Treasure in Heaven

[titushome]

¹⁹ "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What did Jesus mean when He referred to "treasure in Heaven"?  To hear some people talk, you'd think Jesus was talking about Heavenly versions of the things that are considered treasure here on Earth: gold, silver, diamonds and other precious stones, big houses, fancy cars, and all that sort of stuff.  I was on an internet discussion forum a while back, and one guy posted soliciting other people's ideas of what they expected or hoped Heaven would be like.  He was saying that he was looking forward to living in his mansion, and that he hoped there would be a private lake with a Heavenly jet ski....

I hope I don't offend anyone by saying this, but I think that kind of statement reflects some misplaced priorities.  While we do have enough description in the Bible about Heaven to know that it will be an incredibly beautiful place, and while there's certainly nothing wrong with big houses and jet skis, that's not what we're supposed to look forward to.  Those are not the kinds of things that are supposed to be valuable to us.  There are many, many Biblical examples that illustrate for us that Heaven's values are radically different from worldly values.

The thing is for us to learn to adopt that Heavenly value system, and forsake the worldly value system.  The thing is to change our priorities, change our perspective.  Let me pick up where I left off in Matthew 6:

²² "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

If our eye is clear – that is, if our vision is clear, if we see aright, if our perspective is correct – then our whole body will be full of light; everything about our lives will be illuminated by the light of Jesus Christ, instructing us in the right way to live, the right way to act in any situation.  But if our eye is bad – if our focus is trained on the wrong things, worthless things – then that's going to set our whole life on a wayward course.  It's going to lead us astray.

So the question for me is, where is my eye trained?  On what is my eye cast, what is it that I seek, in what things do I place value?  Do I have the right perspective?  Do I value the things that Heaven values, or do I value the things this world values?
Ultimately, it comes down to this:

"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.

Who is it that I am serving?  The genuine, honest answer to that question comes not from the thoughts that are in my head, or even the intentions of my heart; it comes from the way I live my life, the choices I make on a regular basis.  The choices we make show us who we're truly serving; they show us what we truly value.  Every time.

Jesus went on to say this:

²⁵ "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ²⁷ "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? ²⁸ "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, ²⁹ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰ "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! ³¹ "Do not worry then, saying, `What will we eat?' or `What will we drink?' or `What will we wear for clothing?' ³² "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Seek first His kingdom.  Set your sights on the things that are valuable to God.  Treasure the things that God treasures.  When we do this, we will have treasure in Heaven.  When our perspective lines up with God's perspective, when His thoughts become our thoughts, all the abundant riches of Heaven are opened up to us!

There was another instance in which Jesus referred to treasure in Heaven.  He was approached by a certain wealthy young man who wanted to know what he had to do in order to live forever.  When it was determined that the young man was already familiar with the requirements of the Law and had been faithful in keeping them, Jesus told him that his next step should be to sell all his possessions, give the proceeds to some poor people, "and," Jesus said, "you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me."

Jesus perceived that this young man's love was for the things of this world, so Jesus' challenge to him was to forsake his worldly master (his wealth, his possessions), and make Jesus his master instead.  Jesus promised him treasures in Heaven; He promised him a different kind of treasure.  But the young man was unable to see the value in that other treasure.  He had invested too much of himself in his worldly possessions, and he just couldn't let them go.

There was another time when Jesus was telling a parable about a sower scattering seed, and some of "the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity."  The riches of this life have a deadly tendency to choke the things of God right out of our lives.

That's why, after the rich young ruler had walked away, Jesus talked to his disciples about how "hard [it is] for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."  So hard, in fact, that "it is easier for a camel" - an 8-10-foot tall animal that probably weighs around 1,000 pounds (I'm guessing) – "to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  That's pretty hard!  It's no wonder Jesus' disciples said, "Well then, can anyone be saved? (paraphrase)"  With us, it's impossible, because we like our stuff.  But God, with His kindness and mercy and patience, makes it possible anyway.

