The Man that Dies with the most Toys... Still Dies.

One of the most amazing things about Jesus life is that He practiced what He preached. (No duh!) But this particular command that He gave to us, I saw in a new light as I was thinking about it recently.

Matthew 6:19-20, "Do not store up for youreslves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where theives break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where theives do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Jews of the day thought that their Messiah would come and deliver them from under Roman rule. However, Jesus came not to save the people from a physical oppression, but rather a spiritual oppression. Instead of overcoming their physical enemies, Christ overcame their spiritual enemies.

If Christ simply came to overcome the Romans, that victory would only last on earth. However, Christ's work on the cross stores up treasures in heaven. Through His gift of eternal life that He provides through His death, we are given eternal life. Instead of stimply saving the people from the dangers of oppression of their physical lives, Christ's gift to His people would last for eternity.

Christ Fulfilled His own command through His gift of spiritual Salvation.

Also, another idea was challenging to me. When Christ died, no one understood what He was accomplishing. There was no appreciation in their eyes, no words of encouragement from their lips, but rather the people either didn't understand, or they condemned Him. Does this not parallel Christians storing up treasures in heaven? Oftentimes when we make choices to spend our lives doing those things that will count for eternity, the world doesn't understand why.

The apostle Paul says it best in His letter to Timothy:

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore, do not be afraid of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel…”

- 2 Timothy 1:7-10