Matthew 6:20

Heavenly Treasure

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. Matthew 6:20.

There is always a great fascination about the idea of hoards of treasure stored up or hidden until it is found by the bold adventurer who comes in search of it. There are many tales and legends of such treasures. One of the most famous is that of the Nibelungs. The Nibelungs were dwarfs and had a vast hoard of wealth in the inside of a mountain. This wealth was taken from them by the brave hero Siegfried.

Some such stories are founded on fact. For instance, those of the sunk treasure-ships and buried gold of the Spaniards. It is still believed that they may be found some day. Not long ago divers were engaged in searching on the west coast of Scotland for relics of a Spanish vessel which sank there at the time of the invasion by the Spanish Armada. It was believed that the ship had treasure on board, but nothing of value was found. Some other people have been exploring an island in the Pacific Ocean, where they suppose a great deal of money was buried by pirates, but they too have been unsuccessful.

If we have a large sum of money to take care of, we put it in the bank. But in countries where there are no banks, other means must be found of keeping it safe. The simplest way is to dig a hole in the ground and hide it there, and this is often done.

In the East, women buy rings and other ornaments with their money, and so they carry their fortune about with them. But in Eastern countries wealth consists not only in money and jewels, but in fine embroidery and clothes of rich material. These cannot be buried nor can they always be worn, and if clothes are laid away for a long time it is very difficult to keep them from moths, even more difficult than it is in this country. There are three enemies, then, to the treasure of the rich man in the East, such a man as our Lord had in His mind when He spoke the words of the text. Clothes are destroyed by the moths, treasure buried in the ground may be spoiled by rust, and thieves may break into the house and steal. The last was very easy, since the walls of the houses were often made of clay. No burglar's tools were needed. The thief had only to “dig through” the wall.

But treasure need not be money or jewels. Your treasure is what you love and prize most. For one person this may be money, for another it may be fame, for another his collection of pictures, for another his prize dogs. We should say “his heart is set on it,” and wherever it is his thoughts will be.

Now Jesus did not mean that it was wrong to save money, or to have beautiful things and care for them.

He gave us the eyes to see beauty and the skill to produce it. He knew that it is only wise and right that people should provide for old age or for their children. He knew that money is a great power for good if it is well used. But He warned us against the danger of putting our heart in these things and making them our treasure.

If a man knew that in a short time a certain bank would be ruined, he would not put his money into it. When your mother is buying a suit for you, she asks herself, “Will this wear?” and if she knows the material will soon go into holes she will not buy it. Now all the treasures of which we have been speaking are like that. They will not last beyond this life. So if our hearts are set on such things, if they are all our treasure, some day we shall lose our all.

But there are other kinds of treasures, treasures which neither moth nor rust can touch, nor thieves steal. There are treasures of character, treasures of service done to others, treasures of a heart given into Christ's keeping and of a life used in His service. These are the treasures that will last for ever and that nothing can destroy.

Let me tell you a story.

A ship was sailing over the sea, when suddenly it struck on a sunken rock, and in a few minutes it had gone to pieces. Now one man had been asleep, and the part of the ship on which he was lying was carried by the waves to the shore and thrown up on dry land.

When the sleeping man awoke he did not know how he had come there, but he saw a great many people round him who said he should be their king. They brought him royal robes and set him on a throne, and offered him costly gifts. He had servants round him eager to do all he wished. He was filled with wonder to find himself a rich, powerful king.

Then an aged counselor came to speak to him. He told him that he would be king only for a time, how long he knew not. For it was the custom in that country to banish the king after a time and make a new one. All round the coast there were islands, bare and dreary, and on each of these might be found a banished king. When the new king came the old king was stripped of all he had, his servants left him, and he was sent away to one of these islands.

The king was filled with sorrow; but the old man said he would advise him what to do, though, he added, he had given the advice to many before, but they would not believe his warning or follow his counsel. What he advised the king to do was this. While he was still king and had many servants at his command, he should make them build him a palace on the island to which he would be sent, cultivate the barren ground, and make it a beautiful home to which he could retire.

The king thought this very good advice, so he sent his servants to build him a palace. In the palace he put all that he would like to have; for he had plenty of money while he was king and could get what he liked.

Round the palace he planted trees for shade, and beautiful gardens, and he made fountains to water them. Sometimes when the wind blew from the direction of the island the perfume of the flowers was wafted to the king, and he thought of the happy home waiting for him, and longed to go to it. So that, when at last his people came one day and rudely told him he should be king no more, he did not go with sadness, feeling that he had lost everything, but gladly, knowing that he was going where he would be happier than he had ever been as king.

Boys and girls, this story is a parable: it is a picture of what our life on earth should be. If we want to lay up treasure in Heaven the only treasure that lasts, the only treasure that is worth having then we must begin here and now. We must ask God to give us hearts to love the things that He loves; we must ask Him to give us hearts to love and to serve Him; for where our treasure is, there will our heart be also.