There was another time - recorded in Luke 12 - when someone came up to Jesus and said, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me."  This sounds like a reasonable request, right?  All the man wanted was that his brother do what's right; he wanted to be treated fairly.  But Jesus said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?"  Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."  I don't think Jesus' point here was that the man was wrong to seek his rightful inheritance; Jesus informed the man that He was not in a position to offer judgment on the matter, implying that the man should take his case to the proper authorities.  But Jesus used the occasion to make a more important point: always "be on your guard against every form of greed."  Don't be overly consumed with what is rightfully yours.  Because no matter how much we have or don't have, our possessions do not make us who we are.

Following this incident, Jesus further illustrated His point with a parable: "The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, `What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, `This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. `And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

The question is, are we rich toward God?  Do we value what God values?  Do we spend our resources storing up treasure in Heaven?

If we continue to verse 22, we can read Jesus' words that are almost identical to what's recorded in Matthew 6:

²² And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. ²³ "For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.... ²⁹ "And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. ³⁰ "For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹ "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. ³² "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. ³³ "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. ³⁴ "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

[titushome]

Jesus' words, "life is more than food, and the body more than clothing," are echoed by Paul in Romans 14:17:  "for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

Here we begin to get a picture of what IS valuable in the kingdom of Heaven: "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."  What else is valuable in the kingdom of Heaven?  The apostle Paul had a lot to say about the riches we have in Jesus:

...the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience....

...He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy....

...the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him....

...depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God....

...the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints....

...so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus....

...To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ....

All that Jesus Christ has done for us, all He is doing within us, all He has given us: these are the riches we have in Him.  That He has restored us to His eternal purpose.  That He has brought us back into fellowship with Him.  That He has torn down the barriers that separated us from Him.  The He has filled us with His Spirit.  That He has made us new creatures in Him.  That He has shown us the right way to live.  That He enables us to walk in His ways.  That He is patient and tenderhearted toward us as we learn and grow in Him.  We could go on and on; these are only the beginning of the riches we have in Christ!  The treasures that have been made available to us as citizens of the kingdom of Heaven truly are unfathomable.

We see the treasures of this world contrasted again with the treasures of Heaven in 1 Timothy 6.  In verses 3-5, Paul briefly discusses those who "[advocate] a different doctrine and [do] not agree with sound words," who are "conceited and [understand] nothing," and "who suppose that godliness is a means of gain."  In other words, their perspective is all wrong; their thinking is still carnal, and they do not have the mind of Christ.  One of the results of this is that they value the wrong things; their interest in godliness is only as a source of gain.  They're interested in what they can get out of it.

Paul wrote the truth, however:

⁶ But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. ⁷ For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. ⁸ If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. ⁹ But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. ¹¹ But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue" – here are some more of the things that Heaven values – "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

When it comes to the things of this world, we should be content with what we have – however little or much it is.  And we should pursue "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness."  We should "fight the good fight of faith."  We should "take hold of the eternal life to which [we] were called."  These are the kinds of things that are treasured in the kingdom of Heaven.

Paul further wrote that we should:

¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. ¹⁸ Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, ¹⁹ storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

If we are honest with ourselves, we will recognize that we are among those who need to heed the instruction offered in this passage.  I don't think many of us are truly poor when it comes to the things of this world.  Our budgets may be tight, but still we have everything these bodies need – and then some.  We would do well to practice being "rich in good works... generous and ready to share, storing up for [ourselves] the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that [we] may take hold of that which is life indeed."

I want to examine just one more passage:

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight ⁹ He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him ¹⁰ with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him ¹¹ also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, ¹² to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

The life we have in God, and the relationship we have with Him, is a treasure beyond all other treasures.  He Himself is the treasure beyond all other treasures.  While there are many things in this life that we may enjoy, let us never allow any of things to become a treasure to us.  Jesus Christ is our treasure.