The words of Jesus, recorded in Matthew 6:19-21, provide us with a timeless and radical financial philosophy. It is an invitation to examine our priorities, not just our budgets, and to determine the true value of our investments. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,” the scripture instructs, “where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
This passage is a clear-eyed statement on the inherent risk of material wealth. The concepts of moth, rust, and thieves are universal symbols of loss and entropy. Moths speak of decay—the finest fabric eventually unravels. Rust speaks of corrosion—the strongest metal eventually fails. Thieves speak of sudden, uncontrollable external loss. In our modern age, these symbols translate to depreciation, obsolescence, market crashes, and the inevitable passage of time that renders our physical possessions irrelevant. To anchor our deepest sense of security and identity in things that are fundamentally temporary is, ultimately, to set ourselves up for disappointment. It is an investment guaranteed to fail.
The counter-directive, however, offers an exciting alternative: “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” This is not a call to literal poverty, but a powerful call to reallocate our most precious resources—our time, energy, attention, and compassion—toward things that cannot be destroyed.
What are heavenly treasures? They are not possessions but contributions. They are the character we build through integrity, the love we give through service, the wisdom we gain through patience, and the faith we demonstrate through action. These are the “assets” that grow stronger under pressure, cannot be stolen, and transcend our lifetime. The kindness you show to a stranger, the forgiveness you grant to an offender, the effort you put into developing a skill that serves others—these are the investments that accrue eternal returns.
The final verse serves as the absolute hinge of the passage: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
This is the psychological and spiritual truth at the core of the teaching. Our heart—our emotional center, our focus, our peace, and our anxiety—is not an independent entity. It is a satellite that orbits whatever we deem most valuable. If we spend 90% of our daily thought worrying about accumulating, protecting, and maintaining earthly things, our hearts will be tethered to fear, scarcity, and the volatility of the material world. We will feel rich one day and poor the next.
But if we deliberately choose to make heavenly virtues and lasting relationships our primary investment, our hearts will find a home in a place of profound and unshakable security. When our treasure is permanent, our peace becomes permanent. This choice liberates us from the treadmill of consumerism and connects us to a purpose that is truly immortal.
Let us be wise investors. Let us re-examine how we spend the limited currency of our lives. The greatest risk is not in having too little, but in treasuring the wrong things. Today, choose to invest in the eternal, and watch your heart settle into a place of enduring freedom.
Pastor Scott
P.S. This piece came up when I was trying to Google the verses (Matt 6:19-21); it’s without attribution but rings true! Hope it’s thought provoking!
Grace Notes 