Daily Reading: (Matthew 6:19-21) 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Evidently, there are two ways to live: you can live with a view to accumulating valuable things on earth, or you can live with a view to accumulating valuable things in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20).
I used to be stumped about the “store up treasures in heaven” part of verse twenty. It just didn’t make sense to me. What do I store and how do I store it? I can’t take my i-phone to heaven with me, or my tv, or any other type of physical possession -why would I need them or want them anyway? It is obvious that Jesus is talking about spiritual things. However, this too at first didn’t make sense either. Store up prayers in heave- nope. Store up joy, love peace? That’s not it either. You have probably heard that Jesus is our treasure- true!!! However, we cannot store up Jesus in heaven. What are these treasures that we are to store up in heaven?
All believers have a glorious inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:11), and all will enjoy heavenly treasure (Matthew 6:20).
Paul Ellis in a chapter in his book, The Gospel in Twenty Questions writes: ”What are eternal rewards? What is our heavenly treasure? The answer may surprise you, but it’s people.”
Jesus said those who followed him would be fishers of men. What is a fisherman’s reward? It’s fish, or people in this case.
What is the reward of the one who sows and waters the good seed? It’s a harvest of people.
What is treasure that never wears out and cannot be stolen? It’s people.
In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus introduces God as our heavenly Father. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus says he is a Father who rewards us. And what is a father’s reward? It is children.
Share who you treasure is (Jesus) with others so they might become a spiritual brother and sister, a heavenly treasure (Matthew 6:20).
“ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If your heavenly treasure is people then you will have a heart for reaching the lost (Matthew 6:21).
So, when I think about what truly matters to God and what matters for all eternity- my whole perspective changes as well. I set my sights on the treasure that will last (the heavenly treasure)- I want people to come to know God as their Father through receiving Jesus the Son as their Lord and Savior. While Billy Graham is a child of God and has the same inheritance as I do- he has accumulated a lot of heavenly treasure that he stored up. Even in that- who gets to enjoy the heavenly treasure Billy Graham accumulated? Everyone in heaven.
When we see people as God the Father does (treasure) we will “store up treasure in heaven” through the Holy Spirit working in us to bring forth Jesus the Way. People are our heavenly treasure that all in heaven will enjoy.