Treasure In Heaven
One
Jesus wants you to be rich. Truly He does, BUT rich in what matters to God, not to men. The problem lies in the domain of trust: too few trust His good desires for us.
In His sermon on the mount, He teaches us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal” (Mt 6:19-20). Seeking treasures on earth—gold, diamonds, real estate, bank accounts, etc.—promises pleasures and powers that pose an all-too-enticing appeal for too many. The reason is simple: these things are tangible and have instant gratification. Jesus’ promises appear to lack both. Further, He offers no immediate proof beyond personal credibility that His words carry all hopes for supreme fulfillment. And yet, 2000 years later, His words produce the same reaction in our day as in His own: many reject them, but many, like you and me, accept them! This radical call seems so crazy, it just might be true!
Two
For those who pay close attention, Jesus’ words speak from His heart to ours. He doesn’t just warn us of greed, but positively tells us of real riches fitting for our souls. But we must watch out for the yearning of wealth. St. Paul echoes Christ’s words in his instruction to the young Bishop, Timothy. “Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains” (1 Tim 6: 9-10). He goes on to remind Timothy to pursue the heavenly treasures, namely, righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. In possessing these things, we all will possess eternal life! Notice that the crazy teaching of Jesus has now been passed on from St. Paul to St. Timothy. It constitutes our own special heritage. It has survived until this day, despite its contradiction to worldly notions of success, because our souls actually long for peace and faith and love, etc. These are precisely the things we think we gain with money and earthly treasures. Ironically, these worldly pleasures only produce worry, anxiety, unsatisfying addictions, enslavement, and, ultimately, eternal death. And you, what would you do to have eternal life?
Three
In the ancient world of Palestine, homes were designed to have their storeroom in the middle of the house with a securely locked door so that thieves couldn’t dig through the adobe walls and steal the valuables. The storeroom was the most secure place in the home—Its center, its heart. Earlier, in His sermon, Jesus identifies the heart as our storeroom. “But when you pray go into your storeroom and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you” (Mt 6:6). Prayer in the heart is our storeroom where neither thief nor decay can rob us of our heavenly treasure. It is in the depth of our daily prayer and meditation that we discover the treasures of heaven, treasures that so surpass the things of the world that, once possessed even in partial, motivate us to be detached from all worldly possessions and follow Him.
St. Basil the Great says, “From the Spirit comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of the mysteries of faith, insight into the hidden meaning of Scripture, and other special gifts. Through the Spirit we become citizens of heaven, we enter into eternal happiness, and abide in God. Through the Spirit we acquire a likeness to God; indeed, we attain what is beyond our most sublime aspirations – we become like God.”
Four
The rich young man in the Gospels asks our Lord what he must do to gain eternal life. Despites all his possessions, he’s still seeking something more. This is quite telling! Yet he goes away sad when our Lord tells him to sell all his possessions, give the money to the poor, and come follow Him. His sadness reveals the anguish brought about by being tied to so many possessions, the ownership of which keeps him from possessing the one and only thing that matters—Jesus. St. Theresa of Avila reminds us that whoever possesses Jesus possesses everything, because Jesus is the Divine creator, through whom all things were made. Where our treasure is, there our hearts will also be. Our hearts must be emptied of worldly desires and idols in order to receive the heavenly treasure that is Jesus. Acts of self-denial, generosity, and charity towards others are good daily practices. These are all ways in which we can divest ourselves of our attachments. But we will fail in these if we don’t practice daily meditation. In meditation, we reflect on God’s word and the life of Jesus. This time spent in silence and soaking in Him and His teachings, conversing with Him, and loving Him fashions our hearts anew. By sacrificing time and “productivity” to be with Him, He in turn reveals to us what we’re created for, a relationship with the One who fulfills our hearts deepest longings. Nothing is more productive than that! This is what makes the story of the rich young man so sad, a sadness he feels: he is unwilling to part with the fleeting, temporary and superficial for that which is permanent, everlasting, and infinite in its joys. And you, what would you do to have eternal life?
Five
Now we understand why the pure of heart see God. Luke elaborates, “The good man out of the good treasures of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). A heart full of prayer becomes a life full of holy goodness, and a life full of holy goodness wells up to eternal life. This is what it means to be rich in things that matter to God. A resolution: Lord, help me discover today what thing possesses my heart rather than you, so that I can get rid of it.