Matthew 6:19-23: a reflection

19“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Jesus contrasts two kinds of treasure, and where we store them. Do not lay up treasures on earth, he says, where moth and rust destroy and thieves steal; but lay up treasures in heaven, where they are safe from decay and theft. And then he names the reason it matters so much: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. What we treasure shapes where our heart is; our heart follows our treasure. Store treasure on earth, and your heart will be earthbound; store it in heaven, and your heart will be there.

Notice the connection Jesus draws between treasure and heart: where your treasure is, there your heart will be. This is not merely about the safety of our treasure, though earthly treasure is indeed vulnerable to decay and theft while heavenly treasure is secure. It is about the heart: what we treasure draws our heart to itself. If we store up our treasure on earth, our hearts will be set on earthly things; if we store it in heaven, our hearts will be drawn toward heaven. Our heart follows our treasure, wherever we lay it up.

That truth is worth taking to heart, for it means where we invest our treasure shapes the direction of our hearts. We can invest ourselves, our time, our money, our energy, in earthly treasures that decay and cannot last, and our hearts will be bound to what will pass away. Or we can invest in heavenly treasure, in what lasts and matters to God, and our hearts will be drawn toward heaven. Consider where you are laying up your treasure, for there your heart will be. Do not invest yourself only in earthly treasures that decay, binding your heart to what will pass away; lay up treasure in heaven, in what lasts, so that your heart is drawn toward God and the things that endure. Where you put your treasure, your heart will follow; invest, then, in heavenly treasure that lasts, and let your heart be drawn where your treasure is, toward God and his kingdom.

Lord Jesus, you contrasted two kinds of treasure: earthly treasure, which moth and rust destroy and thieves steal, and heavenly treasure, which is secure; and you named why it matters, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Take that truth to my heart, for it means where I invest my treasure shapes the direction of my heart. I can invest myself, my time, my money, my energy, in earthly treasures that decay and cannot last, and my heart will be bound to what will pass away. Or I can invest in heavenly treasure, in what lasts and matters to you, and my heart will be drawn toward heaven. Help me consider where I am laying up my treasure, for there my heart will be. Keep me from investing myself only in earthly treasures that decay, binding my heart to what will pass away; help me lay up treasure in heaven, in what lasts, so that my heart is drawn toward you and the things that endure. Where I put my treasure, my heart will follow; help me invest in heavenly treasure that lasts, Lord, and let my heart be drawn where my treasure is, toward you and your kingdom.