Hold Loosely What You Cannot Keep

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus gives us a powerful admonition where he tells us to turn away from the pursuit of treasure on earth so we can lay up treasure in heaven. This follows a series of warnings against publicly practicing our righteousness and reveals the truth about where true reward can be found.

We live and work in a reward-based society where often the size of the reward is directly linked to the time and effort expended. Why would I go the extra mile at work if it doesn’t earn me some extra brownie points with the boss? I’ve often said to my friend Trever when starting an intense workout at the gym, “If we can make it through this…we can get coffee!”

The little annoyances like early mornings, lack of sleep, and sore muscles almost immediately vanish as soon as I have my steaming pour-over or cold brew in hand. The reward of growing stronger and getting caffeinated is greater than the inconvenience of physical pain and exhaustion.

Where is Your Treasure?

But according to Jesus, our work and reward systems here on earth don’t measure up to his standard, especially when it comes to spiritual disciplines such as giving and prayer.

So much of Jesus' earthly ministry was spent tearing down our human constructs of work, rewards, and treasures. And honestly, this is causing an undoing in my own heart and life. The words found in verse 21, “Where your treasure is, your heart will be also,” sting a little bit as I’m forced to confess my treasure isn’t always Christ.

This is clearly seen by what I worry about on any given day. If the flavor of the week is finances, that is where all my attention resides. If it’s a new toy to be had, I’m contemplating the purchase or tracking that package at every stop.

Maybe it’s thoughts of my future and my ideas of how I could begin answering my own prayers. While these aren’t necessarily bad and are part of being human, Christ is calling us to focus beyond the here and now and to set our minds on eternity. Jesus says in verses 19 and 20:

“Don’t 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 don’t break in and steal.”

Invest in the Eternal

Jesus understood both the temptation to hold tightly to earthly treasures—our money, our talent, or our relationships—and the reality that they are temporary.

Our greatest hope for security and joy will come as we understand this and choose to invest heavily in that which is eternal. As Paul writes in Philippians 3:20: “Our citizenship is in Heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

In other words, our reward for enjoying but holding our earthly treasures lightly, while clinging desperately to the treasure of Christ, is not more possessions, but more of Christ. And for the believer, there is no greater reward. Jesus' words also remind us that the more possessions we own, the more our possessions own us. Anna C. Brackett writes,

“We go on multiplying our conveniences only to multiply our cares. We increase our possessions only to the enlargement of our anxieties.”

Christ is Our Treasure

In verse 25, Jesus tells us to cease from anxiety and assures us that our heavenly
Father knows exactly what we need before we even ask.

This is a beautiful reminder when navigating the stresses of life that only seem to increase with age. How wise of our heavenly Father to teach us about treasuring Christ, letting him give us what we need, and to stop chasing things that don’t really matter. Don’t be distracted and weighed down by them. Don’t treasure the wrong things.

I readily admit that as a blind man, I’m up for trying the latest technology Apple has to offer. And when and if I can ever afford one of those cars that doesn’t need a sighted driver, I’m all in, but not if it means sacrificing my devotion and love for Jesus, or if chasing those things makes me so distracted that I’m unfit to lead others to Christ.

I was thinking recently that as a kid, I didn’t have many worries, but one that seemed to resurface every year was waking up on Christmas morning to find all the gifts had been stolen during the night.

Many sleepless Christmas Eve nights were spent repeatedly checking the living room to make sure all those things that I wasn’t even aware I yet possessed were still under the tree.

A silly story perhaps but it reminds me of how often we worry about the gifts God will choose to give us instead of treasuring the giver. May I never forget that every desire and longing in my heart can only be fully satisfied in Jesus.