s treasure is, there his heart is. If everything a person values is on earth, then his values will also be earthly. But when one’s goals are set on the eternal will of God, his values reflect the same. And this applies to both short-range and long-range goals. In fact, the long-range goals are very important in offering direction for short-range goals. In game hunting, one has two sights on the gun barrel, a near one and a far one at the end of the barrel so that when these two are lined up on the rabbit or deer, there is a successful shot.

So it is in life; one needs the distant sight as well as the one close in, and keeping them in line assures consistency and success. To use another figure, when one is in love he is drawn to the person of that love. The result, in both thought and practice, is the contemplation of the object of love. That which is first in our affection is first in our thoughts.

¹Lay not up treasures (μὴ θησαυρίξετε). Lit., treasure not treasures. So Wyc., Do not treasure to you treasures. The beautiful legend of St. Thomas and Gondoforus is told by Mrs. Jameson (“Sacred and Legendary Art”): “When St. Thomas was at Caesarea, our Lord appeared to him and said, ‘The king of the Indies, Gondoforus, hath sent his provost, Abanes, to seek for workmen well versed in the science of architecture, who shall build for him a palace finer than that of the Emperor of Rome. Behold, now I will send thee to him.’ And Thomas went, and Gondoforus commanded him to build for him a magnificent palace, and gave him much gold and silver for the purpose. The king went into a distant country and was absent for two years; and St. Thomas, meanwhile instead of building a palace, distributed all the treasures among the poor and sick; and when the king returned he was full of wrath, and he commanded that St. Thomas should be seized and cast into prison, and he meditated for him a horrible death. Meantime the brother of the king died, and the king resolved to erect for him a most magnificent tomb; but the dead man, after that he had been dead four days, suddenly arose and sat upright, and said to the king, ‘The man whom thou wouldst torture is a servant of God; behold, I have been in Paradise, and the angels showed to me a wondrous palace of gold and silver and precious stones; and they said, ‘This is the palace that Thomas, the architect, hath built for thy brother, King Gondoforus.’ And when the king heard these words, he ran to the prison, and delivered the apostle; and Thomas said to him, ‘Knowest thou not that those who would possess heavenly things have little care for the things of this earth? There are in heaven rich palaces without number, which were prepared from the beginning of the world for those who would purchase the possession through faith and charity. Thy riches, O king, may prepare the way for thee to such a palace, but they cannot follow thee thither.’ ”²

A great many folk think that money cannot be used in a spiritual way and that when you talk about money, you are talking about something that is only material. However, our Lord says that we are to lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven. How can we do that? Well, instead of putting it in a bank in Switzerland, put it in heaven by giving it to the Lord’s work down here—but make sure it is in the Lord’s work. You ought to investigate everything you give to. Make sure that you are giving to that which will accumulate treasure for you in heaven. If it is used for the propagation of the gospel and to get out the Word of God, it becomes legal tender in heaven, and that is how we gather treasure in heaven.

Perhaps you are saying, “But I don’t give for that reason.” You ought to, because our Lord said, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” That is a laudable motive for giving. And He gives the reason: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” If you get enough treasure laid up in heaven, you are certainly going to think a lot about heaven. But if it is in the bank, your thoughts are going to be on the bank. There is an ever–present danger of worshiping mammon rather than God³

I think it is a good thing to earn reward because the bible said you should

20–21. The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term “treasures” implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either upon earth or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasure in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus. The ultimate destiny of our lives is either earthly or heavenly and the concentration of our efforts will reveal where our real treasure is. In contrast to the legalistic attempt of Judaism to establish a spiritual treasure upon earth, Jesus calls the attention of His disciples to that true and eternal treasure which is heavenly. The only way man will ever overcome his natural inclination toward materialism and wealth is to place the priority of his possessions in heaven. If one were as concerned about spiritual benefits of his life as he were about the material possessions, his motivations would be pure indeed.⁴

6:19, 20 Do not lay up … but lay up may be rephrased as “Do not give priority to this, but give priority to that.” This passage does not mean that it is sinful to have such assets as insurance, retirement plans, and savings accounts. After all, parents are to save for their children (Prov. 13:22; 2 Cor. 12:14). For yourself makes it clear that the desire for reward in the kingdom is not sinful. The contrast is between the now and then. We cannot have it both here and there. We cannot take it with us, but we can invest it now in the future.

