1. What Is Treasures in Heaven?

Jesus referred to the phrase “treasures in heaven” on a few occasions. How we may understand the phrase?

Anything that you do just for yourself is storing treasure for yourself. Anything that is done to empower/bless/serve others is storing treasures in heaven. As the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 shows, our earthly possessions ultimately belong to God (or what God entrusted to us) and we have to be good stewards of it by working hard, developing it, and by being diligent, but to bless others in God’s concerns. As Jesus said in Matthew 19:21: “Give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me”. Or Matthew 26:40: “To the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me”.

2. When Fake Religiosity Is Treasure

Every religious leader, priest, pastor etc should read the words of Jesus in Matthew 6 often. Much of religion has become a show, a source of narcissistic supply, and a platform for glorifying oneself.

Matthew 6:
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men…

And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men…

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, 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.

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.” – Matthew 6.