Do Not Store Up Treasures on Earth

From the series “The Commands of Christ — Love in Action”

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
— Matthew 6:19–20, NASB 1995

Love for Christ changes what we value.
It reorders the heart.
It frees us from chasing what cannot last and calls us to invest in what cannot be lost.

Jesus didn’t say, “Give everything away so you’ll be poor.”
He said, “Don’t treasure the temporary.”

Because where your treasure is, your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).
And Jesus wants your heart.

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Earthly treasures fade.
Moths eat, rust corrodes, thieves break in.
The kingdoms of this world will fall, and all that seemed secure will one day vanish.
But those who belong to Christ are called to live for another Kingdom—one that cannot be shaken.

To love Christ is to loosen our grip on this world.
Not because the things of earth are evil, but because they are fleeting.

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“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”
— Colossians 3:2

The early Church lived this out radically.
They weren’t known for wealth or power—but for generosity and simplicity.
They did not store up—they gave freely.
Because they believed Jesus was coming soon, and they longed to be found faithful.

Justin Martyr (c. AD 150):
“We who once valued wealth above all now bring what we have to share… so that none among us may suffer need.”
— First Apology, Ch. 14

Tertullian (c. AD 200):
“What we have is not hoarded in chests, but distributed for the poor… for we know it is better to have treasure in heaven than gold in hand.”
— Apology, Ch. 39

Their hearts were not tied to empires or coin purses.
They lived as strangers and exiles on the earth (Hebrews 11:13).
And the world saw something in them it could not understand:
Contentment. Joy. Eternity in view.

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We cannot say we love Christ and still live like the world is our home.
We cannot cling to earthly security and walk in faith.
We cannot hoard what was given to us to bless others.

This doesn’t mean every Christian must take a vow of poverty.
But it does mean every Christian must take a vow of stewardship—a willingness to use every gift, dollar, and possession for the glory of God and the good of His people.

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“Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out… an unfailing treasure in heaven.”
— Luke 12:33

This is not loss. It is wisdom.
It is investing in eternity.

To obey this command is to trust God more than money.
It is to live free from the grip of materialism.
And it is to live ready—eyes fixed on a Kingdom that is coming soon.

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📚 Sources & References

Do Not Store Up Treasures on Earth

Scripture (NASB 1995):

• Matthew 6:19–21 – “Do not store up… treasures on earth…”
• Colossians 3:2 – “Set your mind on the things above…”
• Luke 12:33 – “Sell your possessions… treasure in heaven.”
• Hebrews 11:13 – “Strangers and exiles on the earth.”

Ante-Nicene Sources:

• Justin Martyr, First Apology, Ch. 14.
  “We bring what we have to share… none among us may suffer need.”
  [Available at: EarlyChristianWritings.com or CCEL.org]
• Tertullian, Apology, Ch. 39.
  “What we have is not hoarded… we know it is better to have treasure in heaven…”
  [Available at: NewAdvent.org]