Where Your Treasure Is

I recently read Matthew 6:1-21, and verses 19-21 stood out to me. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NKJV)

This is part of the Sermon on the Mount, arguably the most well-known sermon of Jesus. The word treasure in Greek is thēsauros, which we find several times throughout the New Testament, mainly in Matthew. Here are a couple of these verses:

Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (NKJV)

In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus is comparing the kingdom of heaven to a treasure you would give up any worldly possession to obtain.

Matthew 19:21 “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ ” (NKJV)

My Latin teacher used to tell my class, “Latin has no eternal value, so we’re not gonna kick cats, break pencils, or punch

siblings because of it!” This is a comedic example but an important concept. Jesus knows the man He’s telling this to has a heart problem. His treasure is material, but Jesus tells us to store up treasures in Heaven. If you aren’t willing to give everything to be a follower of Jesus, then

your treasure is of this world and therefore, perishable.

Matthew 6:24 tells us, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth).”

The question isn’t, “Is Jesus telling me to give up my worldly possessions?” It’s, “If He did, would I? How hard would it be?” This doesn’t apply to just money- it’s anything you hold higher in importance in relation to your life than God. These can be the things you give the most attention, focus, time, and

energy to into. Throughout today, think about where your treasure is because that’s where you’ll find your heart.

For more information on this concept, you can go to How can we store up treasures in heaven? | GotQuestions.org<https://www.gotquestions.org/treasures-in-heaven.html&gt;.