Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven teaches that forgiveness, prayer, fasting, and obedience reveal where our hearts truly are. Jesus shows that motives matter because God rewards the heart, not appearances. Earthly treasure fades and distorts spiritual vision. Heavenly treasure is spiritual and lasting. A single eye brings light and clarity. Divided priorities bring darkness. We cannot serve both God and Mammon. Kingdom living requires undivided trust and allegiance to God alone.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
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Scriptures used in this lesson:
Matthew 6:13-24, Matthew 6:14-15, 1 John 4:20, Matthew 6:13, James 1:13, Matthew 6:16-18, Luke 18:12, Isaiah 58:6, 9, 2 Samuel 12:16, Joel 1:14, Joel 2:12, Acts 13:2, 1 Kings 21:9, Matthew 6:19-24, 2 Corinthians 4:18, Revelation 22:12, Matthew 19:23-24, Matthew 6:22,
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Kingdom Priorities, Motives, and True Treasure
We’re continuing our study of Matthew, and last week we concluded our discussion of the Lord’s Prayer. Specifically, we stopped on the subject of forgiveness. I want to go back and emphasize that point because it is critically important.
I see many Christians who are carrying unforgiveness in their hearts. That raises a serious question: if we hold unforgiveness, are we ourselves being forgiven? Scripture makes this very clear. If we are not forgiving others, Father is not forgiving us. It really is that simple.
Jesus states plainly in Matthew chapter 6 that forgiveness from the Father is directly connected to our willingness to forgive others. When we forgive people their trespasses, our heavenly Father forgives us. When we refuse to forgive, we cut ourselves off from that forgiveness. This makes forgiveness not optional, but essential to our relationship with God.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Matthew 6:14–15
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
How important is it to make sure we have forgiveness in our hearts that we walk in forgiveness, that there is no bitterness, that we give no place for bitterness or resentment in our hearts? It is ultimately important.
We must practice forgiveness because it is the foundation of our relationships. Scripture is clear that we cannot have a right relationship with the Father unless we have right relationships with one another. If someone claims to love God but hates his brother, the Bible calls that person a liar. That truth is essential, and we must hold firmly to it.
1 John 4:20
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
God has given us the power to forgive. The same grace that saves us through faith also places His life within us. When we were saved, He came to dwell in us, and His character came with Him. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, temperance, faith, and the rest of His nature now live inside us.
Because He forgives, we also can forgive. If we say we cannot forgive someone, the issue is not ability but choice. When Christ truly dwells in us, His forgiving nature dwells in us as well. Walking in unforgiveness is not spiritual weakness; it is simply yielding to the flesh. We do have the ability to forgive.
The Lord’s Prayer and Testing
Moving back to the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Matthew 6:13
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Scripture shows us that Satan is the tempter, so this verse does not contradict what we know. In Matthew chapter four, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, and He was led there by the Spirit.
This teaches us that the Spirit may lead us into situations of testing, but God Himself does not tempt anyone.
James 1:13
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Temptation comes through the enemy. Understanding this clarifies the meaning of the prayer. We are asking the Father to deliver us from the evil one, even when we are led into seasons of testing.
Now, it is true. God does not tempt any man. It’ll do a very good job of that. He doesn’t have to. Who will tempt you? Who will test you? He has a creature, a creation, that will do a very good job of that.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Maybe the way I would say it is, I ask you, Father, not to allow me to be tested. But if I am tested, deliver me from the evil one.
We need to understand that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by the devil, and He does the same with us. Testing is necessary for growth. It is how we mature, how the flesh is dealt with, and how we are purified. Nothing can be known until it is tested, whether it is a machine, a tool, or a person. Testing is a biblical principle and part of God’s process in our lives.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says, “Lead us not into temptation.” That wording is important because it is plural. It does not say “lead me not,” but “lead us not” and “deliver us from.” This shows that the prayer is not individualistic but rather corporate. It is a prayer for the body of Christ. We are a people, a nation, and one body made up of many members.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
The closing statement of the prayer says,
Matthew 6:13
13 …For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Some question whether this line appeared in the earliest manuscripts, but that does not change its truth. The kingdom belongs to the Father. All power is His. All glory is His. That will never change, and we can confidently affirm it.
Fasting as Giving of Energy
Let us turn to the subject of fasting, as it completes the teaching in Matthew chapter six. Fasting represents the giving of energy. Giving to God always involves three areas: money, time, and energy. Almsgiving addresses money. Prayer addresses time. Fasting addresses energy. Since money and time have already been covered, fasting now becomes the focus.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Matthew 6:16-18
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Jesus teaches fasting as a regular part of covenant life. He says “when you fast,” not “if you fast.” Fasting is expected, but it must never be done for show. The hypocrites fasted to be seen by men, and Jesus said they already had their reward.
