The treasure you can store in heaven may not be what you think it is …

We are selfish people!

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, a respected preacher from the 20th century, once told a story that reflects on the fact we’re selfish enough to even try to rob God! The story goes like this …

A farmer bounded joyfully into his kitchen one day and, confronting his wife with a great big grin on his face, he announced to her that their finest cow had just given birth to twins, one brown and one white.

“I feel the impulse to dedicate one of these cows to the Lord. We’ll bring them up together and, when they are at a marketable age, we’ll sell them and we’ll keep the proceeds from one and we’ll give the proceeds from the other to the Lord,” said the farmer.

His wife went right to the issue, as wives are prone to do, and asked, “Which is the Lord’s cow? The white one or the brown one?”

The farmer answered, “Well there’s no need to worry about that dear, or to decide that now since we’ll raise them together.”

Some months later he entered the same kitchen, a little more slowly, looking very sad. His wife asked why he was so sullen, to which he replied, “I have bad news … the Lord’s cow died.”

When it came to loss, the farmer was quickly able to determine which cow was his, and which cow was the Lord’s!

We’re selfish people!

Jesus certainly understood that fact about us, and so He taught:

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be,” Matthew 6:19-21.

In Luke’s account, Jesus goes a little deeper in this teaching:

“Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be,” Luke 12:33-34.

Mark would capture an occasion where Jesus would aim this teaching and its application at a specific person:

“As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus asked. ‘Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: “You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.” ‘Teacher,’ the man replied, ‘I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.’ Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. ‘There is still one thing you haven’t done,’ he told him. ‘Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me,’ Mark 10:17-21.

And the apostle Paul would write to Timothy with these instructions:

“Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life,” 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

There’s nothing wrong with wealth, it is God who blesses us with what we have. But there is a problem with being selfish with our earthly treasures. So Jesus teaches us to store up treasure in heaven instead.

We can even be materialistic about that!

Have you ever thought about what the “treasure” is that we’re storing up in heaven?

When people think about storing treasure in heaven, they often have a couple of mistaken views, which include …

Gold, money, and other such riches. “Okay,” they think, “If I can’t hoard it here, I’ll hoard it there!”

Do you really think Jesus is saying that if we share our money and other resources here, we’ll have a treasure chest in heaven with our names on it just overflowing with gold, precious gems, and hundred dollar bills? Look at this passage from Revelation 21 describing heaven:

“The twelve gates were made of pearls — each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass,” Revelation 21:21.

If gold is what the streets of heaven is paved of, do you really think a treasure chest of gold just for yourself is what Jesus says you would be storing up?

Not likely.

Rewards. The Bible does teach in multiple places that God will reward those who live faithfully as His children. Just an example …

“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way,” Matthew 5:11-12.

“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds,” Revelation 22:12.

Again, so many tend to think these rewards are something like their own, personal treasure chest, but considering that being with God, and being where He is, will be so incredibly beyond what we can imagine, do you really think earthly type of riches would be an eternal thrill?

So what, then, is more likely the “treasure” that we can store up in heaven?

I think it’s people.

Jesus’ teaching was to sell possessions and what? To invest the money in people, in those who were in need, and in doing such we would be storing up treasure in heaven.

It was for people — His creation — that Jesus left the splendors of heaven so that He could redeem us from sin and death and be with Him forever!

It’s loving others that Jesus names as the second greatest commandment, and it’s joining in His mission to seek and save the lost that is the Commission of the church.

Of great value to Jesus is PEOPLE, and what greater treasure could we have in heaven than people we have helped into the kingdom? That would be infinitely greater than a box of gems!

The greatest investment we can make in this life is in people, and that kind of investment stored up for us makes for a remarkable treasure in heaven.

This isn’t to say there won’t be other rewards given to the children of God. The Bible says we will be rewarded with crowns (e.g., James 1:12) and responsibilities (e.g., Matthew 25:21), but what greater treasure could you imagine than human beings in heaven being there because you were a faithful ambassador for Christ?

I don’t think Jesus is teaching us to live as children of God from a motivation of building a materialistic bounty in heaven, but to so love and value others that they will be a treasure awaiting us.

When this life is done, which would you rather have a box of heaven’s pavement material, or lives you influenced for Christ?

Scotty