Hey folks, here is a question to ponder. Do you believe we will have a treasure waiting in Heaven? The Word declares this.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
Which, of course, goes along with not being anxious and this.
”But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
And this.
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19
We are told we will have a crown of life.
“Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8
Do you believe that you are doing everything you can to accumulate these treasures and the crown? What do you think they will be like when we arrive? I understand that there are several paths we can take. Are the crowns only for the Jews? Since there is neither Jew nor Greek, don’t we all receive one? What do you think we will do with the treasure? Will we keep it, use it, or give it back to God for His honor and glory?
I don’t think the Bible mentions what exactly the rewards are that we can store up in heaven. I do know that there are 5 crowns mentioned in the Bible that we can receive and also how we earn them. It’s possible though not to have earned any crown. Some crowns are available to all and some are more specific in who can win them.
The first crown is the crown of victory and is mentioned in 1 Cor 9:24-27. It’s a sports analogy and about self discipline and how you live your life.
The second crown is known as the crown of the soul winner and is found in Phil 4:1 and 1 Thess 2:19. It’s for those who have been influential in winning people to Christ.
Number 3 is the crown of righteousness in 2 Tim 4:8 and its for everyone who has longed for the Lord’s coming.
Number 4 is the crown of life mentioned in James 1:12 and again in Rev 2:10. It is for those who have faced suffering and persecution for the Lord.
The last crown is the crown of glory in 1 Peter 5:1-4. Only those who are called into ministry can qualify for this crown.
So maybe the treasure that Jesus talked about are these crowns. We end up giving them back to Jesus anyways. Rev 4:10 We’re warned not to let anyone steal our crown in Rev 3:11. We can know for sure that the treasure Jesus talks about is not material, but spiritual and the crowns that are mentioned here are a stephanos crown. This stephanos crown is the same type of crown that was awarded in the ancient Greek Olympics and made from ivy. In a few places Paul uses the Olympics as a demonstration of what he’s talking about. It’s a good fit. There are two words for crown in the Bible. Stephanos is one and the other is Diadem. Jesus wears the royalty crown or the Diadem.
This is a great topic because I have wondered about the treasure Jesus spoke about. I think it must be referring to the crowns which are sometimes referred to as a prize like in Phil 3:14 and in 1 Cor 9:24. For each of these crowns, its the motive of the heart that matters. It anyone is interested in reading an article on the crowns, let me know and I’ll post a link.
My position is that Jesus is telling us to radically redefine how we understand “treasure”. If we are trading earthly gold for some sort of “heavenly gold” then we end up missing the point.
”For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
This should cause us to pause and consider: What is it that we value most? What is of chief value to us is our heart’s desire; what is it our heart desire?
Do we desire glory? Or do we desire humility? Is it our neighbor? Our neighbor’s well-being? Or is it recognition, power, wealth?
While crowns were symbols of power, in the Greco-Roman world they were marks of honor and victory. These were wreathes or garlands placed upon the head of a victor. This is why the crowns spoken of in the New Testament are often contextually in discussions of victory, of overcoming, of enduring–the prize to be sought (such in the case of 2 Timothy 4:8) is righteousness, the victor’s reward is not about jewels and gold, but the crown of justice, of righteousness.
The treasure I want to desire most deeply is to hear the Master say: “Well done, good and faithful servant”.