Matthew 6:19-24

The overriding theme of the Sermon on the Mount is Christ’s instruction to His disciples about a righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. The scribes and Pharisees had an external righteousness that was just a show for the people. Jesus called this kind of religious display hypocrisy. Jesus wanted His disciples to live out their faith in a genuine and sincere way, first before God, and then before men. Jesus had already taught them how their righteousness should exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, so they might enter the kingdom. In our previous studies we have looked at how their practical worship and service could be done as unto the Lord, which would keep them from hypocrisy.  

In verses 19 through 24, Jesus addressed the topic of idolatry and a divided heart, which will absolutely destroy a believer’s faith. Jesus taught them, “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. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad,” or literally evil, “your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 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.” Or literally, you cannot serve the true and living God and the god of materialism. Oh, may we heed this instruction!

Idolatry defined.

Many times, when a Christian hears the word idolatry, they think of someone bowing down to an image that they have created, but idolatry is so much more than this. Yes, idolatry is bowing down to an image you have created, but it is in reality a rebellion of the heart of man against the God who has created him. Paul defined idolatry as a rejection of the truth of God for a lie, which would always entail serving something or someone other than the Creator. He wrote, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Rom. 1:20-25). Therefore, idolatry always entails exchanging the truth of God for a lie, which then leads to the worship and serving of that lie, and a rebellion against God. This is why God told King Saul when he rebelled against His commands, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king” (1 Sam. 15:23). Rebellion is the same sin of our first parents when they believed the lies of satan. Stubbornness is the same sin of setting yourself up as Saul did in the place of God. He had rejected the wisdom and truth of God’s command, and believed the lie that he could do as he pleased, and not obey the Lord. Idolatry will always entail the setting up of something, someone, or yourself in the place of God, and rejecting His truth for the lie that all will be well.

Why is this teaching concerning idolatry and a divided heart so important?

I believe the passages we are studying are such a critical issue for every believer. Why? Because anything that divides your heart will destroy your faith, and stumble you in your service to God. The Lord alone must be in that first position in your life. Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” If Jesus made this declaration, He meant it. You cannot do both! Why is this true? Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Your heart will always follow whatever you treasure in this life. Jesus knew that when anyone treasures material things, riches, power, position, these things will ultimately captivate their heart. Jesus was simply addressing the love of other things, versus a person’s love for God. This is the definition of idolatry. Jesus also warned of this same truth in the Parable of the Sower when He said that when anyone is caught by, “The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). An idolatrous and divided heart will surely make you unfruitful in your service to the Father. Why? Because you love other things more than you love Jesus. In addition, the underlying point Jesus was also making was that, the righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees will proceed from a heart that is focused on treasures in heaven, not treasures on earth. The heart that is seeking true righteousness will always be more interested in an eternal reward than it will in temporal riches. This is the overall message He was teaching. 

Why did the pharisees reject Jesus?

The simple answer was that they had allowed the idol of riches to captivate their hearts. Luke explained, “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard these things, and they derided Him” (Luke 16:14). The Pharisee’s rejected of Jesus, because their goal was different from the goal of true righteousness. The goal of the Pharisees was money. They were in the ministry to make money, not serve God. They were religious actors for what they could get from others, instead of what they could give to people. This faulty motivation will always lead people into hypocrisy. Jesus was therefore warning the disciples not to go down the same path. He wants all His disciple to live for an eternal goal!

Your supreme motivation.

