Store Up Your Treasures in Heaven Canvas Store Up Your Treasures in Heaven Art

The Paston Treasure,
Painted by anonymous Dutch painter,
Oil on canvas,
Painted circa 1670
© Norwich Castle Museum & Fine art Gallery, Norwich, Uk. Photo courtesy of Norfolk Museums Service

The Paston Treasure,
Painted by anonymous Dutch painter,
Oil on canvas,
Painted circa 1670
© Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, Norwich, UK. Photo courtesy of Norfolk Museums Service

Store up treasures in heaven

Matthew vi: nineteen-23

Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do non shop up treasures for yourselves on globe, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves tin interruption in and steal. But store upwards treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot suspension in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your middle be likewise.

'The lamp of the body is the center. Information technology follows that if your eye is sound, your whole body will exist filled with light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole torso volition be all darkness. If and then, the light inside you is darkness, what darkness that will be!'

Reflection on the painting on Panel

Jesus warns us today not to store up treasures for ourselves on earth. This of course is peculiarly poignant for all the art collectors around, and I oftentimes get asked the question if collecting isn't really bad for yous, as it is collecting worldly goods? This doesn't necessarily mean that people collect expensive things, simply within united states of america we do take a bulldoze to collect items. Remember of a young male child collecting football cards, Star Wars memorabilia, or girls collecting dresses for their dolls etc… So seen today'south reading, would collecting be something bad and so? Well, it all depends on the motivation behind it and how it affects your twenty-four hour period to day life. If collecting becomes more than important than your relationships, or becomes obsessive or you lot like to brag about what you accept collected or if y'all spend coin unwisely, then collecting isn't good for you. But if collecting takes on a 'background' part of your life, and is something that simply gives you joy, and doesn't interfere with your relationships or God's volition for your life, then collecting tin probably exist a good thing. Of course information technology is more complex than that though. Furthermore, collecting doesn't necessarily need to cost any money, similar collecting family unit photographs, stones, seashells, etc… bringing the owner joy because of the memories they hold.

That said, Jesus warns us that any earthly things we collect of grade can interruption, fade, become stolen, be destroyed… Hence any treasure on earth is temporary and can't final forever. He asks AND encourages us instead to shop upwards treasures in heaven where they won't break, go stolen, or be destroyed. How tin nosotros do this?…. by helping others, beingness kind, loving our neighbour, obeying God, spending fourth dimension praying etc…

Today nosotros expect at a painting that lavishly depicts a private collection of earthly goods. It looks and so incredible rich and opulent, showing off a modest fraction of the Paston family's nerveless treasures. It was executed by an unknown Dutch creative person who resided at the Paston's residence. I invite you lot to look at this video, narrated past Stephen Fry, which reveals a flake more about the painting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRk4EGVXDSg

The hateful reason for choosing this painting, apart from its relevant content to today's Gospel reading, is that it was painted past an anonymous mitt. Too often artists nowadays go glorified and take centre stage. The cult of the artist tin can nearly supervene upon the actual works they make. Here we are looking at a magnificently executed work, but the artist didn't sign the work, nor did he want to exist known… quite a cute mental attitude, and in that sense very counter-cultural to our 21st century mentality.

The question ultimately in today'due south reading is: where is our eye? If information technology is in bawdy things, then in that location is an consequence. If it is in heaven, so we are more than closely aligned to God, and therefore deep in His love.

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