1). The Choice As To Which Treasure Will Be Sought And Lived For.
Analysis of Matthew 6:19-21.
a A “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on the earth,
b B Where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal,
c E But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
b F Where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break through nor steal,
a G For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
As regularly in the sermon this can be seen as both a chiasmus and a sequence. The capital letters both indicate the sequence and tie up with the previous examples in Matthew 6:1-18. On the chiasmus we note that in ‘a' laying up treasure on earth is forbidden and in the parallel that is because the heart will be where the treasure is. In ‘b' we have the contrast between the activity of moth and rust on earth, and the non-activity of it in Heaven. In ‘c' comes the central command to lay up treasure in Heaven.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on the earth,
Where moth and rust (‘that which eats up') consume,
And where thieves break through and steal.”
The present tense might be seen as signifying, ‘Do not be like those who --.' For a choice lies before all disciples as to what they will do with any possessions that they gain. They may use them for the purpose of building up ‘treasures' and storing them away for the future on earth, but that is a choice that Jesus does not want the person to make. Here we are considering treasures which can be laid up on earth. It may be in the form of gorgeous clothing or brocades, curtains, or jewellery, gold, and other metals etc. or it may be wealth of a simpler form of stout or attractive clothing and baser metals. All can have their hold on the heart. But His point is that no matter what they are, such possessions are temporary and passing, for in each case they will be susceptible to some form of attack, either by moth, or rust, or human predators. Notice that the stress is on natural things which make a personal attack on their possessions. It is not just a matter of them fading or disintegrating, although that could easily happen as well, but of their being positively attacked either by being consumed by insects (compare Isaiah 51:8), by being ‘eaten up' by rust (the word ‘eaten up' is also used by Galen of tooth decay) or by mice, or by being stolen by thieves. Thus there is always the danger for those who have possessions that violence will be done to their possessions in one way or another. For possessions attract violence and trouble. Whereas those who have stored up their treasures in Heaven will avoid such problems.
Note the parallel and contrast with Matthew 7:6. Here they must beware what they do with their material possessions, for they are subject to the attacks of nature's predators, while there they must be careful what they do with their ‘spiritual' possessions, lest they be trampled underfoot, and they themselves attacked, by dogs and swine (unfriendly Gentiles and unbelieving Jews?). So while being wise about their physical possessions, they must also be wise in dealing with their spiritual possessions. They must not parade them before men, otherwise it could turn against them.
An alternative to seeing ‘eaten up' here as referring to rust may be found in the seeing it as containing the thought of mice eating the stored grain, or even more likely of a smallholding being totally overrun by vermin. On top of which may then come the human vermin who will ‘dig through' even more than the vermin. This last verb might have in mind the fact that thieves would often enter ancient houses by digging through the walls. On the other hand it could well be that by this time the term had become extended in meaning so as to signify any type of ‘breaking in'.
These are, of course just some of many ways in which wealth can be lost. They are intended to illustrate the vulnerability of physical possessions, and their openness to attack, rather than to be an exhaustive list of all ways in which possessions could be lost. They are simply a reminder that all that a man lays up on earth might be lost simply because they are vulnerable to natural effects, or attacks of nature, or the dishonest onslaught of man, and that that is even without considering the additional problem of such things as wars or sudden death. For elsewhere the alternative is propounded that while a man's possessions might survive all the above, he will anyway have to leave them behind when he dies (Luke 12:13-21), and thus one way or another they will certainly be lost to him. But this last is not in mind here. What is in mind here is the vulnerability of their possessions to the attacks of nature and to sinful man. And Jesus' purpose is thus to stress the temporary nature of physical things in contrast with heavenly things which are invulnerable, by forceful illustrations which were familiar to all, so that the value of heavenly things might shine through.
This is not a total condemnation of wealth. It is a warning against seeking to build up wealth for its own sake, because of the dangers that that involves. For as men begin to build up wealth they often forget what is more valuable. Whereas if they use any possessions that they obtain wisely it will actually benefit them spiritually and turn their thoughts towards their Father, both in this world and the next.
The life of many a righteous person has been destroyed because wealth suddenly began to accrue. John Wesley told of the sad effect on the spiritual lives of early Methodists, when, as a result of their ceasing heavy drinking combined with having a new attitude to work they began to build up possessions and prosper, with the result that as they became wealthier, so they became more slack in their spiritual activity.