6:20, 21 The attention of the believer is directed toward treasures in heaven. The term “treasures” implies the addition or accumulation of things. The two kinds of treasures are conditioned by their place (either upon earth or in heaven). The concept of laying up treasure in heaven is not pictured as one of meritorious benefits but rather of rewards for faithful service, as is illustrated elsewhere in the teaching of Jesus. The ultimate destiny of our lives is either earthly or heavenly and the concentration of our efforts will reveal where our real treasure is.⁵

Giving is not God’s way of raising cash. It’s God’s way of raising kids. Every time I give, I am giving away part of my stinginess and selfishness. God doesn’t need my money, but I need to give. The Lord wants my heart, not my money, and He knows that wherever my treasure is, that’s where my heart will be. If I have financial investments, I will follow the stock market carefully. If I hold real estate, I will follow the housing market with genuine interest. If I have treasure in heaven, guess where my heart will be? It is profoundly interesting to me that Jesus didn’t say, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be.” Instead, He said, “Put your treasure in heaven, and your heart will inevitably follow.”

How can we be more heavenly-hearted? By sending our treasure ahead.⁶

A treasure (according to the notation of the word) signifieth something laid up for to-morrow, for future time; more largely it signifieth any riches, or what we judge a valuable portion. Make not the things of the earth your riches, or portion, with reference to future time; for all the riches of the earth are perishing, contemptible things; silver and gold is what rust will corrupt, clothes are what moths will spoil, any other things are subject to casualties, and, amongst others, to the violence of unreasonable men, who, though they have no right to them, will ordinarily take them from you. But let your riches, your treasure, be that which is heavenly, those habits of grace which will bring you to heaven, the things which accompany salvation, Heb. 6:9, which make you meet to be partakers of the saints in light, Col. 1:12: be rich in good works, laying up in store for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that you may lay hold on eternal life, 1 Tim. 6:18, 19; chap. 19:21; 25:34; Luke 18:22. Those treasures will not be liable to such accidents as all earthly treasures are. Wherever you fix your treasure, your heart will be there also, thinking upon it, delighting in it. &c.⁷

Through a strange set of circumstances, I was able to come into the possession of the 1543 Latin edition of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. There are only seven known copies of this treasure. When I actually held the book in my hands and looked at the pages, two pressing problems came to mind. First, I wondered how we could insure the book, knowing, of course, that no amount of money could replace it if it were to be destroyed. The second problem concerned where to store the book so bugs would not get into the binding and eat away the glue. It happened to come during the same week that I was preparing to preach the text before us now: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (vv. 19–20). Some translations read, “Where moth and vermin destroy,” because in the ancient world people kept their valuables hidden under the dirt floors of their houses. The houses themselves were basically made of mud bricks, and there were various types of vermin that could gnaw their way through to the valuables that were stored in the home and destroy them. Clothing was also easily destroyed. A distinguishing sign of the Jewish upper class was the fine and stylish clothes they wore. They did not keep their clothes in protected cedar chests or closets, so their finery was exposed to the destruction wrought by moths. So Jesus borrows from the everyday problems people experience with their most cherished possessions.

Our Treasure

Have you ever had an important possession stolen from you? I have, and I remember the accompanying sense of personal violation. A thief takes what someone else worked to achieve and acquire. That is why Paul writes, “Let him who stole steal no longer” (Eph. 4:28). We live in a world in which anything we own can be lost or stolen from us, yet here in Matthew, Jesus turns the values of the world upside down. Life is not about the treasures that we amass but about the treasures we have in heaven.

However, the Bible does teach us that we are to be diligent in providing for our family: “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8). Additionally, the Bible does not teach that those who are wealthy must therefore be evil. Jesus is talking about our hearts and what ignites our passion. His concern is our deepest level of concern and commitment.

In Paul’s epistle to the Romans, he warned about another kind of treasuring: “In accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:5). The apostle was saying that every offense we have committed against God will be on the docket when we are brought before His tribunal. Paul warns us against making new deposits into the wrath being built up against us. Therefore, we are either storing up treasure or storing up wrath. What are you storing up? Are you storing up treasure in heaven, or are you storing up wrath?

When I taught elementary economics at the Geneva School in Orlando, I told my students about the principle of delayed gratification, the importance of investing rather than consuming their earnings. There is a principle that I call the “eighth joyful mystery,” which is the law of compounded interest. We must always consider where we are investing. I believe that the best investment we can make is in the kingdom of God, and that is because there are no moths in heaven, nor is there a single thief. That is what Jesus is saying here.

