MATTHEW 6:1-21
People love being rewarded. Most of us expect rewards from our friends and colleagues: a pat on the back, a plaque, a round of applause, a sincere compliment. But according to Jesus, the greatest rewards await us after death. It is possible that the most important human actions are performed in secret and seen only by God. In short, the message of the Kingdom is: live for God and not for others.
According to Jesus, by storing up “treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20) rather than on earth, we accumulate a kind of savings account, treasures large enough to offset any suffering. The Old Testament gave some hints of the afterlife, but Jesus clearly spoke of a place where the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom (Matthew 13:43).
Many today are like the Jews of Jesus’ day who sought signs of God’s approval in this life, primarily through wealth and political power. Jesus turned their attention to the life to come. Invest in the future life, He warned. After all, rust, thieves or insects can destroy the treasures here.
🙏🏼 Lord, help us to know that reward in eternity does not depend upon recognition in life. May we seek Your approval and not that of men.
