Heavenly Treasure and Healthy Eyes
Devotional by Caylee Greer
“Don’t store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!”
Matthew 6:19-23
The definition of “treasure” is a stored-up wealth, often considered in ancient history something that is lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Something that you hide away, something with incredible value to be used at a later date.
Jesus wasn’t one to “store up” things. When we examine His life and ministry on earth, He gave away things. He shared things. He traveled light. In this passage, I believe Jesus is prompting us to consider what things we treasure and why we are clinging to it.
Earthly “treasures” are subject to destruction and theft. Jesus’ wise words direct us to letting go of earthly treasure and rather prompt us to think about finding a true and lasting treasure. The treasure that truly lasts is a relationship with God and His people. This is the treasure that holds immeasurable value and will someday be made whole when we dwell in Heaven. The enemy has no hold on this treasure!
Likewise, a healthy eye is one that sees and understands the goodness of God. Jesus explains our eye as the lamp of the body, the thing that provides light throughout the rest of us. The things we focus on and spend time looking at truly affects the health of our soul. When we have a healthy eye, we can witness the blessings in our life from God. In a world filled with greed, materialism, and social media’s influence, it can be difficult to keep our eyes healthy. One practical way to let real light into our eyes is by sitting with Jesus’ words this morning or evening, whenever you find yourself reading this devotional series. Read the passage above one more time and imagine Jesus’ words as the light entering through your eyes and filling your body. Spending time filling up with light today will allow you to truly be the light of the world, which can be as simple as showing kindness to a coworker or stranger at the coffee shop!
After spending some time reading through the passage in Matthew again, can you think of what your earthly “treasures” are and how you can practically trade them for a heavenly treasure? How about your eyes? Where is your focus and your attention? Throughout the rest of today, try being extra-aware of where your mind lingers. Everytime you start to treasure earthly things, remember these verses and come back to the wise words of Jesus.