Understanding these previous truths, brings up a natural question for you. What is your supreme motivation in life? Is it to give to others, or get from others? Is it to seek first the kingdom of God, or to seek things, possessions, and money? Paul also taught that these earthly motivations, will drown your spiritual life. Now, I’m not talking about wanting to provide for your family with a good paying job, so you can provide the things you need. This is not idolatry. No, I’m talking about when the total motivation of your life is to get things, and the treasures of this life. If it is the latter, you will surely neglect seeking treasures in the life to come! You will be turned aside in your faith and from your service to God. One of the best commentaries on this truth is found in 1 Timothy 6:9-10. Paul taught that, “those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare.” Notice that Paul didn’t say those who are rich. No! He said, “those who desire to be rich.” The word desire in this verse can also be translated lust. The word desire is also in the present tense, which means that these people continually lusted after riches. What happens to these believers? He declares that they fall into, “Temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Notice, he did not say money is the root of all kinds of evil. No! It’s the love of money, or greediness that causes them to stray from their faith, and what drowns their souls. Paul explained that, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” So, Paul spells it out here very clearly that greediness causes a person to stray from their faith, which then causes a person to pierce themselves through with many sorrows. Note that God doesn’t pierce them with sorrows; they pierce themselves through with many sorrows. These are self-inflicted wounds, or self-inflicted sorrows. Any way you look at this issue, don’t allow your heart to fall into this snare! If you do, you will become just like the Pharisees. Paul revealed a simple truth in this passage, that your motivation and goal in life will determine whether or not you are happy, or you will experience self-inflicted sorrows. There is great instruction and warning here. May we each hear this warning!

Understanding the balance.

You must understand the balance of what Jesus was teaching in these passages. Jesus did not magnify poverty or wealth. He never taught that you were better if you were poor, or better if you were rich. Riches and poverty are two things that have nothing to do with who you are as an individual, or with how happy you will be in life. People who are poor can be just as unhappy as people who are rich, and the opposite is equally true. But what Jesus did emphasize was the supremacy of the spiritual over the material. Therefore, in Matthew 6:33, Jesus will command the disciples to seek first the kingdom of God, and to trust that all other things will be added to them. This command clearly revealed that Jesus believed in the supremacy of the spiritual over the material. Make sure that you don’t misunderstand this teaching on material things. Many in the church have missed His point, and think that those who are rich are more spiritual, and have more faith than the poor. However, the Apostle James taught that a poor person can sometimes be richer in faith than anyone else (James 2:5). And others suppose that if a believer is wealthy, they are carnal and worldly. The Scripture does not teach either concept. So, make sure you keep the balance of Scripture on this truth.

Jesus is teaching a simple message; examine your goals in life, and set your affection on things above, and not on things of the earth (Col. 3:1-2). Is your treasure here, or in heaven? Make sure that your heart is not greedy for things, because they will never satisfy the spiritual hunger within you. Many times, people will come up to me and ask, “How can I know if my heart is captivated by things? How can I tell?” This is a difficult question to answer. The best thing I can say is that you know in your own heart whether or not you are captive to material things or money. Just consider your thought life, and your behaviors. Are you captivated in your thinking with these things throughout the day? Remember, possessing things is not evil, but when things possess and captivate your thinking throughout the day, that is idolatry. Are you constantly fascinated by and focused on possessions or money, and how you can get more? If you answered yes, or even maybe to these questions, that should concern you. If you are someone that must have every new gadget that comes out, or must have that new thing you see advertised to be happy, this means that your heart is divided. If you are a person who is not willing to give to others, that should also be a concern. This was the reason Jesus told the rich young ruler that he should sell everything he had, and give it to the poor, and follow Him. Many times, people read that story and they think, That’s not fair. Why would Jesus ask him to do this? I couldn’t do that. Notice what the Scripture declared right after Jesus asked him to do this. Matthew records, “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Matt. 19:22). This young man must have thought to himself, I’m not going to do that! But this is exactly why Jesus asked him to sell it all and give. Jesus could see that this man’s heart was captivated by his possessions, and they were more important to him than following Jesus. But you must also note that Jesus didn’t ask all rich people to sell all that they had. The best example of this fact is Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. They were obviously a very wealthy family. How do we know this to be true? They first had their own hired servants, which proved they were wealthy. They also hosted Jesus and the twelve disciples when they were in the area of Bethany. Doing so would have been a very expensive endeavor. They also possessed their own tomb for burial. All these facts reveal that they were very wealthy. Why didn’t Jesus ask them to go sell everything they had, and give to the poor? Obviously, because the idolatry of things was not an issue for them. They were not possessed by their possessions. They were very giving and hospitable toward others. But the rich young ruler was obviously caught up with his possessions. Therefore, every individual must address this issue in their own heart. You know whether your possessions have control over you, and so does Jesus. You know if it is easy to give of your resources to help others. Remember, Jesus is not talking about someone who works hard to provide for their family, asks for a raise at work, or lives in the nice house. Jesus was talking about someone who is caught by greediness, who is lusting for things, and cannot be happy unless they have these things.

