Matthew 6:20 says, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”
I remember a Donald Duck cartoon where someone asked Donald’s Uncle Scrooge if he had any hobbies. He said, “Yes, I collect coins.” The next cartoon caption showed him in a large warehouse room sitting on a little bulldozer pushing mountains of coins around. Walt Disney amassed a great deal of wealth. When he died, he had to leave it all behind. I don’t know if he had time or inclination to lay up treasures in heaven. During our time on earth, it doesn’t appear that we can do both.
In verse 19 of Matthew 6, Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth.” The American dream is to do both. “God bless America” with “amber waves of grain,” as we sing. I love a bountiful harvest—I just love harvest. The wheat doesn’t even have to be mine.Â
God must love it too. He made the seed, the dirt, the water, the sun, etc. on purpose for a bountiful harvest. Harvest is a part of life. We must eat.
In Matthew 24, Jesus spoke of His coming again in the clouds. In verse 40, He said, “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” There is nothing wrong with working in the field. We ought to work and do a good job. The question concerns laying up treasure. How do we as Americans or individuals lay up treasure? All it takes is the threat of fire or flood for us to decide what things are most dear to us. When the warning is “Get out now!” the most important thing is our family. Without that threat, we tend to rest at ease with our possessions. If a thief were to break in and steal only a few things, we wouldn’t like it.
It is clear enough Jesus said not to lay up treasures for ourselves on earth; but then He said to lay up treasures in heaven. How can we do that?
As a young preacher, trying to help support my family, I found myself picking cherries for Hank Morris, one of our church members. It was a little orchard. Toward the back was a small one-room cabin. I did not realize it at first, but Hank’s elderly mother lived in it. Her mind was getting pretty bad. I was allowed to go in and visit her for a few moments. Even though she was senile, the love of Jesus flowed from her. I went back out to pick cherries, at which I was very slow. Working hard all day long I was lucky to pick $15 worth. After a while, I heard someone below me. It was Hank’s mother, reaching up to me as I stood on the ladder, handing me a 20-dollar bill. For me, it was more than a day’s wages. For her, it was a way to give as unto the Lord. She was laying up for herself treasure in heaven.
We can’t take anything with us to heaven in our hand. It is the things we let go of that we can send ahead. Jesus gives us the key to understanding all of this in verse 21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Where is my heart? Where is your heart? I heard someone say they wanted to go to heaven, but that they just didn’t want to go now. They had a lot of treasure on this earth. It was stealing their heart. Oh my friends, let us not allow “treasure” to steal our hearts!