How do we store up treasures in heaven? Some commentators believe that Jesus was referring to good works, which may strike you as somewhat offensive—we know that justification is by faith alone and not by works. Justification is indeed by faith alone, but our reward in heaven will be according to our works. There are at least twenty-five places in the New Testament that show that the distribution of heavenly rewards will be based upon our good works. Our good works are never good enough to get us to heaven or to merit reward; these rewards are of grace. This is what Augustine called God’s crowning His own gifts. At the same time, we are called repeatedly in Scripture to bring forth the fruits of righteousness and obedience. When we are obedient to Christ, we are treasuring up treasures in heaven. There is nothing more valuable than our obedience, and the value of it is eternal. The market in heaven is never a bear market. There are no recessions. The glory of the kingdom of God is from everlasting to everlasting.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (v. 21). We must ask ourselves on a regular basis where our treasure is and likewise where our heart is. Where is that point of ultimate concern that grips our life? That is the diagnostic question Jesus is asking. He is saying to us, “Where is your heart? Where is your ultimate commitment? Is it to prestige or success or wealth, or is to my kingdom?” He is asking whether He holds our heart. Our treasure lies in what we cherish.

I love the traditional marriage vows because they go beyond the pledging of love and honor and include the promise to cherish. If we would just keep that promise, we would never wound each other the way we do; people never intentionally damage what they cherish. To cherish something is to assign a high value to it, to esteem it greatly. When we get married, that is what we promise—to value our spouse above any other person in this world.⁸

6:19 Jesus’ followers do not concern themselves with amassing possessions and wealth; they refuse to store up treasures here on earth. Those treasures by their very nature cannot be secure, and death would cause a person to lose them.

6:20–21 How does a person store his treasures in heaven? Storing treasures in heaven includes, but is not limited to, tithing our money. It is also accomplished through bringing others to Christ and all acts of obedience to God. That “treasure” is the eternal value of whatever we accomplish on earth. Acts of obedience to God, laid up in heaven, are not susceptible to decay, destruction, or theft. Nothing can affect or change them; they are eternal.

The final sentence points out the significance of Jesus’ words: “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” Wherever our focus lies, whatever occupies our thoughts and our time—that is our “treasure.” 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. He calls for a decision that allows us to live contentedly with whatever we have because we have chosen what is eternal and lasting.⁹

Question: "How can we store up treasures in heaven?"

Answer: Jesus told us to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). He linked this command to the desire of our hearts: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21; see also verses 10–20).

The Bible mentions rewards that await the believer who serves the Lord faithfully in this world (Matthew 10:41). A “great” reward is promised to those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake. Various crowns are mentioned (in 2 Timothy 4:8, e.g.). Jesus says that He will bring rewards with Him when He returns (Revelation 22:12).

We are to treasure the Lord Jesus most of all. When Jesus is our treasure, we will commit our resources—our money, our time, our talents—to His work in this world. Our motivation for what we do is important (1 Corinthians 10:31). Paul encourages servants that God has an eternal reward for those who are motivated to serve Christ: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23–24).

When we live sacrificially for Jesus’ sake or serve Him by serving the body of Christ, we store up treasure in heaven. Even seemingly small acts of service do not go unnoticed by God. “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward” (Matthew 10:42).

Some with more visible gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12) such as teaching, singing, or playing a musical instrument might be tempted to use their gift for their own glory. Those who use their talents or spiritual gifts coveting the praise of men rather than seeking God’s glory receive their “payment” in full here and now. The applause of men was the extent of the Pharisees’ reward (Matthew 6:16). Why should we work for worldly plaudits, however, when we can have so much more in heaven?

The Lord will be faithful to reward us for the service we give Him (Hebrews 6:10). Our ministries may differ, but the Lord we serve is the same. “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8).

The rich young man loved his money more than God in Matthew 19:16–30, a fact that Jesus incisively pointed out. The issue wasn’t that the young man was rich but that he “treasured” his riches and did not “treasure” what he could have in Christ. Jesus told the man to sell his possessions and give to the poor, “and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (verse 21). The young man left Jesus sad, because he was very rich. He chose this world’s treasure and so did not lay up treasure in heaven. He was unwilling to make Jesus his treasure. The young man was very religious, but Jesus exposed his heart of greed.

We are warned not to lose our full reward by following after false teachers (2 John 1:8). This is why it is so important to be in God’s Word daily (2 Timothy 2:15). That way we can recognize false teaching when we hear it.

The treasures that await the child of God will far outweigh any trouble, inconvenience, or persecution we may face (Romans 8:18). We can serve the Lord wholeheartedly, knowing that God is the One keeping score, and His reward will be abundantly gracious. “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

1 Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 1, pp. 45–46). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

3 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Gospels (Matthew 1-13) (electronic ed., Vol. 34, p. 96). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

4 Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 1898). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

5 Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (Mt 6:19–21). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

6 Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (p. 33). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

7 Poole, M. (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 3, pp. 28–29). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.

8 Sproul, R. C. (2013). Matthew (pp. 177–179). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

9 Barton, B., Comfort, P., Osborne, G., Taylor, L. K., & Veerman, D. (2001). Life Application New Testament Commentary (pp. 32–33). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.