Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – Matthew 6:19-21
Two things are commanded: don’t store up treasures on earth, and do store up treasures in heaven.
Jesus does not say, “Store up treasures in heaven… and if it’s possible to store up earthly treasures without it having a negative impact on your heavenly treasure, do that also.” No, rather he seems to say that the two places of storing up treasure are at odds with one another. Your earthly treasure is for sure going to effect your heavenly treasure, and in a very bad way. A Christian then should not be striving for the best of both worlds.
Why not store up in both places? How do we know that the two are at odds? Jesus tells us…
“… for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
This principle given to us is simple, and holds true. The heart follows treasure, be it earthly or heavenly. May we ditch our earthly treasure so that we can better pursue the heavenly treasure. May God give us the grace to choose Christ rather than the pleasure, security, and comfort, that money brings.
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Are we bold enough and other-worldly enough to seek personal nitty gritty application to this truth? Ask yourself, "Am I 'storing up' earthly goods, and money? Am I am doing something that Jesus specifically told his disciples not to do? Would Christ be pleased with my bank account?”