When we are truly in covenant, there is something inside us that wants to fast. The same inward desire that moves us to pray and give also moves us to fast. We give our money, our time, and our energy because we love Him, not because we are pressured or commanded by law.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Our relationship with the Lord is like a marriage. As His bride, we should want to invest ourselves in Him. Real love produces willing giving. If we have to force ourselves to give time, money, or energy, then something is not right. This teaching is not legalistic. It is motivated by love.
Fasting puts the flesh down so the spirit can commune more fully with God. That is the purpose of a fast. It is the giving of energy as a regular part of covenant living, not something occasional or forced.
What Jesus is really addressing is motive. If our motive is to be seen by men when we give, pray, or fast, then that recognition is the reward we receive. Every action produces a reward that matches the motive behind it.
When the motive is right, the reward is right. If we give to advance the kingdom, we receive that reward. If we pray to commune with the Father and intercede for the saints, we receive that reward. The same is true with fasting. God promises to reward the motive of the heart.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Jesus tells us not to fast like the hypocrites, who fasted twice a week. The issue is not how often or how long we fast. The Lord let us see this in His parables of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The issue is why we fast. The reward always follows the motive.
Luke 18:12
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Proper and Improper Fasting
Jesus teaches that when we fast, we should do so quietly and without display. We are to care for ourselves normally, so we do not appear to others to be fasting. The focus is not on what people see, but on the Father who sees in secret. He is the one who promises to reward us openly.
Let us examine what a proper fast looks like. Prayer and fasting belong together. Fasting is intensified prayer. It is the intentional putting down of the flesh so the spirit can commune more fully with God.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Isaiah 58 is central to understanding this. That chapter deals almost entirely with the true nature of fasting. One purpose of fasting is to express sorrow and confess sin. When we fail and make a mess of things, fasting becomes a way to humble ourselves before God and restore what has been broken.
Isaiah 58:6, 9
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
I come to the Father and fast and pray to restore the relationship. That is one purpose of fasting. Another reason is times of deep sorrow. In times of loss and grief, fasting becomes an expression of mourning. David did this, but he ended his fast once the death had occurred.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
2 Samuel 12:16
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
Fasting is also used in times of crisis, such as a plague. Scripture records people calling fasts in such situations, as in Joel. The same principle applies to spiritual battles. In warfare, fasting is a tool God has given us.
Joel 1:14
14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,
Joel 2:12
12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
The purpose of fasting is to put the flesh down so the spirit can come forward. When we fast, spiritual strength increases and victory becomes possible.
Fasting in the New Testament Church
In the New Testament, fasting was sometimes ordered by leaders. The elders in the book of Acts called a fast to seek direction for missionary work. During that fast, the Holy Ghost spoke and said to send Barnabas and Saul. As a result, elders may at times order a fast for the church. That pattern is clearly New Testament.
Acts 13:2
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
Fasting was also used to appoint leadership. The early church fasted to discern who should serve as elders. This underscores the importance of fasting before making spiritual appointments. We should always fast before appointing elders (Acts 14:23).
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Improper Fasting and the Jezebel Spirit
What is improper fasting? I’ll begin with what I call the Jezebel fast. Jezebel represents a controlling and manipulating spirit. Manipulation is the use of influence to control people rather than submit to God.
In the Old Testament, Jezebel manipulated her husband, King Ahab, and, through him, the nation. In Revelation 2:20-23, Jesus addresses Jezebel again, indicating the same spirit at work in the church. This is not the historical Jezebel, but a person exhibiting the same controlling spirit.
The Jezebel spirit is manipulative. It can operate through a woman or a man. Its goal is control. Jesus rebukes this spirit because it seduces, manipulates, and leads people away from obedience to God.
In that church, a prophetess was operating with a manipulative and controlling spirit. She was not under proper submission and was trying to control people through what Scripture identifies as a Jezebel spirit. This kind of spirit is not uncommon. I see it often. It is simply a controlling spirit that seeks influence rather than submission.
Jezebel declared a fast, but it was not a godly fast.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
1 Kings 21:9
And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
It was used to manipulate people and even attempt to manipulate God. That cannot be done. When we fast, we must not fast to get our way. An actual fast is not selfish. It is for the church, for people, and sometimes for personal humility, but always to set aside the flesh so the spirit can take control.
