Matthew 6:19-21 NASB “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; [21] for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The words “store up” is an unfortunate translation from the original language, and because of that, it creates a sense that we are trying to build up or accumulate some kind of treasure that one day we will get to experience in the sweet by and by. The proper translation from the original language that the Bible was written in should be this, “Stop treasuring for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Continually treasure for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in our steel; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
In both verse 19 and verse 20, the word “treasure” is used twice. In each verse, the first time the word treasure is used, it is in the verb form, and the second time it is used, it is a noun. The whole idea of this chapter in the book of Matthew is about what your heart treasures. There are two options: either the treasures of the earth, those things that are temporary and can dissolve or be taken away, or treasures in the heavenly places that the enemy cannot touch. What we treasure in this life as most important reveals what our heart longs for the most, and the Holy Spirit is here admonishing us to stop treasuring anything more than treasuring Christ and all the unsearchable riches that are yours in Him. We are called to seek first the kingdom of God and His lifestyle. If you understand the way Matthew 6:19 – 21 were actually written, then it is easier to understand what Paul was trying to say in Colossians 3:1 – 2; “Since then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking those things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind and affections on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.” The emphasis of these verses in Matthew 6 is not about trying to store up something you don’t have by doing something, but the idea is treasuring Jesus and all of the treasures of Christ that are already stored for you in the heavenly realm. It’s all about the heart longing to discover and experience all that Jesus is and all that Jesus has. If you’re in the kingdom, you can’t lay up or accumulate more of the kingdom. What you can do is seek the kingdom first so you can discover all there is to discover and all there is to experience, not one day, but here and now, every day. Once you understand verses 19 – 20, then you can go back to the beginning of Matthew 6, and you’ll understand more clearly what the whole “rewards” from God is about. God wants to give, from your treasures in heaven, more into your experience than you are taking by faith.