“Stop storing up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal.

Matt. 6:19

14. Why is it unwise to seek earthly treasures?

¹⁴ A person’s earthly treasure may be more than just money. In a sense, it could include any of those things that Solomon wrote about that have to do with being successful in the eyes of men​—prestige, fame, or power. Jesus made a point similar to the one Solomon made in the book of Ecclesiastes​—worldly treasures are not lasting. As you have likely seen in the world around you, all such treasures are perishable and can be easily lost. Professor F. Dale Bruner writes of such treasures: “It is well known that fame is fickle. Last Saturday’s hero is next season’s has-been. This year’s financial success is next year’s bankruptcy. . . . [Jesus] loves human beings. He urges them to avoid the inevitable despair that comes with evanescent glory. It doesn’t last. Jesus does not want [his] disciples [to be] disappointed. ‘Every day the world turns over on someone who was just sitting on top of it.’”