Length of Fasts and the Central Issue
Scripture teaches us much about fasting, including its length. There were one-day fasts, sunrise-to-sunset fasts, three-day fasts, seven-day fasts, three-week fasts, forty-day fasts, and even recurring fasts in certain months. Eventually, the Pharisees fasted twice a week.
The point is not how long or how painful a fast is. The purpose of fasting is to intensify prayer and to subdue the flesh. The real issue is the motive of the heart.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Rewards, Motives, and the Heart
Jesus promises that we will be rewarded according to our motives. He teaches us not to fast in a way that draws attention to ourselves. I use my own experience to explain this. I was fasting and attended a meeting where others were eating. When asked why I was not eating, I told the truth. I was fasting, and yes, I was hungry.
I’ll also share another example from a seven-day fast. When invited out to eat, I declined and explained that I was on a fast. Some thought I was being unsociable, but that was not the issue. The issue was honesty. Pretending not to be hungry while fasting would have been a lie.
What I want us to understand is this. Telling someone you are fasting does not mean you have lost the fast. God is not looking at who knows. God examines the motive of the heart. If the motive is right, it does not matter if the whole world knows. The reward comes from the heart motive, not from secrecy for its own sake.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
We are rewarded for the reasons we do what we do. If we want to be seen by people, that recognition is our reward. If our motive is right before the Father, then He will reward us. The issue is never the action itself. The issue is always the heart behind it.
Outward Actions Flow From Inward Motives
All giving—money, prayer, fasting, baptism, and communion—flows from something happening inside us. An inward work produces outward actions. We fast because something inside us leads us to fast. We pray because something inside us draws us to pray, and we give and participate in the ordinances for the same reason. There is always an inward motivation behind every outward act.
That motivation is one of two things. It is either the Pharisee motive or the proper motive. We either do these things to be seen by people or we do them for the right reason. Whatever motive drives the action determines the reward. That is what this teaching is about.
External actions by themselves mean nothing. A person can be baptized many times and never have a circumcised heart. Someone can take communion repeatedly and never truly commune with the Father. The real issue is the condition of the heart. Jesus is addressing what is happening within us and why we do what we do.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Treasure, Priorities, and the Kingdom
Sincerity is central to this lesson. The Lord promises that He will reward us. He rewards giving. He rewards prayer, and He rewards fasting. Each one carries a promise of reward. The issue is never whether the reward comes. The issue is the underlying condition of the heart.
Next, Jesus begins dealing with our treasure. Our treasure has the power to confuse our priorities. That is the central issue in this passage. The question becomes whether our priorities are correct and whether our treasures are in their proper place.
There is nothing wrong with treasure or wealth by itself. The problem comes when treasure becomes what we serve. No one can serve both God and Mammon. Our minds may tell us we can manage both, but sooner or later, one will betray the other.
Judas Iscariot is a clear example. He believed he could follow Jesus and still love money. Ultimately, his love for treasure led him to betray the Lord. The same thing happens in many Christian lives. When treasure takes priority, it eventually replaces true devotion to God.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Matthew 6:19–24 — Two Treasures and Two Masters
I want us to read this passage in Matthew 6:19-24. Jesus tells us not to store up treasures on earth, because earthly things decay and can be taken away. Instead, He calls us to lay up treasures in heaven, where nothing can corrupt or steal them. Where our treasure is, that is where our heart will be.
Jesus then shifts to the illustration of the eye. The eye is the lamp of the body. When the eye is single and clear, the whole body is full of light. When the eye is evil or divided, the entire body is filled with darkness. The condition of our vision determines the condition of our life.
He closes this section by making the issue unmistakably clear. No one can serve two masters. A person will always love one and despise the other. For that reason, Jesus says it plainly. We cannot serve both God and Mammon.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Matthew 6:19–24
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
We cannot serve God and Mammon. We can only serve one God. Since there is only one true God, serving wealth, possessions, or treasure is idolatry, whether we agree with that or not. If wealth or things matter more than our relationship with Jesus Christ, then they have become our god.
This section argues for the necessity of placing unlimited trust in God. Trust in the kingdom is not optional. We either trust Him or we do not. We either seek Him first, or we do not. There is no middle ground.
Jesus is teaching about temporal treasures. Earthly wealth is a deposit that will not last. Clothing decays. Metals corrode. Possessions pass away. Scripture reminds us that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. That is where our focus must be.