Jesus therefore attacks the problem by stressing the vulnerability and openness to attack of possessions. Let men get the right attitude to such possessions and it will enable them to cope with them the more easily. Thus once they begin to find that they have wealth in excess of what they really need, they must give serious thought as to where they will build up their excess, on earth where it is vulnerable, or in Heaven where it is safe. His purpose was to establish that physical possessions were only ‘temporal' (compare 2 Corinthians 4:18). They passed away. It would be foolish therefore to put too much dependence on them, for their greatest value should rather be in using them to buy friends in eternal habitations (Luke 16:9) by their wise and spiritual use of them.
The clear message is that we are to recognise that as disciples of Jesus what we possess is not to be kept for ourselves (compare Matthew 19:21; Luke 12:33-34; 1 Timothy 6:9-10), but is to be distributed under God to others, with the great consolation of knowing that what we are giving away is in fact only of a temporary nature, and therefore not worth keeping in the long run (see also James 5:1-4 and compare a similar overall lesson in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18), whereas by saving it in Heaven we will be maintaining and increasing its value. Far better is it for us therefore, to have our treasure where nothing can harm it or take it from us.
For as He will point out in the passage that follows, all that we do need for the future will be provided for us by our heavenly Father who will give us His treasures from Heaven. We do not therefore need to worry about possessions. Instead of moth-eaten clothes He will clothe us with a glory greater even than the lilies of the field, whos clothing puts Solomon to shame.
“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
Where neither moth nor rust consumes,
And where thieves do not break through nor steal.”
Here the emphasis changes. Wealth can be stored up in Heaven. This can be achieved, for example, by giving it to the poor and needy (Matthew 19:21; Luke 12:33) or to a genuine work of God, or by using it to do good. It will then be safe and secure for ever, and will not perish, and as long as it is given ‘secretly' it will bring its own reward. The idea is not that we should keep records of how much treasure we have in Heaven, and thus still be possessed by the grip of ‘possessions', even though it be heavenly possessions, but rather that, having devoted to God all that we could have retained for ourselves, we will enjoy His fullness of blessing, will have our hearts fixed on Him, and will thus possess what is everlasting.
It is certainly not intended to indicate that a rich man can buy himself a better future in eternity than a poor man, as Matthew 20:1-16 makes clear. In fact it puts the rich man at a decided disadvantage, for all the while he will be in danger of being taken up by the ‘deceitfulness of riches'. But as long as he is faithful then by his faithfulness he will receive his ‘reward', just as the poor man will.
‘Treasures in Heaven.' The idea of ‘treasure in Heaven' was not new. In the Testament of Levi Matthew 13:5 we read, ‘work righteousness (give alms) my children on the earth, that you may have it as a treasure in Heaven', and the thought of such treasures in Heaven occurs elsewhere, resulting from a ‘righteousness', which is closely linked with almsgiving. Its use here therefore appears to link with the idea of charitable giving. On the other hand Jesus regularly suggests ‘rewards' and ‘recompense' in Heaven which contains a very similar idea, and these are also promised to those who are persecuted or suffer for His sake (Matthew 5:12; 2 Corinthians 4:17), those who love their enemies (Matthew 5:46), those who give charitable gifts secretly (Matthew 6:4), those who pray in secret (Matthew 6:6), those who fast secretly (Matthew 6:15), those who give a cup of cold water in His name (Matthew 10:42), and those who reveal their love for Christ's brothers by their kindnesses towards them (Matthew 25:40). In the end treasures will be built up by doing to others what we would that they would do to us (Matthew 7:12).
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
And for those who follow Jesus' words in this regard there will be one very positive result, it will mean that their hearts are then set on heavenly things. For having stored up their wealth in Heaven, their hearts will not be detained by earthly things. Their hearts also will be fixed on Heaven, where their ‘treasure' is. (And the greatest treasure of all for us is Jesus Christ our Lord - 2 Corinthians 4:6-7). By the ‘heart' is meant the total inner man, including mind, will and emotions. We should note that all these words are spoken as an assurance and incentive to those who have already come under the Kingly Rule of Heaven. They are not a bribe to the unconverted, indeed they would be folly to them. They would trample them underfoot. They are rather a promise of the fulfilment of the promises of the beatitudes.