Treasures in Heaven

Many people pursue the acquisition of goods and money with such obsession that it ends up becoming the priority, the essence of their lives.
And by acting this way, they end up looking like true "bottomless pits" of ambition and greed, never satisfied with what they already have, even if it is more than enough to live a life of luxury and extend it to several generations of their own family.
Often, the desire for such things leads them to acquire them even through illicit means, such as fraud and corruption.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.;
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

(Matthew 6:19-21 – ACF)

This does not mean that possessing goods is, in itself, a bad thing: everything acquired honestly and through effort is deserved. However, there is something—consistent in Jesus' well-known "Sermon on the Mount"—to be highlighted in this passage: the statement that where someone's treasure is (that is, what the person considers most important in their life), there also is their heart.
This connects directly to another biblical passage:

For the love of money is the root of all evil;
And in their greed, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

(1ˢᵗ Timothy 6:10 – ACF)

Money itself, as it turns out, is not the problem.
The problem is LOVING money!
The love of money generates unhappiness in the heart of the one who possesses it (because they are never satisfied), and brings harm to those around them.,
And we can clearly see this in the acts of corruption committed by various unscrupulous politicians and the harmful consequences they bring to millions of people.

As Jesus said, if earthly possessions are what a person sets their heart on, they are building their existence on something very fragile, and even harmful.
The fragility of earthly possessions is made quite clear in the same passage from the Sermon on the Mount: "Moths and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal.".
In Jesus' time, many of the "treasures" in Israel consisted of fine and valuable fabrics, which were generally acquired because they were easy to store and transport, but were subject to deterioration and moth infestation if not properly protected (which was difficult to do because, for example, plastic materials did not yet exist).
Similarly, metal utensils — particularly silver, a material subject to oxidation — whose value was ultimately affected in future transactions.
Therefore, it makes perfect sense for Jesus to speak of moths and rust, in addition, obviously, to the risk of theft, which has existed ever since the world was affected by human sin.

Thus, both today and back then, money and earthly possessions, however coveted, are no guarantee of absolutely anything.
They may provide joy and satisfaction for a time, but they do not fulfill the need for meaning in human existence and, moreover, they cannot solve the greatest problem of all: the end of earthly life.
It doesn't take much thought or deep speculation to realize that money doesn't prevent death, and that nothing we possess, in material terms, will be taken with us after this life… this is also recorded in verse 7 of the same text by the apostle Paul previously cited: “we brought nothing into the world, and it is evident that we will take nothing out of it.”.

So, what are the “treasures of heaven”—which cannot be destroyed or stolen—to which the Lord Jesus refers?
As with almost everything, celestial criteria are very different from earthly ones: the treasures of heaven cannot be manipulated or even touched, as they are on a far higher plane than the ephemeral treasures of Earth.
Jesus himself, also in the Sermon on the Mount, speaks about some of these treasures:

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

(Matthew 5:14-16 – ACF)

Good works are part of the treasure of heaven, something that is reaffirmed in Revelation:

And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me:
“"Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.".
Yes, says the Spirit, so that they may rest from their labors, and their deeds follow them.

(Revelation 14:13 – ACF)

LEARN ABOUT THE CONSIDERATIONS
FROM THEOPHILUS THE NIGHT
ABOUT REVELATION 14

Another point that can be highlighted is Daniel's statement:

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens;
And those who teach righteousness to many will shine like the stars forever and ever.

(Daniel 12:3 – ACF)

The wisdom of being a faithful witness to the one true God, to the person and work of Jesus the Savior, is also part of the treasure of heaven.
Jesus also states something that may seem shocking, but which is a very important part of the treasure of heaven, also in the Sermon on the Mount:

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.;
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven;
For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

(Matthew 5:10-12 – ACF)

The suffering endured for the love of the Lord is not a punishment, but a privilege that equates the modern Christian with the prophets who lived before, who were also persecuted and despised for proclaiming justice, divine judgment on sin in the Old Testament, and the first coming of the Savior, just as the second coming is proclaimed today, for the final judgment.

The treasures of heaven cannot be touched and, therefore, will not be fully enjoyed by the Christian during his time on this Earth. They are something to be enjoyed when we reach the New Jerusalem, and—because they are in heaven and guarded by God—such treasures can never be taken from him, remaining beyond the reach of theft and destruction, to be given as an eternal reward only to those who will receive the crown of eternal life.

Therefore, even if one manages to acquire earthly treasures, let each Christian always be careful not to set their heart on them.
May our hearts be set on the treasures of heaven, which cannot be taken away and whose reward is not corruptible, but eternal.
Not through merit, but through the unspeakable grace of God, who rewards us generously.

It truly seems that the moment is approaching when those of us who possess them will have access to the benefits of our... spiritual applications And we can already see signs of the prophesied reign of the Antichrist taking hold, not only in Brazil, but throughout the world!
In the 2023 phase of "The Worst Gospel," I decided to use new formats in the hope of helping to increase the reach of content related to the Scriptures—stories, videos, shorter texts, guest authors…—and this publication, which I took the liberty of revising and illustrating, is part of that project.
Thank you for reading this far.
I still need all the help I can get: comments, shares, and reactions help spread this content, which was entirely produced with the intention of contributing to the edification of the Body of Christ in the world.