Correct thinking about material things.

One of the most important things to understand about this passage of Scripture is that Jesus was instructing his disciples how to think about material things, who they should serve, and how they should make choices concerning their loyalty. In this teaching, Jesus presented four very important principles that should govern His disciple’s thinking and decision making.

1. What is of more value, and what will last?

The first principle that Jesus taught them was, “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” (Matt. 6:19-20). Jesus taught that in every decision they make, especially the big decisions of life, they needed to reason using a comparison of value. Will what I am about to do have any lasting value in someone’s life today? Or, is there any eternal value to what I am about to do? Will my efforts bring about treasures on earth, or in heaven? In other words, some of our choices in life will bring lasting benefit, and others will not. Therefore, you must look at everything in life and decide, is what I’m laboring for have lasting value today, or will it all perish one day? I’m sure you realize that everything material rusts and breaks down, and you can’t take anything with you when you die. Think of the last new car you bought, and as you wash it for the first time you see a little nick in the paint. A few months later you notice that now that nick is rusting. But, do you realize that everything you own is rusting right now? Everything you possess is deteriorating and wearing out, including the body you live in. That is exactly what Jesus was talking about in this passage of Scripture. This is why I am so looking forward to my new body that is never going to wear out. I’m looking forward to that eternal home that will never need repair or maintenance. The fact that everything rusts and deteriorates should be your motivation to labor for the things that will last for eternity.

Jesus addressed this same issue in John’s gospel, when He saw people following Him just after He had fed the multitudes by multiplying bread and fish. Jesus knew they were following Him just so He would feed them with another meal. He knew their motivation for seeking after Him was wrong. Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him” (John 6:26-27). Notice in this statement that Jesus made a simple comparison of value. In other words, He was telling them, you are seeking Me for the wrong reason. You are seeking me for the temporary benefit of another meal. You are not seeking Me for the eternal benefit of everlasting life. Jesus was not telling them that eating was bad, or having your physical needs met is unnecessary, because He just fed them, correct? He was revealing that their motives were wrong and that their attention was on something that won’t last. This is exactly what Jesus was also teaching in Matthew 6:19-20.

Let me illustrate this comparison of value in a way that you can easily relate to. When you buy something that costs you a lot of money, do you only consider who sells it at the best price? Or, do you also consider the guarantee and the length of the warranty that comes with the item? Why would you consider the length of the warranty? We all want something that is well made, and that will last. We put a new dishwasher in our house not too long ago. The first one we had lasted for 15 years. I thought that was great. The last one we put in lasted about half that time. When I talked to the appliance salesman why it didn’t last as long, he said, “Steve, they make everything to break these days; they make nothing to last anymore. You will probably only get seven years or less out of this new dishwasher.” So, don’t shop just for the cheapest price, but determine which product has the longest warranty. Jesus was teaching the same thing. Seek the things that last.

Therefore, what is the primary motivation of your heart? Do you want an eternal reward, or a temporal reward? You can have either one; it’s your decision! Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:7, “We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” That’s reality. All that is temporary is staying here. All that is eternal is going with you. When we think and reason like this about life, it will bring either great peace or great stress. Why? Because Solomon had great anxiety when he looked at all his possessions, and thought about who would take them. Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes thought to himself (my paraphrase), Why am I working so hard for all this stuff, all this gold and silver, and all these material things? Because I’m going to die, and somebody else is going to take what I have worked for and waste it all. And I just know they are not going to care about this stuff like I do (Ecc. 2:15-23). This reality was truly depressing to Solomon, because he knew he had allowed material things to become his primary focus in life. He knew that when he died that he couldn’t take anything with him. So, if you know that there is a life after this temporal existence, then pursue the things that are above, and not the things on the earth. You will be much happier.

