Where Your Treasure Is

Matthew 6:19-24

In Matthew 6, one of the main things that Jesus emphasizes is our relationship with our heavenly Father. In this chapter alone, Jesus refers to God as “your Father” or “your heavenly Father” 11 times (Matt. 6:1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 14, 15, 18, 26, 32).[1] In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about what it means to be related to our heavenly Father. He is showing what it looks like to be a child of God, a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. The big issue in all that He taught has been true righteousness that comes from the heart. Jesus contrasted the self-righteous teaching and conduct of the scribes and Pharisees with the true righteousness of the child of God. He said, “… unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven,” (Matt. 5:20). He taught, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect,” (Matt. 5:48).

In Matthew 6, Jesus began to teach, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 6:1). Jesus wants the relationship with our heavenly Father to be genuine. He explains that one way a true relationship with the Father shows up in our life is that we will not practice our religion for the praise of men but for the glory of our Father in heaven. Jesus told His disciples that there is a real danger that they could achieve something here on earth but have no reward in heaven. Hypocritical religion seeks to please self by obtaining its reward now. Hypocritical giving, praying, and fasting may get you accolades here on Earth, but they mean nothing to your Father in Heaven. And our focus is to be on our relationship with our heavenly Father.

But religious practice is not the only area where people seek what is temporal and earthly in contrast to what is eternal and heavenly. Jesus now moves to another issue that concerns us all just as much: material possessions—money. In Matthew 6:19-20 Jesus calls it treasure. In Matthew 6:24 He uses the word “mammon.” The word comes from Aramaic or Hebrew and indicates that in which one trusts or has confidence. Its connection with money and wealth is obvious. Most people in this world are consumed by thoughts of getting, saving, spending, protecting, and worrying about money and possessions. The Bible calls that covetousness or greed. Paul actually calls covetousness, or greed, idolatry (Col. 3:5). It is to love the things of this world more than you love God. It is a serious problem.

Jesus knows the temptation we face of being like the world and seeking treasures on this earth over the reward of a relationship with our heavenly Father. The Lord wants His disciples to focus on the eternal over the temporal, the spiritual reward over the material reward.

In Matthew 6:19-24 Jesus uses three different ways to identify who or what we are living for. He wants us to consider our treasures, our vision, and our master. In these verses, Jesus is calling us to evaluate our hearts. Are we living for our heavenly Father and eternal things or for ourselves and the things of the world?[2]

First, let’s:

1. Consider your treasure: Where are storing up? (6:19-21)

Jesus first gives us a prohibition—what we are not to do: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,” (Matt. 6:19). The verb translated “lay up” has the same root word as the noun “treasures”. It is basically the same word, only once used as a verb and once as a noun. Literally, it reads, “Do not treasure for yourselves treasures on earth…” A treasure is something that you save or store up because you consider it valuable.

Where you store your treasure shows what kind of treasure it is. Earthly treasure is stored up on earth. And notice who the treasure is for. Jesus says “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth …” What Jesus prohibits here is the selfish accumulation of riches. It is not always how much we have, it is our attitude toward what we have that is the issue.

Being rich is not a sin, being greedy or covetous is. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, “17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Jesus is commanding people not to treasure their treasure. Then He starts telling us why: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matt. 6:19). Why should you not store up treasure here on earth? Because it isn’t secure. Jesus wants you to be able to keep your treasure safe, and treasure on earth is not safe. Jesus was not trying to make everyone poor as if just being poor was a virtue. Jesus just wants what is best for you. And greed is not good for you. Covetousness will prompt you to store things for yourself in a place where you can’t keep them.

In Jesus’ day, there were three main ways that you could measure wealth: garments, grain, and gold. A nice wardrobe of fine garments was as good as money in the bank. Remember Achan in the book of Joshua? After the battle of Jericho, he disobeyed the Lord’s command to abstain from taking the accursed things from that city. One of the things he coveted was a beautiful Babylonian garment (Josh. 7:21).

But what is the problem with garments? Garments were very susceptible to moths. And since they didn’t have mothballs and cedar-lined closets, moths would eat holes in the garments.

Grain was another measure of wealth. Remember Jesus’ parable of the rich fool in Luke 12? He had a bumper crop with not enough room to store it. So he decided to build bigger barns and congratulated himself that he had many goods laid up for many years. He could take his ease and eat, drink, and be merry (Luke 12:19). But what is the problem with grain?

People eat it, as do varmints. The word “rust” (brōsis) literally means eating. Rust eats away at metal. But most of the time in the New Testament this word is used in reference to food that gets eaten. The problem with grain is that it gets eaten—rats, mice, mealworms, weevils, roaches, ants—they can destroy a barn full of grain.

The third measure of wealth was silver and gold. And what is the problem with gold? Jesus said, “thieves break in and steal.” No matter what kind of wealth you have and no matter what you do to protect it, eventually it will be gone. Earthly treasures are perishable and vulnerable.

If you put it in garments, the moth will eat it. If you put it in grain, something else will. If you put it in gold, someone will steal it. It is not secure. Even if you protect your wealth your whole life with moth balls, Tupperware, and safe deposit boxes, you will still lose it.

In Jesus’ parable, God said to the rich man with bigger barns, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” Then Jesus concluded, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21). Maybe you remember the phrase that has been attributed to Malcomb Forbes, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” The truth is: He who dies with the most toys DIES—just like everyone else. You cannot take your wealth with you out of this life. 1 Timothy 6:7 says, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

That is why Jesus gives us the positive command in Matthew 6:20, “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” So just as clearly as Jesus told us not to treasure earthly treasures, here, He tells us just the opposite in regard to spiritual treasures. He wants us to treasure up treasures in heaven. Make it your ambition to be as rich in heaven as you can. Make it a point to deposit frequently in Heaven’s bank and keep the balance growing.