2 Corinthians 4:18
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
The Scriptures teach us to distinguish between earthly and spiritual things, which Jesus calls heavenly. When we talk about laying up treasures in heaven, we are not talking about storing physical items somewhere in the sky. The treasures we are laying up are spiritual in nature.
I wanted to clarify when those rewards are received. Revelation 22 shows us that the Lord brings His rewards with Him when He comes. He does not say we go somewhere to get them. He brings them with Him and gives to each person according to their work. That is what Scripture teaches about heavenly rewards.
Revelation 22:12
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
The Beatitudes and Ongoing Spiritual Reward
When Jesus speaks of heavenly treasure, He is talking about spiritual things, not physical wealth. We are not storing up money in heaven. We are storing up spiritual treasures. Those spiritual deposits produce enduring spiritual benefits. Everything earthly passes away. Clothing wears out. Metals corrode. Possessions break down or are taken. Earthly treasure is temporary and is already vanishing.
This is the contrast Jesus is making between earthly and spiritual treasures. Treasures in heaven are spiritual and cannot be corrupted or stolen. The question then becomes what kinds of things create spiritual deposits in our lives. The answer is spiritual actions and spiritual responses.
To understand this fully, we must return to where Jesus began this teaching, namely, Matthew 5. This is one sermon and one connected message. In the Beatitudes, Jesus shows us how spiritual treasure is stored up. Being poor in spirit brings the kingdom of God. Mourning brings comfort. Meekness brings inheritance. Hunger for righteousness brings filling. Mercy brings mercy. A pure heart brings seeing God. Peacemaking brings sonship. Persecution brings inheritance of the kingdom.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
When we are reviled and spoken against, Jesus says our reward is great. Persecution carries a spiritual reward. That reward is described as being in heaven, and it is real. I see that as part of what we are already gaining in the Spirit. These rewards are not distant ideas. They are connected to contemporary life.
Jesus continues by showing that being salt, light, and righteous produces treasure in the kingdom. Giving money, giving time in prayer, and giving energy through fasting are all ways we lay up treasures in heaven. Our entire walk with Christ is a continual deposit. Everything we do spiritually is placing something into our lives.
The key point is that we are not waiting for a future time to experience this reward. We are walking in it now. Our present obedience produces present spiritual benefit.
Wealth, the Kingdom, and the Rich Young Ruler
Let’s address the question of wealth. Wealth itself is not wrong. Abraham was rich, and God made him rich. David was rich, and God blessed him. Solomon was rich as well. The problem is never money itself. The danger is what we do with it and how it affects our priorities.
Jesus teaches that it is difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Matthew 19, we find the story of the rich young ruler. The man asked Jesus what he must do to be saved. Jesus told him to sell what he had and follow Him. The man would not do it. He could not relinquish his wealth. That showed the real issue. The riches did not belong to him. The riches had him. That is why Jesus was grieved.
Jesus then tells His disciples that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. He elaborates, saying that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. That statement prompts us to reflect.
Matthew 19:23–24
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Kingdom Living Versus Salvation
This is not about salvation but about living in kingdom thinking and kingdom priorities. Riches are dangerous because they can distort priorities. When priorities shift, darkness follows.
The real issue is not whether riches are evil. The real question is who controls whom. Do we possess wealth, or does wealth possess us? When people cannot let go of riches, those riches have them. That is the danger Jesus is warning us about.
Jesus is not talking about heaven itself. He is talking about the kingdom of God. Those two are not equivalent. The kingdom of God is defined as righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). This is what Jesus addresses here.
A person can experience salvation and still not walk in the kingdom. Salvation determines heaven, but the kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. A rich person can be saved as easily as anyone else. Salvation comes by believing in the heart and confessing Jesus as Lord.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
The issue is not salvation. The issue is walking in kingdom living. That requires a kingdom mindset and a kingdom way of thinking. For a rich person, that walk can be challenging because riches often take control. Priorities become distorted. The eye is no longer single. Something else gets into the vision, and that something is treasure.
The Eye, Vision, and Spiritual Clarity
When that happens, spiritual vision becomes blurred. Darkness replaces clarity. Money becomes a snare, just as it did for Judas. The real question is not how much wealth we have, but what has our hearts. Either the Spirit has us, or Mammon has us.
Wealth itself is not wrong. The danger arises when wealth possesses us rather than we possessing it. Where a person invests themselves is where their heart truly is. Our heart and mind cannot be divided. We will love one and hate the other.