2. Where is your treasure?

The second principle that Jesus stressed with his disciples, is found in Matthew 6:21. Jesus encouraged the disciples to think about what they treasured. Why? Because whatever you treasure in life, your heart will follow. Many times, people ask me, “How can I be sure that I will stay true, and follow the Lord to the end of my days?” I tell them, “Your heart will always stay true, if you are focused on the right goal. If you are focused on the wrong goal, then your heart will turn aside.” It’s much like a boat captain who is trying to get his ship to port. If he navigates using his GPS and compass readings, he will make port just fine. But if he navigates by his feelings, he can miss the port by a mile. This is why Paul warned Timothy, that if he or anyone sought after material things, they would stray or turn aside from their faith, and drown themselves in destruction (1 Tim. 6:9-10). I have already explained this verse above, so I won’t do that again here. Just remember, the goal and the treasure of your heart is critical for your spiritual success. Your heart will always follow whatever you treasure. It’s a choice that you make!

In Colossians 3:2, Paul encouraged believers to make a choice. He commanded, “Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.” That is your choice to love the things above. Why did Paul teach this? Consider a few verses earlier in Colossians 2:3, where he explained what their treasure must be. He declared, “In whom,” referring to Christ, “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Do you realize that Jesus and all His truth is the treasure? He is the treasure trove of all that you are looking for. If He is your treasure, then your heart will stay true. Paul said the same thing in 2 Corinthians 4:6-7. “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels.” Think about this! Christ has come and has brought light into our darkened hearts. He is the One who has become our Lord, our Savior, and our Treasure. We have this treasure, this knowledge of Him and relationship with Him, in these earthen vessels of our physical bodies. Remember, an earthen vessel is a temporary holding place, or a temporary holder for anything. This earthen vessel will break, but one day He will give us a new heavenly body to dwell in (Phil. 3:20-21). This temporary body will be consumed. So, where is your treasure? Is it in the physical things you possess, or the position you hold today in this world? I hope not. Your treasure must be in Christ, to know Him, and one day to be with Him in your new and eternal dwelling place, your new body! That should be your ultimate treasure in life. This treasure must captivate your heart.

3. What determines light and darkness in your life?

Jesus said, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness” (Matt. 6:22). What did Jesus mean when He said this? First, the word bad is a Greek word that means evil. These statements, “your eye being evil, or your eye being good,” are very important concepts to understand. Jesus first referred to your physical eye when He said, “the lamp of the body is the eye.” He was speaking about your physical eye that discerns light. How do you see light? Light comes through your eyes to help you interpret what is before you. Light is how you see where you should go, and where you should not. If you saw no light, you would stumble and fall. This was a fundamental principle that Jesus laid out here. But then Jesus continued on in verse 23 to use the eye, metaphorically, to refer to the heart of man. But you are probably thinking, How can we be sure that Jesus is using the word eye metaphorically to refer to man’s heart? The easiest way to understand this concept is to see how the eye is used in the Old Testament, specifically in Deuteronomy 15:9. First, let me give you some background on this passage. Under Jewish law, when a person had a debt that he could not pay, he became an indentured servant to the individual to whom the debt was owed. The debtor would serve his creditor until the debt was repaid. However, the debtor was not a slave forever. Under the Law of God, a person would serve no more than a seven-year maximum term for their debt. At the end of every seven years, all indentured servants would go free, and their debts were forgiven. Then God brings up a circumstance to illustrate what an evil eye or an evil heart would look like, by laying out a specific circumstance. If your brother came to you just before the year of release for debts, and asked for your help, God declared that you should not harden your heart and refuse to help him. This is what is meant by having an evil eye, or evil heart. God said, “Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand, and your eye be evil against your poor brother.’” Notice God compares the heart being wicked with the eye being evil. The Scripture continues, “And your eye being evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it become sin among you.” In other words, God is warning His people not to harden their hearts if their brother comes and asks for a loan at six years and nine months, and they think, I’m not going to get any return out of this loan. I am going to have to forgive this debt in the seventh year. I’m not going to loan him anything. But notice what God also promised to the man with a giving heart. He said in the next verse, “You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.” (Deut. 15:10). In other words, God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7).

