Christ Jesus portrayed the fallacy of relying upon or storing up material riches to meet the deeper needs of mortals, when he said: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." To human sense, material wealth may promote industry and improvement. It may build cities and highways, and may make possible extensive travel. But all of these things fall short of the mission of bestowing a benefit upon mankind unless they have been the means of turning thought to the true source of all good.
Paul surely spoke the truth in regard to materiality when he said, "None of these things move me;" for he must have realized that material things do not bring mortals any nearer the kingdom of heaven. Spirit must be recognized to be the source of all true progress. It might also be averred that Paul's method of doing good could not be changed, nor his faith in God divided, by giving any power or reality to material ways and means in order to accomplish the work set before him.
Our treasure in heaven may well be said to consist of our individual understanding of God's spiritual universe of ideas. To begin to see that the spiritual universe already exists in God, divine Principle, only waiting to be realized through spiritual perception of it, brightens our path with a hope which far transcends the joy of laying up treasures on earth. For earthly treasures at most are only material and temporal, and fall far short of meeting the deeper needs; while heavenly treasures are spiritual, harmonious, and eternal. One can never realize his opportunity for gaining true riches until he learns that the nature of real substance is spiritual and not material. And the one who is awake to the opportunity of acquiring a knowledge of the things which go to the making up of true existence is ever at the point of receptivity.
