Treasure in Heaven (Mid-week)

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Fr. Tony’s Midweek Message

Treasure in Heaven

January 28, 2015

Sell your possessions, and give to the poor. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys (Luke 12:33)

Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal.  (Matthew 6:20)

These two snippets from the Gospels placed on the lips of Jesus contrast building up a nest egg here or in the afterlife.  They teach that a lack of attachment to wealth here is essential if we are to keep anything in death:  compassion and helping others is what lasts, especially when they are sacrificial, when they cost us.  The idea is expressed graphically in many moral tales and folk stories from Eastern Europe that talk about a person who is saved from falling into Hell by barely pulling himself up out of the pit by a scrawny turnip—the only gift he had given the poor in a rich, long life. 

I’m not sure that it is because we think there’s something in it for us in the afterlife that we should give alms or be kind and helpful to people. 

The Buddha told the following poem to two elderly men near death who expressed frustration at not having accomplished much in their lives and asked him for advice on how to be happy:

“When a house is on fire,

the vessel salvaged

is the one that will be of use,

not the one left there to burn.

The world is on fire

with aging and  death.  

You must salvage by giving.

What is given away is well salvaged.

Whoever here who foregoes desires

in body, speech, or awareness,

whoever does worthy acts while alive

that person will find them his or her bliss.”

(Adapted from "Dvejana Sutta: Two People (2)" (AN 3.52), trans. from the Pali by T. Bhikkhu. http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.052.than.html .)

One way of getting rid of the vexing questions “why am I suffering so much from old age?” or “why has death come so suddenly?” is simply doing kindnesses and helping others as we are able.  Simple compassion and aid to those in need turns our attention from ourselves and our worries. Kind and helpful acts and sacrificial gifts to help others do indeed salvage our sense of purpose and worth in an otherwise difficult life situation.  It is heavenly treasure for this life as well, perhaps, as beyond death. 

Grace and Peace,

Fr. Tony+