You can see this same truth taught in Proverbs 28:22, where Solomon wrote, “A man with an evil eye hastens after riches.” What is taught here is pretty clear. Someone with an evil eye is a person whose heart is pursuing riches. They have a love for things, which is exactly what Jesus was warning His disciples about here in Matthew. In Psalm 62:10 David declared, “If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” This is what will keep the eye of your heart in a good place. Notice again, God does not say that riches are evil. He simply doesn’t want you to set your focus upon riches, as your primary motivation for life. In addition, God is implying that it is possible for riches to increase for someone who is godly. Therefore, if riches do increase, watch your heart. This is an important warning that is key to your spiritual life. The inner life of a believer is what Christ is concerned about, and your heart motivation in life will determine the light within your life. Jesus promised, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). If you follow Him with an undivided heart, you will have this light of life!

4. Your heart will determine who you will serve.

In Matthew 6:24 Jesus said, “No on 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.” In this passage Jesus connects what you love most in life with who or what you will serve. This is why Jesus required them to love Him first, above all others. He said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37). This is also why after the resurrection of Jesus and Peter’s denial of the Lord, He asked him, “Do you love me more than these” (John 21:15). Jesus is concerned with who and what we love most in life. Do you love Him more than anything and anyone in this world? Consequently, who and what you love more, will determine the success or failure for you as His disciple. Then Jesus declared to them, “No one can serve two Masters.” You should underline the words no man. This is an absolute statement. Not one man or woman anywhere on this planet, can serve two masters. Jesus also strengthened this absolute statement, by emphasizing the fact saying, “Either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.” Why did Jesus make such an absolute statement like this? It is very simple; when you have divided affections, you will not continue serving Him for very long. Something and someone, of necessity, must always be first in your life. Divided affections will ruin your Christian life, and will drown you with many sorrows, as we studied earlier. No one can do it! Your heart cannot be divided and expect to have a successful relationship with Christ. Therefore, do you love Jesus more than your spouse, your children, and your own life? This is Christ’s call to all who will follow Him.

Elijah the prophet taught the children of Israel the same truth concerning a divided heart in the Old Testament found in 1 Kings 18:21. At that time the children of Israel were trying to serve the god Baal and the true and living God at the same time. Elijah, under the inspiration of the Spirit, said to the people, How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.” God knew exactly what the people’s problem was. They had divided affections. The people loved Baal worship, and all the sensuality that went with it. Therefore, if you have divided affections, the Lord also knows exactly what is dividing your heart. He knows exactly what is stumbling you, and I’m sure that He has been speaking to you regularly about this issue. Remember as I said above, if your heart gets divided, you will not stay faithful to the Lord for very long. Why? Jesus revealed the reason right here in this passage. Love equals loyalty and service. Who you love is who you will be loyal to. Who or what you love most will naturally demand your loyalty. If you love Jesus first and foremost, then your love for Him will keep you loyal in your service to Him throughout your life. If not, this is what turns a person away from following Him. Jesus knows what He is talking about. When someone refuses to serve the Lord, it is also because of a lack of love for Him. This divided heart and lack of love will also bring instability in that person’s life. This is why the Scripture declares, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). Reject what is dividing your heart today, and ask Him for a single heart toward Him. Is Christ your treasure today? Is He the One you love most in this world? The fruit of your walk with Him will determine the truth of the matter!

What then can give you singleness of heart?

In 2 Chronicles 30:12 is the answer to this question. God’s Word declared, “The hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to do the commandment of the King and the leaders, at the word of the Lord.” Now let me put this verse in context. In Israel’s history, Hezekiah had made an incredible turn around to follow the Lord, because he had seen the evil of where his father had led the nation. But this was the hand of God’s grace upon his heart to bring him to repentance. Hezekiah then sent a message throughout all Israel and he told the people to come to Jerusalem to renew their relationship before God. Much of the nation refused to come. But many did come, and they worshiped the Lord, and God gave them this singleness of heart to obey the Lord’s commandments. So, God did a work in both Hezekiah’s heart, and the heart of the people. Their hearts were not divided anymore.

