Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

==============================

This is not about saving the goodies for 'an afterlife' ala ancient Egyptian practices (though there's nothing more mysterious about an afterlife than there is about the fact that we're experiencing this life!)

It can't be about 'Racking Up Points With The Old Man,' because as we're told, God already loves us as a father, and gives us what we need.

We don't want to need suffering, except that evidently we sometimes do. But that -- Consider the story of Job -- isn't necessarily a matter of having 'Sinned' or being somehow 'Bad.'

So what is this telling us?

[ http://kwakerskripturestudy.blogspot.com/2015/06/matthew-619-21.html ]

Views: 255

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

I was hoping someone else would answer this for me!

Anyway, I'm now thinking of Rumi's poem about the man who wants a lion tattooed on his person. And when the artist pokes him with the needle, he says: "Ow! What's that?"  -- "The lion." -- "Which limb?" -- "I began with the tail." -- "Well, leave off the tail!" -- and etc.

We do want the things that last. Suffering may not be the only way we develop them -- Love is likely more powerful -- but sometimes it can be the only thing to make us want to go near the situations and conditions where we might pick them up...

'siyo Friend Forrest and all of this blessedCircle, 
Long time no see~ 

You present one of my favorite verses...  
No one can "answer it" of course-

Some queries arise for me however:

What are the treasures of Heaven?
How do we focus on those treasures, here and now?  

Yay, good to see you back!

Presumably these would the traits helpful for living in 'The Promised Land As It Was Suppose To Be', and not turning it into a desolation of idolatry, slavery, & extortion. I've been a little reluctant to try to specify these, because I gather they come down to moving within the Tao of God... "When the Great Tao was lost, we got Benevolence and Righteousness" -- and it was all downhill from there!

Seeking to know God better, to attune by 'being perfect' in the sense Jesus specified?: to bless everyone quite indiscriminatingly?

to bless the One Being which is all...  

"Another commandment which is 'like' the first"

amen! 

"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." 

Because there is only God.  

Watch over your heart with all diligence for out of it flows the springs of life.  It's not the treasure itself so much as the desire that has to be monitored.

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Support Us

Did you know that QuakerQuaker is 100% reader supported? Our costs run to about $50/month. If you think this kind of outreach and conversation is important, please support it with a monthly subscription or one-time gift.

Latest Activity

Daniel Hughes updated their profile
8 hours ago
Martin Kelley updated their profile
23 hours ago
Martin Kelley posted a blog post

QuakerQuaker migration starting soon, can you help?

Hi QuakerQuaker fans,It's time to start the migration of QuakerQuaker to a new online platform. It…See More
23 hours ago
Martin Kelley commented on QuakerQuaker's blog post 'QuakerQuaker Resolution for 2023—Can You Help?'
"Hi Christopher, thanks for your ongoing support all this time; I understand needing to slow down…"
2nd day (Mon)
Christopher Hatton posted events
1st day (Sun)
Christopher Hatton commented on QuakerQuaker's blog post 'QuakerQuaker Resolution for 2023—Can You Help?'
"Hi Martin,   I hope other users have been making occasional/regular donations.  I am…"
1st day (Sun)
Christopher Hatton liked David Anthony's profile
1st day (Sun)
Christopher Hatton updated their profile
1st day (Sun)

© 2023   Created by QuakerQuaker.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service