Treasures in Heaven
TRANSLATION
(16) “And when you fast, do not assume a downcast appearance as do the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show others that they are fasting. Truly I say to you that they have received their reward. (17) But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face (18) so that your fasting may not be seen by others but only by your Father who is unseen. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
(19) “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. (20) Instead, accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal, (21) for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(22) “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, (23) but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, therefore, the light within you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
OBSERVATIONS
This segment consists of three exhortations with significant repetitions in each. The first paragraph concerned the practice of fasting (mentioned four times in vss. 16, 17, & 18), the third spiritual discipline Jesus’ followers were to keep hidden from public view. In the second paragraph (vss. 19-21), Jesus commanded his followers not to invest their lives in amassing that which is passing away but rather to devote themselves to that which counts for eternity with the repeated phrases, “accumulate for yourselves treasures” and “where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (vss. 19 & 20) and a third use of the word “treasure” (vs. 21).
Finally, Jesus warned his disciples to keep their spiritual eyes healthy because their ability to perceive spiritual truth will determine how much light can enter their hearts to dispel darkness. Repeated words in verses 22 & 23 included “eye” three times, “darkness” also three times, “body” and “light” both twice.
OUTLINE
I. Let your fasting be done in secret. (16-18)
II. Accumulate treasures in heaven, not on earth. (19-21)
III. Make sure that the eyes of your heart are able to let in the light. (22 & 23)
IDEA STATEMENT
Jesus called on his disciples to develop spiritual discernment in order to live for eternal values rather than earthly gain.
APPLICATION
Jesus’ use of the vivid image, “do not accumulate treasures on earth…but accumulate treasures in heaven,” helps us grasp what a life of following him as a disciple involves. We have no problem understanding what earthly treasures are, namely, bank accounts, personal property such as land, houses, and all that fills those houses as well as jewelry, art works, and all the other things we love to collect. The trouble with such stuff is that we must leave it all behind when we die. As the country song by Hobson Smith phrases it, You Can’t Pull a U-Haul to Heaven.
What are the heavenly treasures to which Jesus exhorted us to devote ourselves? If we were to say, “Living our earthly lives in such a way that they count for eternity,” we would still be left with the question, “How do we apply this in our daily lives?” The words, “where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” help us see that we should not commit our lives to accumulating that which is “here today and gone tomorrow.” Instead, we should focus on sharing the Gospel, spending our resources on that which benefits others, prioritizing edifying relationships, and seeking to make a difference in those things that count for eternity. Hebrews 11 describes the lives of many Old Testament heroes who lived by faith, believing that God truly exists and rewards those who diligently seek him. Each one lived for an unseen future by trusting in God’s Word and seeking his will for their lives. It is when we live as they did, desiring to follow Jesus and striving to do his will, that we are laying up treasures in heaven.