Matthew 6:19-34
Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 10:39-42
When We Lose Our Lives, We Will Find Another
39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.
John 17:3-4
Now This is Eternal Life
3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.
We cling to earth and the earthly ways, because the flesh is tied to the earth and is weak and is temporary...But the Spirit is Strong and is eternal...
In these two teachings of Jesus about the treasures of heaven and the teaching of not to worry are about the eternal...Man has this clinging nature to cling to the earth and its earthly ways and its earthly things...But Jesus teaches us the eternities and tells us we cannot serve two masters...We can either serve God or we can serve money...God is the eternal, and money is temporary...We cannot serve both...It is either serve God or serve money...So He teaches us not to store up earthly treasures, but to store up heavenly ones...Heavenly ones are treasures that last forever...
If we are always thinking about God and Jesus and the eternal then it is easier not to worry so much...So it is not surprising His next teaching is about not worrying...God who takes care of the flowers of the fields and the birds of the air, will also take care of us...The eternal things and the eternities are what are important, and the most important things...
Jesus' life on earth was temporary, and so will our lives on earth...So death becomes us and then we will take on this eternal life...Jesus says that if we find our life that we will lose it... And whoever loses their life for Him will find life, eternal life...So we are to love Him more than we love this earthly life that we have been given...Jesus promises us eternal life by believing in the One True God and the One He sent, but we struggle with our attachments and the need to cling to earthly material things...Jesus in His teachings of these eternities wants us to think more about the eternal ways and the Eternal God rather than earth and what is here on earth...