Click here for more messages from the book of Matthew.
Click here for more messages from The Sermon on the Mount series.
Click here to return to the Sermons page.

Matthew 6:19-24 (Treasures in heaven)

INTRODUCTION: We are continuing our series on the Sermon on the Mount, and we are in the middle of a section on the Christian’s motivation. What should your motivation be as a Christian? All of chapter six can be summed up in two words: “God first.” When you do good works, what do you seek – man’s approval or God’s approval? When you pray, what do you pray for first – for your concerns or God’s concerns? Now Jesus put this in terms of your treasure. Where will you store up your treasure – on earth or in heaven? (Read Matthew 6:19-24 and pray.)

What would you be willing to do for a million dollars? That’s right. I’ve got a million dollars here, and I’m willing to plop it down on the table but there are strings attached. Someone actually did a poll asking people this very question. (Source: Daniel Doriani, The Sermon on the Mount) And it’s amazing what people said they would be willing to do for a million dollars. Some were willing to spend time in jail, some were willing never to see their best friend again, others were willing to move permanently to another country, and some were even willing to throw their pet off a cliff. We might be shocked at people’s responses, but many of us have sold our souls for far less.

Once again, we are in the middle of a section which talks about the Christian’s motivation, which we have summed up with the words, “God first.” And anytime you put something before God, there are always strings attached. Sadly those strings are attached directly to your heart.

People wonder why God speaks so much about money in the Bible. It’s not because God cares about the money. He already owns it all anyways. It’s because God cares about your heart. And when it comes to money, God knows it’s really your heart that is on the line. All those people willing to do terrible things for a million dollars? All that poll did was reveal what was already in their hearts.

Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart.” (Proverbs 4:23) Jesus wants you to guard your heart, so in this section he talks about God and money. And he does this using three illustrations. He talks about two treasures, two sets of eyes, and two masters.

I. Two treasures (19-21)

So let’s begin with the two treasures. Verses 19-21: “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 moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

Here Jesus makes the following contrast between two treasures: the treasures you store on earth will pass away, while the treasures you store in heaven will last forever.

   A. The treasures you store on earth will pass away
      – Job 1:21; Proverbs 23:4-5; Luke 12:16-21

First of all, the treasures you store on earth will pass away. Look at verse 19: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19)

If I told you I had an investment opportunity for you this morning where you are guaranteed to lose not only all your interest but your whole principal as well, how many of you would be interested in signing up? How many of you would be interested in putting your money in a bank where they have no locks on the doors and your money is accessible to anyone at any time? Oh yes, and it’s not insured. How many of you would buy a purse that was advertised as follows? Beautiful leather purse for sale! Full of holes in the bottom so that all your things will fall out! Of course we laugh at all three of those examples, but Jesus says that is exactly what you are doing when you store up your treasures on earth. The treasures you store on earth will pass away.

So the question becomes, where are you investing your resources? We store up treasures on earth when we hoard our money instead of using it for God’s kingdom. We store up treasures on earth when we spend selfishly or extravagantly on ourselves instead of ministering to the needs of others. We store up treasures on earth when we spend more time and money on the things of this world rather than the things of heaven.

But the problem is everything you store up for yourself here on earth will pass away. Everything! (Proverbs 23:4-5) Jesus uses three images to illustrate this: moths that eat through fabric; rust that eats through metal; thieves that break in and steal. Have you ever been to a junk yard? Did you ever stop to think that every one of those cars was once a shiny brand new car straight off the assembly line that someone paid full price for?

Things don’t last, and even if they did, we don’t. Death is the ultimate thief that separates us from our possessions. You can’t take it with you, which is why Job in the Old Testament said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.” (Job 1:21) Jesus told a parable about a rich fool who stored up all sorts of things for himself. “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21)

G. Campbell Morgan writes: “If you make your fortune on earth – poor, sorry, silly soul – you have made a fortune, and stored it, in a place where you cannot hold it.” The treasures you store on earth will pass away.