Jesus continues this line of thought by introducing the illustration of the eye. The eye is the light of the body. When the eye is single, the whole body is full of light.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
A pure, clear, good, or sound eye means healthy vision. It means the eye is single, with nothing else in it. There is no clutter and no interference. Here are several translations of Matthew 6:22. The KJV says, “if therefore thine eye be single…” It means if your eye is healthy.
Matthew 6:22
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
New International Version (NIV)
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,”
New Living Translation (NLT)
“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.”
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”
When our eyes are healthy, we see correctly. When an object enters the eye, vision becomes blurred. Pain follows, and the eyes close. When the eyes close, darkness takes over. That is the picture Jesus is using. He is talking about a healthy way of seeing and understanding.
The Lord applies that picture to wealth. When riches have a person, vision becomes blurred. They can no longer see straight. Spiritual clarity is lost. This is the allegory Jesus gives. A single eye brings light. A divided or diseased eye brings darkness.
Jesus contrasts good vision with impaired vision. A good eye produces light. An evil eye produces darkness. When vision is clear and single, the kingdom can be seen clearly. Nothing interferes. Nothing distracts. When other treasures enter the picture, vision becomes distorted.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
One Central Conclusion: Seek First the Kingdom
Jesus is building toward one central truth. He makes it clear later in the passage. The conclusion is simple and direct. Seek first the kingdom of God.
Jesus wants us to understand that everything in our lives must align with the kingdom of God. Nothing can come before it. When anything gets in front of the kingdom, it blurs our vision and affects how we see and live.
The eye is the lamp of the body. For the body to function correctly, the eye must be pure, clear, good, and sound. It must be single, with nothing else in it. When foreign matter enters the eye, vision becomes blurred. The same thing happens spiritually.
When the eye is clouded or diseased, the body loses proper light for direction and safety. Vision failure puts the whole body at risk. Jesus uses this image to discuss treasure. He contrasts earthly treasures with heavenly treasures. When earthly treasure gets into our vision, spiritual thinking becomes diseased, and darkness sets in.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
The degree of darkness depends on the extent of visual blurring. A little treasure causes a little blur. More treasure brings more distortion. That is why it is difficult for a rich person to enter into what Jesus is teaching. Riches can function like a disease in the eye, distorting vision and producing darkness.
Jesus then makes the issue unmistakably clear. No one can serve two masters. A person will love one and hate the other. Accordingly, we cannot serve both God and Mammon.
Mammon, Idolatry, and Ultimate Allegiance
Mammon represents what we place our confidence in. It is wealth personified. It conveys a passion for acquiring and hoarding wealth. That passion becomes greed, and greed becomes deified. In other words, wealth takes the place of God.
Mammon is described as a trusted treasure or the power of money. When Mammon receives our passion, it receives our devotion. We give it our money. We give it our time., and we even devote our energy and spiritual focus to it. At that point, it becomes what we serve. It becomes our god and our idol.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Jesus makes it clear that we cannot serve both God and Mammon. Our minds may tell us that we can balance both, but that is not true. Eventually, one will win, and the other will be betrayed.
Jesus says there is only one God. Not two. Not three. One God. That statement settles the issue. Only one being can hold our ultimate loyalty and devotion (Mark 12:28-30).
Christianity is more than words. It is presenting your body. All of you become a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to him. And that’s your reasonable service. It is having no gods before him. It is not allowing Mammon to rule your life.
And whatever God we serve, now this is so important, and I’m done. Whatever God we serve, we will serve him that way. We will give him our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength. We will give him our money, our energy, and our time.
Whatever we serve is what we worship. We give ourselves to our god in the same way, whether it is the true God or a false one. That is why I use “God” with a capital G or “god” with a small g. What we sacrifice for, give our allegiance to, and pursue with enthusiasm is what we truly worship.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
There are only two options. We either worship God or we worship Mammon. Since there is only one true God, worshiping Mammon is idolatry. Idolatry is excessive devotion, admiration, and blind attachment to something other than God. Jesus makes it clear that we cannot serve both. Even though the mind may try to justify it, absolute allegiance always shows which master truly rules.
I return to the core issue. Mammon is what we trust and what we obey. Jesus teaches the necessity of loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Nothing can come before Him. No power, no treasure, and no Mammon. This teaching is about the kingdom, not salvation. It is about walking in the fullness of what God has for us.
Many Christians are saved but are not walking in the kingdom because they are not serving God with their whole heart. Jesus did not preach salvation as His central message. He preached the Kingdom of God and taught us how to think.
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
Matthew 6 13-24 How to Lay Up True Treasures in Heaven
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