O'Donoghue MTh_Thesis-FinalCopy.pdf - South African Theological ...

value highly would be some sort of material wealth.Keener (2009:232) notes that there was a view among some philosophers inantiquity that material possessions in themselves are evil. Keener shows his readersthat Jesus did not subscribe to this philosophy but rather embraces the view thatone’s material possessions should be used in obedience to God to serve others. TheGospel of Luke verses 19:21; 3:11 and 12:33-44 are used to make his point.That Jesus prohibits laying up treasures on earth is also of importance. As Guelich(1982:326) notes earth is cast in a negative light when compared to heaven. Earth isseen here as the realm of a fallen creation where things perish. This is in contrast toHeaven which is seen as a place where things do not perish (Matt 6:20).Part One then moves to the command in verse 20 (Talbert 2006:121). Verse 20contains the command by Jesus to His disciples to lay up treasures in Heaven. Thepositive command to lay up for yourselves treasure in Heaven is the positive part ofthe antitheses of verses 19-21 (Guelich 1982:327).Heaven is put to the reader as the opposite of earth (Lenski 1964:296). Alreadymentioned is the fact that there are destructive natural and evil forces at work onearth. This showed the temporal state and ultimate worthlessness of material wealth(Guelich 1986:326). While in contrast to material wealth stored on earth, Heavenlytreasure is secure as it is protected in a realm beyond natural decay and evil forces.There have been several ideas as to what treasures in Heaven in this passage areand how they are acquired by the disciple. Wright (2002:63) notes that the Jews ofJesus day believed in an eternal reward for God’s people, but didn’t normally refer tothat future as “Heaven.” Wright says that Heaven refers to “where God is right now.”The implication for is that by loving and serving God treasure can be enjoyed in thepresent.However, Eichler & Brown (1976:831) present a conflicting idea and affirm that“Treasure in Heaven” is a Jewish idea that refers to “what wins divine approval andreward in the coming kingdom.” Lloyd-Jones (2006:399) doesn’t define what the41