   B. The treasures you store in heaven will last forever
      – Matthew 19:21; Colossians 3:2; 1 Timothy 6:17-19

But the treasures you store in heaven will last forever. Look at verse 20: “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20)

Unlike earthly treasures, heavenly treasures are secure. No moths, no rust, no thieves. So how do you store up treasures in heaven? We get some pretty detailed instructions in 1Timothy 6: “Command those who are rich in this present world … to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.” (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

There you have it! Do good; be rich in good deeds; be generous and willing to share. Like Jesus told the rich young ruler: “Give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” (Matthew 19:21) You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on ahead.

Only two things last forever – people and the word of God – which shows you where your priorities need to be. Value people over possessions; value God’s word over the things of the world. Colossians 3:2 says: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2)

We’re often asked: “What are you doing right now to prepare for retirement?” We should really be asking: “What are you doing right now to prepare for heaven?” If you’re spending more time and energy preparing for your earthly retirement than your heavenly retirement, then something is wrong. Jesus says store up treasures in heaven, not on earth. Why? Because the treasures you store on earth will pass away, but the treasures you store in heaven will last forever.

   C. Your heart follows your treasure (Deuteronomy 6:5)

But then Jesus gives an even more important reason why you should store up your treasures in heaven. And that’s because your heart follows your treasure. Going back to our passage look at verse 21: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

Why does it matter where you store your treasure? It has to do with your heart. It’s not about the money. God doesn’t need your money, but he wants your heart. Once again, your heart is on the line. It’s vitally important where you store your treasure, because that’s where your heart will go.

What is your treasure? It is whatever you value most in life. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes: “Everything which hinders us from loving God above all things and acts as a barrier between ourselves and our obedience to Jesus is our treasure, and the place where our heart is.” Whether it is the wealthy man and his investments or the homeless man and his blanket, where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Now it is not wrong to save for the future or to practice wise financial planning. These things are not only encouraged but commanded in Scripture. It is not wrong to have money or things; it is wrong to love money or things. It’s not money that is the root of all evil; it is the love of money that is a root of all evils. (1 Timothy 6:10) It is not wrong to possess things, but it is wrong for things to possess us.

God has given us good things to enjoy (1 Timothy 4:3-4), but we must remember that they are temporary. Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) And so Jesus tells us to store up your treasures in heaven, because where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Your heart follows your treasure. Your heart is on the line.

II. Two sets of eyes (22-23)

Next Jesus moves from talking about two treasures to two sets of eyes. Going back to Matthew 6 we read in verses 22-23: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23)

   A. The eye is symbolic of your heart (Psalm 119:6,10)

The eye in Scripture is often symbolic of the heart. For example in Psalm 119 we read in verse 6 “I consider all your commands” or as the ESV translates it, “having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.” (Psalm 119:6) We find the same thought expressed a few verses later where we read: “I seek you with all my heart.” (Psalm 119:10) And so we are back to the heart again – your heart on the line.

   B. When your heart is right, your path is clear (Psalm 119:105)

The idea behind Jesus’ illustration is this: when your heart is right, your path is clear. The eye is the lamp of the body. When your eyes are good, your hands can see what to touch and your feet can see where to go. In the same way, when your heart is right, your path in life is clear. We find a similar idea expressed in Psalm 119:105 where we read: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

When Jesus talks about your eyes being “good” or “healthy,” he uses a word that can also mean “simple or single,” that is “having singleness of purpose.” When your eyes are good, they are able to focus on one thing. In the same way, when your heart is right, your whole life comes into focus. You have one purpose in life, which is to glorify God. It’s interesting, the same word can also carry the meaning of “being generous,” which is one of the ways we store up treasure in heaven.

When your heart is right, your path is clear. You know that everything you have comes from God and everything you have belongs to God. And so you can put God first instead of storing up treasure on earth.