Now most of you have heard that old saying, “If someone rides the fence, all they get is a backside full of splinters.” In other words, it is very painful to ride the fence. If you attempt to live with a divided heart, all you are doing is slowly turning aside from the truth. Do you realize that not deciding to repent of a divided heart, or refusing to even think about doing so, is a decision? It’s a decision to go your own way, which is a rejection of your love relationship and obedience to Him. Similarly, this is what Jesus was after in Revelation 2:4 when He said to the Ephesian church, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Notice that the text does not say that they lost their first love. You must read this correctly; they left their first love. Leaving your first love is a choice of the heart. It is a choice to return to the loyalty of your love relationship with God, and it is a choice to remain divided. What or who is your first love today? That’s the most important question to answer, and only you can answer this question. Won’t you ask God for that single heart today that puts Him first in your life? If you ask, He will give it to you just as He did with His people in Hezekiah’s time (Matt. 7:7-8)!

How do you lay up treasures in heaven?

Jesus has given us some incredible principles in this sermon, but when you really examine this question of how to lay up treasures in heaven, He only tells you to do it, but doesn’t specifically tell you how to do it. However, the “how to” is here; it can be found in the context of the Sermon. You must see the overall message here before we end our look at these verses, because the “how to” lay up treasures in heaven is critical.

You must first must have a relationship with Him.

The first thing that must occur in your life for you to be able to lay up treasures in heaven, is you must believe and follow Christ. You can’t lay up any treasure or rewards in heaven until you first have a spiritual connection with the God through Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus started the Sermon on the Mount by addressing your personal relationship with Him. He began with the fact that you must acknowledge your poverty of spirit. To be poor in spirit means that you realize that you have nothing to offer Him that would allow you to come into His presence. You must come willing to receive what God is offering, who is Christ the Lord. Jesus also said that you must mourn for your sin, knowing that you have broken God’s law. This mourning naturally brings repentance, and a turning from your sin. You must then be a man or woman who hungers and thirsts after righteousness. This is the, “following Him as His disciple,” part of your relationship. The whole direction of your life changes, because you have been changed from within, which makes you merciful, forgiving, and all the things that He addressed in the Beatitudes. Therefore, to lay up any treasures in heaven, you must first have a relationship with Him, and follow Him as He taught in this sermon.

You must do things from the heart.

Second, if you want to lay up treasures in heaven, you must do things from the heart. Whatever you do, it must be done sincerely from the heart, and not as some ritual. Remember, this is the righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. In Matthew 6:4, this is the point that He made in the previous text, that we looked at in our earlier studies. Jesus declared, “Do your charitable deed in such a way that it is done in secret, that your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” In other words, Jesus was saying, “whatever you do, if it’s giving, if it’s praying, if it’s fasting, or whatever service you render to God, do all these things for His eyes only. Do it so He will see, and not for the applause of men.” If you do it for other people to see, then you have your reward. That means no treasure in heaven! This was the whole point. As Paul also taught in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord and not to men.”  

Seek first His kingdom

Third, if you want to lay up treasures in heaven, you need to keep Jesus and His kingdom first in your heart (Matt. 6:33). This is the reason why Jesus ends this whole section of Scripture with this point of seeking first His kingdom. Seeking His kingdom first is the only way all things will be added unto you. If you keep Christ first in your heart, and in all that you pursue, then He will add to you all you have need of today. He will also add treasures in heaven, your eternal reward, simply because you kept Him first in your heart. So, is He first in your life today? Are you serving and giving from the heart? Do you love Him first? Are you serving Him? Only living like this will bring the treasures in heaven that you want. I hope these truths have challenged you to consider your walk with Him. If your treasure is in heaven, that is where your heart will be also!