What are treasures in heaven? How do we store treasures in heaven?
Matthew 6:19-24 NASB (Emphasis bold and underlines added):
“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 neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body; so when your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve GOD and wealth.”
The Greek word translated treasures thesauros literally meant treasury or storehouse, according to one source and other sources include treasure and chest which are related or synonyms…all in the same meaning or connotation. (It’s where we get our word for a treasure chest of words- a thesaurus).
We think of our earthly treasures as things or wealth that will supply our needs. Actual items or accounts that can be drawn from to take care of this physical life can be labeled earthly treasures. The scripture above also seems to imply dependence upon those “stored” items to the exclusion of depending upon GOD The Father and His Son for the necessities of “life”.
It also seems that the focus on storing up treasure on earth is focused on providing ‘the good life”, the abundance of worldly goods. “If your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” Looking at or focused on earthly treasures. The person that focuses mainly on worldly wealth is serving that wealth. Yeshua said you cannot serve GOD and wealth. Where is our identity? Where is our heart? What are we counting on to get by? Our internal, eternal identity is wrapped up in the treasure we own.
If we focus on earthly treasures instead of treasures in heaven, our internal identity is wrapped up in those treasures or wealth. Our focus (eye) is bad and what we transmit to others, our light, is dark. If we are storing up treasure in heaven, living in The Kingdom of The Heavens, we will be focusing on the things of the kingdom. “…when your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light” Our internal, eternal identity is wrapped up His Kingdom. Loving GOD, loving others, willing good for GOD and willing good for others. Storing up treasure in heaven is a life of service. It is focused on being a disciple of Yeshua/Jesus.
Treasures stored in heaven are not just there waiting for us to die! Treasures stored in heaven are open accounts that can be used, not closed accounts waiting for your death. GOD’s grace is one treasure stored in heaven. We draw upon that grace account to live according to His will. We make withdrawals when we need GOD to help us accomplish what we cannot accomplish on our own. The remarkable thing that I believe is that when we do the will of The Father, we may need to draw upon that grace account to help us do it, and then we make deposits into the account by doing those things! So grace gives us help in depositing more treasure into the grace account!! GOD’s grace is not just about salvation.
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying grace is earned, it is not. Grace is GOD’s gift to us but I believe we draw upon that grace continually to do the will of GOD in the things that we cannot do ourselves and that when we do the will of GOD we are storing up treasure in heaven. Dallas Willard writes in THE DIVINE CONSPIRACY :
“Jesus’ disciples are those who have chosen to be with Him to learn to be like Him. All they have necessarily realized at the outset of their apprenticeship to Him is Jesus is right. He is the greatest and best. Of this, they are sure. That initial faith is GOD’s gift of grace to them.”
I believe that GOD expects us to do many things within His will on our own. Spiritual disciplines, giving to others, etc. Sometimes we can accomplish things on our own and other times we need GOD’s grace to help us do the very same things under different circumstances. Either way, I believe the treasures we store up in heaven happen by doing the will of The Father. And then that relationship helps us to get through life (drawing on the account).
Focusing on The Father and on Yeshua/Jesus, with help from The Holy Spirit, we should be storing up treasure in heaven in an ongoing daily basis. Doing what we can as Kingdom of The Heavens citizens. Planting seeds, loving and helping others, obedient to The Father and His Son, our King of The Kingdom. Living the with-GOD life is storing up treasure in heaven.
What does treasure in heaven look like? Definitely not the same as treasure on earth! Gold coins would not have much use in heaven! One of the treasures that I believe we will be storing up in heaven is to influence others by our actions to seek Yeshua/Jesus and The Kingdom. When we cross from the physical life, won’t it be a treasure to see people there that we’ve known on earth and hopefully some that we’ve been a blessing to. Won’t that be a treasure!
Focus. Let’s keep our eyes clear and focused correctly. Filling our heart, will, and life and allowing that to come out in our actions and words… and consequently we will be storing up treasure in heaven!
It’s a heart matter.