   C. When your heart is wrong, you walk in darkness (Proverbs 4:19)

When your heart is right, your path is clear. But when your heart is wrong, you walk in darkness. Look at verse 23 again: “But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23)

If your eyes are bad and don’t let in any light, then your whole body is full of darkness. You can’t see what you are doing or where you are going. In the same way when your heart is wrong, your whole life is in darkness. As Proverbs 4:19 says: “The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.” (Proverbs 4:19)

The word “bad” here can mean “not working” but also bad in the sense of evil or even jealous. You’ve heard of someone giving you the evil eye. Well here the evil eye belongs to the person who is jealous at heart instead of generous in spirit. They have double vision instead of a single-minded focus on God. It’s bad enough when it’s dark all around you. But when the darkness is within you and not just around you, Jesus says how great is your darkness! Once again, it all comes back to your heart. God cares about your heart, because when your heart is wrong, your whole life is plunged into darkness.

III. Two masters (24)

Jesus has talked about two treasures, two sets of eyes, and now he talks about two masters. Look at verse 24: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)

   A. No one can serve two masters (James 4:4)

There are three things Jesus says about the two masters here. First of all, no one can serve two masters. It’s impossible. It can’t be done. You can work two different jobs at two different times, but you cannot serve two masters, because when you are serving one, you are unavailable to the other. If you’ve got two bosses and one tells you to deliver a package to Miami right now and the other tells you to deliver it to Palm Beach, you can’t do it.

It’s the same way with God. James 4:4 says: “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) There’s no middle ground here. No one can serve two masters.

   B. Your heart can only be fully devoted to one (Psalm 62:10)

Why not? Because Jesus says your heart can only be fully devoted to one. So we’re back to the heart again. Why can’t you serve two masters? Because your heart is on the line. You will either hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. Once again it is not wrong to have money or things. God is concerned about your heart. Psalm 62:10 says: “Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” (Psalm 62:10) You cannot serve two masters because your heart can only be fully devoted to one.

   C. You cannot serve both God and Money (Matthew 6:33)

And then finally, although anything that comes between you and God is your treasure, Jesus names one of the main culprits here: “You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)

The word translated “money” here is “mammon,” which means one’s wealth or possessions. It is capitalized to show that it is a rival god that is vying for your attention. Who are you going to serve – the “Almighty Dollar” or Almighty God? Substitute the word “worship” for “serve” here and you can see this even more clearly. You can worship God. Or you can worship Money. But you can’t do both.

So whom do you serve, God or Money? It’s actually pretty easy to tell. You just need to look at your checkbook or bank statements. If someone audited your finances for spiritual investments, what would they find?

Jesus’ words have profound implications for our lives. How will you choose your career? Will you choose it based on how much money you can make or how you can best serve God and others? Where will you invest your resources? Will you save and spend for yourself or will you help the needy and invest in God’s kingdom? How will you make your decisions? Will you make decisions based on what God’s word says or on what works out best for you financially? Let me give you a very practical, real life example on this one, because it’s one I am running into more and more these days. Many couples live together before marriage because they say they can save money. God’s Word says one thing, Money says another. So you need to make a choice. Who are you going to serve? God or Money?

No one ever plans on serving money. We want money to serve us! But it doesn’t work out that way. Anytime you put money before God, you become its slave, and it becomes your master. It’s a matter of the heart. You cannot serve both God and money.

CONCLUSION: So in this passage Jesus asks us three hard-hitting questions: Will you store up treasure on earth or in heaven? Is your heart right with God or wrong? Will you serve God or money?

And Jesus tells us three very important things about the heart. Your treasure determines your heart. Your heart determines the course of your life. You cannot divide your heart between two masters.

Therefore, “Choose this day whom you will serve!” (Joshua 24:15) But choose wisely. Because your heart is on the line.

© Ray Fowler

You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this message provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For any web postings, please link to the sermon directly at this website.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copies:
By Ray Fowler. © Ray Fowler. Website: https://www.rayfowler.org

Click here for more messages from the book of Matthew.
Click here for more messages from The Sermon on the Mount series.
Click here to return to the Sermons page.