19"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
It is easy for me to see what might be meant by laying up treasures for yourself on earth. Gathering up and storing material things is saving things that have no endurance. These things can deteriorate, lose their value in many different ways, or be taken from you.
But what does it mean by treasures in heaven? I have no doubt that treasures in heaven cannot lose their value and cannot be taken away. But what exactly are they? How do you collect these treasures? I wonder if He is referring to what God has in store for you for the rewards mentioned in the previous verses. He said if you love your enemies, do charitable deeds in secret, pray in secret, and deny yourself in secret, all in secret rather than collecting earthly rewards, God will reward you openly. What are the rewards for doing these things? I don't know exactly. It could be the blessings as Jesus talked of in the beatitudes. But I do know that with these rewards your heart will be filled. And that fullness of the heart will not lose its value and cannot be taken away from you.
However, I also believe that even though these treasures cannot be taken away from you, it is possible for you to lose them. You should treasure your gifts from God, not ignore them. If you ignore them, you are the one to diminish their value. Even though no one can take them away from you, if you ignore them, you are the one to let them slip away. You need to treasure them.
Everyone has earthly possessions. Everyone has blessings from God. But the question is: which do you treasure more? That shows where your heart is. So is there anything wrong with having possessions? Not as long as that is not what you treasure most. Enjoy your possessions, but don't treasure them. Part with them freely when you have an opportunity for a treasure from God, and cherish what God has given you. Just remember, if you want your heart to be with God, treasure what is from God. For that treasure is enduring. Everything else will eventually simply pass away.