Question #113

What are the treasures we should lay up in Heaven?

I understand what Jesus meant in Matthew 6:19, but what did He mean in verse 20? What exactly are the treasures that we should lay up for ourselves in Heaven and how do we go about laying them up for ourselves in Heaven?

The Answer:

“Treasures” means the same thing in the two verses; the same Greek word is used in both. One verse refers to earthly riches, the other to heavenly riches. Verse 21 states in importance of heavenly riches – they indicate that the heart is set upon the things of God. Matthew 19:21 tells how to lay up treasures in heaven: “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” Luke 12:16-21 describes a man who laid up treasures on earth or “for himself”: “16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” In the same category are those described in James 5:1-6: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.”

The faith of Moses is instructive on the process of laying up treasure in heaven – he walked in obedient faith before the Lord. He looked not upon the treasures and the pleasures of Egypt those treasures would bring. His faith told him that suffering the reproach of Christ was a greater treasure than the earth could offer. He knew that the things seen were temporal, but this things unseen were eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18. Thus he endured as seeing him who was invisible. Mark 8:34-37 is a good summary: “4 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”