Gather up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust can’t corrupt everything and where thieves do not break through the walls nor steal.
There are only two periods in our time zone when we change our clothes. We put away coats, warm jackets, sweaters, and thermal pants to take out T-shirts, shirts, and shorts in the spring. In the fall, again, we put those lighter clothes in the closets and prepare warmer ones. This period is, in a way, fascinating, because we pull things out of the darkness of the closet that we have forgotten, and many of them seem new to us. But there is one thing we would not like to find when we reach for our forgotten clothes after a few months. These are moth holes. Moths appear where we least expect them, crawl into clothes, and make holes in their own way that destroy our goods. Somewhere it can be repaired, but there is also damage, so we have to throw away that piece of clothing.
But wait a minute. Moths don’t have teeth, do they? How, then, can they make holes anywhere? Moths, in fact, lay eggs in the weaving of warm clothing. When the time comes, small caterpillars come out of these eggs and bite everything around them with their specific jaws. It can be just your sweater. And when the sweater sees the light of day in the fall, many holes appear on him, which usually cannot be repaired.
When Moth and Rust Work Together
It’s just one sweater. What if it goes wrong with the other things we own? Bread can become moldy; there comes a time when rust appears on the car, the house’s facade crumbles, and the wood rots. Things pass awkwardly; they become unusable. And we go through things together. Jesus, therefore, said, “Gather not yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust can be all corrupt; where thieves dig through walls and steal all. But gather up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can’t corrupt everything, and where thieves do not break through the walls, nor steal.l: For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.”
You Cannot Protect Yourself Against Moth and Rust
How much is your insurance paid for, or how secure are the padlocks you have placed on your property? How much is the warranty you get for the car against rust? How much can the name of the manufacturer you know to guarantee for clothes against the moths? Who do you think you are? Do you believe that transience won’t do you any good? Pay attention to Jesus’ words about keeping your valuables: “Gather for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust bites it, where thieves do not dig through walls or steal!” How can we preserve our most precious ones in heaven? And what is it that is kept upstairs?
Your Character Is a Real Treasure
What is recorded up there are the deeds we do, what our character reveals. The acts we do when we are alone and treat others directly reflect our hearts. Your character is a treasure that no one can take from you. And that is the only thing that is assessed in the heavenly courts and kept there. God knew well what He had in mind when He revealed this truth to us. Why is that so?
Your Heart Is Where Your Treasure Is
Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” God, our good Creator, on the one hand, and Satan, our spiritual enemy, on the other, are fighting relentlessly for our minds and our hearts. If we love clothes, cars, and money more than all spiritual values, then we are dealing with moths, rust, inflation, and eternal discontent. That’s real hell right now. When we love the material more than the spiritual, our heart is eroded by all possible negative emotions and longings that have no end. Morality declines, and character declines.
But when our heart is in heaven, and we build our character according to God’s sacred principles, we accumulate wealth that has imperishable value. Let’s think about it and remember the true values while it’s time, not when you come across moth holes, rust, rot, or when they rob you.