In Luke 12:33 Jesus says it this way, “Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.” You see, we lose all the treasure here, but we get to keep all the treasure there. Heaven is the safest place to keep your treasures.

Peter writes this about our inheritance in heaven,

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Pet. 1:3-5).

Did you hear that? Because you are a born-again child of God, you have “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” And not only are your heavenly riches secure, but the Power of God also keeps you secure as well.

What are heavenly treasures? And how do we lay up treasures in heaven?

Think about it. What can you take to heaven with you? Nothing material but everything spiritual. You will take your godly character to heaven. We lay up our treasures in heaven by obediently building upon our faith in Christ. The apostle Peter wrote, “. . . Giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and about, you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ . . .” (2 Peter 1:5-8). And then he adds, “. . . For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11). Spend your time, effort, and money pursuing Godly character that will bear fruit in good works for the kingdom of God. You will have treasure in heaven.

We lay up our treasures in heaven when we give ourselves to the service of others in Christ’s name. On the great day when Jesus will sit upon the throne of glory as Judge, He will turn to those on His right hand and say,

‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’” (Matthew 25:31-39).

You can take people to heaven with you. In 2 Thessalonians we find Paul writing to people who had responded when he had preached Christ to them. To the Thessalonians, Paul writes, “19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.” (1 Thess. 2:19-20). This treasure in heaven—the crown of rejoicing—is the treasure of those who share the gospel of Jesus Christ and see people repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Spend your time, effort, and money proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ that saves people. You will have treasure in heaven, friends to welcome you into the eternal kingdom.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth—you can’t keep them. Instead, lay up treasures in heaven where they are eternally secure.

Having instructed us what not to treasure and what we should treasure, Jesus then gives us the overriding principle in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This principle is the foundation of what He has just said in Matthew 6:19-20. He will expand on this principle in Matthew 6:22-24. It is the main point. Jesus is concerned about where you store your treasure for one reason—He is most concerned about our hearts. Your heart is the very center of your being, the seat of your emotions, desires, and will. Our heart is the part of us that loves a “treasure” so much that it moves our entire being to seek after it.

Your heart follows your treasure. Remember Jesus’ parable of the Rich Young Ruler (Matt. 19:16-22)? In this story, a rich young ruler comes to ask Jesus a question, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matt. 19:16). Jesus answers the man by telling him that he needs to obey the commandments, and the rich young ruler responds, “Which ones?” Jesus responds, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matt. 19:18-19). The young ruler responds that he has kept all these things and asks, “What do I still lack?” (Matt. 19:20). This is where Jesus drops the bomb on the rich young ruler. He says, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me,” (Matt. 19:21). Where was this young man’s heart? You can tell by his reaction. Matthew records, “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions,” (Matt. 19:22). His heart was controlled by his wealth and riches. His heart was so attached to his earthly treasure, that he couldn’t give it up—not for treasure in heaven, not even for eternal life. His heart had followed his treasure, and as a result, his heart was turned away from the Savior.

Where you store your treasures shows where your heart is. Our hearts are naturally inclined toward our treasures. If our treasures are on earth—that is where our heart is. If our treasures are in heaven—that is where our heart is. It’s a basic principle of life. “. . . Where your treasure is [that is, that place where you treasure what you most value], there your heart [your devotion, your longing, your desire, the compass needle of your life] will be also.”

The apostle Paul is an example of someone whose treasure was in heaven. Near the end of his life—just before he was executed for preaching Christ—he wrote to Timothy and said, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing,” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Do you love His appearing? Is Jesus Christ your great treasure? If He is, then your heart will be inclined to the place where your treasure is. Your heart will be set on heaven where Christ is seated at the right hand of your heavenly Father. Can you sing with the hymnist,

Riches I heed not, Or man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, Now and always:
Thou and Thou only, First in my heart,
High King of heaven, My treasure Thou art.[3]

If Christ is not your great treasure, if the things of this world mean more to you than eternal life, then your treasures will perish along with you. Greed and covetousness have gripped your heart. How do you know if you treasure for yourself treasure on earth? Does it bother you to part with it even when you see a real need somewhere? If you treasure your treasure above the need—that’s greed. Your heart is not right with God.

It doesn’t matter if you are saved, lost, backslidden, or faithful. If you recognize greed in your life, the response is the same, repent of your sin. Run to Jesus. If you are lost, He will save you. If you are saved, He will sanctify you. If you are backslidden, He will restore you. If you are faithful, He will make you more so.

Treasure Jesus Christ. He is the only God and Savior. Say with the Psalmist,

Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You
. (Psalm 73.25).

The rest of this sermon will be continued next time.

 

  1. Consider your vision: What are you seeking? (6:22-23)

 

 

 

  1. Consider your master: Who are you serving? (6:24)

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Bob Deffinbaugh, Where Is Your Treasure? (Matthew 6:19-24), https://bible.org/seriespage/19-where-your-treasure-matthew-619-24

[2] Matthew Breeden, A Kingdom Hearted Devotion, https://www.southernhillslife.org/get-connected/resources/sermons-and-podcasts/sermon/2022-07-31/a-kingdom-hearted-devotion-matthew-619-24 I adapted Breeden’s outline for this sermon.

[3] Eleanor H. Hull, Be Thou My Vision, translated by Mary E. Byrne. https://hymnary.org/hymn/BH2008/83

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