Lay Up Treasures in Heaven Matthew 6:20

Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. and in chapter six and verse twenty of his book, Jesus told His disciples, “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” where we read:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt,

and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

The verse reads, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, ...” Matthew began with the word, “but” which means “moreover and” “lay up” or “gather, heap, store or accumulate” “for yourselves” which means “for your own selves” “treasures” or “storehouses, repositories, magazines and collected valuables” “in heaven” or “within the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings”, “where” which means “in the place that” “neither moth” or “none and in no way do clothing moths” “nor rust” which refers to “no and in no way eating corrosion” “does corrupt” or “snatches out of sight, puts out of view, makes unseen, causes to vanish, destroys, consumes and disfigures”. Rather than “storing up valuables” upon the “earth”, Jesus told His disciples to “store up valuables” in “Heaven” because there shall be no “moth or rust” to corrupt them there.

The verse goes on to say, “... and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” Matthew added the words, “and where” or “and in the place that” “thieves” which means “embezzlers, pilferers and those who steal” “do not break through” or “do not dig through and penetrate like burglars” “nor steal” which refers to “no and in no way commit theft, take away by stealth or filch”. Jesus declared there would be no one who would “steal” the valuables “stored” in “heaven”.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus instructed His disciples concerning “valuable” items upon the earth and in heaven. The earth has forces both in nature and among people who may take away the “treasures” upon the earth, but those forces have no influence in “heaven” at all. God desires an eternal relationship with every person who will believe and trust in His Son Jesus, and when they have that most valuable relationship, all the other “treasures” they receive upon the earth can be turned toward the “heavenly” scene.

Next time Jesus tells His disciples “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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