The Treasure PrincipleExemple

Treasures in Heaven Jesus doesn’t just tell us where not to put our treasures. He also gives the best investment advice you’ll ever hear: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). Jesus wants us to store up treasures. He’s just telling us to stop storing them in the wrong place and start storing them in the right place! Doesn’t it seem strange that Jesus commands us to do what’s in our own best interests? Wouldn’t that be selfish? No. God commands us to act out of enlightened self-interest. He wants us to live to His glory, but what is to His glory is always to our good. Selfish people pursue gain at others’ expense. But God’s riches are infinite. When you serve Him and others, you store up treasures in Heaven. This doesn’t reduce the treasures available to others. Everyone gains; no one loses. The man who finds the buried treasure pays a high price now by giving up all he has—but soon he’ll gain a magnificent treasure. As long as his eyes are on that treasure, he makes his short-term sacrifices with joy. Delayed gratification lets him frontload his anticipation of future joy into present joy. What are these “treasures in heaven”? They include godly power (Luke 19:15–19), possessions (Matthew 19:21), and pleasures (Psalm 16:11). Jesus promises that those who sacrifice on Earth will receive “a hundred times as much” in Heaven (Matthew 19:29). That’s 10,000 percent—an impressive return! Of course, Christ Himself is our ultimate treasure. All else pales in comparison to Him (Philippians 3:7–11). A person, Jesus, is our first treasure. A place, Heaven, is our second treasure. Possessions, eternal rewards, are our third treasure. “Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him” (Psalm 49:16–17). Jesus makes not an emotional appeal, but a logical one: Invest in what has lasting value. You’ll never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul. Why? Because you can’t take it with you. God, I want to invest in treasure that will last. Help me to see ways I am putting too much faith in money so that I can instead put more faith in You. Amen.