Store up treasures in heaven by practicing righteousness《Mt5:20; Heb12:2; Mt5:6,8-9; Lk17:10; Mt24:47; Mt25:23; Mt10:41-42; Mk10:30; Mt20:1,13-16; Lk17:10; Mt5:46; Lk6:32,35》

Prelude:

* God's kingdom is given as a reward for the practice of righteousness in this life.

* Read <Mt 5:20>

* It cannot be that Jesus still revolved around the ideas of merit and reward, which are the fundamental error of Judaism, right?

* This is a serious charge, because Jesus taught that "future reward or compensation" pervades the entire teaching of Jesus!

* To solve this difficulty, let us make some sharp distinctions. Then we can rightly be motivated for future rewards.

1. We have no right to claim that the motivation to desire rewards will prevent a person from practising true righteousness.

1) Is the desire for rewards the only motive? Is it the supreme motive?

2) Are there are other equal or higher (not self-serving, God-centered) motives for practicing righteousness?

3) Indeed, the Lord Himself feared punishments and sought for rewards.

Read <Heb 12:1>

2. The promise of rewards does not necessarily appeal only to the lower sensual instincts, but can equally apply to the highest spiritual desires.

1) Lower sensual instincts?

2) The Lord's teaching instead moves on towards the pursuit and attainment of the highest conceivable plane.

Read <Mt 5:6,8-9>

3) The motivation to pursue rewards is the full enjoyment of the righteousness and spirituality that is being sought.

3. There is a fundamental difference between Judaism and Jesus' understanding of the principle of reward.

1) The Jews think that there was a commercial and strict equivalence between giving and rewarding because it was a legal requirement, but Jesus taught that God has the sovereignty to require all obedience.

Read <Lk 17:10>

2) Jesus removes the pure equivalence between what is given and what is received altogether, saying instead that the reward will far exceed the righteousness previously given.

Read <Mt 24:47> <Mt 25:23> <Mt 10:41-42><Mk 10:30>

3) Though Jesus gave much teachings on rewards, He keeps this idea subservient to divine sovereignty and divine grace (kingship and fatherhood).

Read <Mt 20:1,13-16> <Lk 17:10>

4) What can be called wages from one point of view is a gracious gift from another.

Read <Mt 5:46> <Lk 6:32,35>

* The reward serves simply the purpose of giving an incentive to the disciples’ zeal.

* The reward also tells us that there will be individual degrees in the crowned glory determined by the progress in righteousness made.