based on the study, For Such A Time As This, by Love God Greatly: w1d1
Scripture Road Map: Esther 1:1-8 and Matthew 6:19-21
SOAP: Matthew 6:19-21
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Matthew 6:19-21
We are primarily focusing on Jesus’ instructions to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven rather than on earth. However, it is worth noting a few things about the passage from Esther, namely, the king’s celebration. King Xerxes(also known as Ahasurerus) “gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media, as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty.” While he offered up a lavish amount of food and drink for his guests the King and his treasures seemed to be the center of the celebration – as he “displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his majestic greatness for a lengthy period of time.
Earth is decaying and ruled by the king of liars and thieves. Heaven is ruled by Almighty God, it is indestructible and cannot be penetrated by thieves.
Mefromthensideout.com🦋
The picture painted by King Xerxes’ celebration is in stark contrast to the focal point of today’s journey found in Matthew 6:19-21, where we are encouraged to amass heavenly treasures. Matthew records the instructions of Jesus to His disciples to not be caught up with earthly treasures that will decay and/or be stolen. Instead, they were to be storing up treasures in Heaven, where nothing could destroy them and no one would break in and steal them. Jesus’s explanation of why this matters can be found in verse 21, where He warns that wherever our treasure is, that’s where the focus of our heart will be also.
Throughout Scripture, God instructs and invites us to come to Him – to know Him and make Him known. We are to give Him glory and honor1, to celebrate Him for who He is and what He’s done. We are to stand amazed in His presence, to worship Him, to love Him above and before all things – with all of our being. As believers, our hearts are to be His throne (1 Peter 3:15). In other words, we are to set apart (honor, regard, worship, sanctify) the Lord God in our hearts. Without question, He is to have first place in our lives (Mark 12:29-30), and we are to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3).
Recently, when my mother moved to an assisted-living facility and we packed up her things, I found myself using the word ‘treasure’ a lot. I was also reminded of earthly decay as we emptied the attic. Hoping to ward off the threat of thieves, we were careful to make the house look lived in until everything had been moved out. My house has always had treasures within its walls, but it is far fuller since Mom’s move. The items would likely be meaningless to most, but to me, they are precious treasures, holding memories of people or events from the past. Some rank as antiques, while others have simply been passed down from one generation to the next. Dishes, furniture, pictures, jewelry, family Bibles, and my dad’s football helmet are among the items. While I don’t believe any of the pieces are an offense to God, Jesus’ words from our journey today are a reminder that they all fall under the category of “earthly treasures” that will decay.
Certainly, there is nothing wrong with gathering and enjoying treasures and heirlooms from my mom’s home. However, the words we find in Matthew chapter six are a good and necessary exhortation that we must be careful about what place these treasures hold in our hearts. The treasures Jesus tells us to store up are different than furniture, pictures, or other special items. Rather, “heavenly treasures,” as Bibleref.com points out, are “eternal rewards. They cannot be lost to moths, rust, thieves, or anything else. In financial terminology, they are a far better investment.” The commentary goes on to answer the question, “How did Jesus mean for His followers to store up rewards for themselves in heaven? He has spoken a few times in this Sermon on the Mount of acts God will reward. These have included being persecuted for Jesus’ sake (Matthew 5:11–12); giving to the needy in secret (Matthew 6:4), praying in secret (Matthew 6:6) and fasting without calling attention to oneself (Matthew 6:18). In short, God rewards His people when they lead lives of sincere devotion and worship to Him.2“
Friends, when our lives are centered around God, when He sits enthroned on our hearts, we become different, transformed from the inside out. Our thoughts and focus, our decisions and choices, our conversations and actions, and our treasures will all glorify and honor Him.
Mefromthensideout.com🦋
Me From the Inside Out 