Take It With You
In connection with passing through the veil of eternity with earthly possession, the adage says, "You can't take it with you." Is this true? Is there a way to hack the system? Let’s see what God’s Word has to say about it.
Most people spend their awake time working, producing goods and services that result in compensation used to sustain themselves and their families. Those whose compensation exceeds their physical needs have disposable income that can be used to purchase wanted items. The items may take various forms depending on the country where these individuals live. Some forms are intangible like vacations, fine dining, spa treatments, bitcoin, etc. Other forms are tangible including, but not limited to, cars, large homes, excess clothing, and Hermes handbags. When purchased, these tangible wants become property. This is the stuff being referenced in the adage.
They say that you can’t take it with you. Are they right?
So what happens to those tangible items after the owner has died, passing through the physically nontransferable transition? Those things get passed on to someone else. Someone who remains alive, maybe descendants, buyers at auction or yard sale, or the state. Someone takes those possessions and uses or destroys them. The value of most things created in the world depreciates because all worldly things corrode and decay. Just look at ancient antiquities. Their value is only reestablished after being dug up out of some archeological site. That value is no longer based on their purpose or ability to fulfill the job for which they were made. Rather, they are valuable because they are old and have lasted longer than their peers. They still exist while all the others like them are gone. Needless to say, things of the world go away. This happens to most of what people accumulate and leave when they die.
We humans love giving things to those we love. Parents will accumulate wonderful possessions like china, silverware, nice furnishings, jewelry, etc. Upon the their death, these possessions will be entitled to their children. However, in a society, like the United States, where affluence is so prevalent that even twenty-year-olds have fully furnished homes, most of what parents leave their children is unwanted. That may seem harsh. But it is true. What does a person need with two dining room tables? Well, it can be passed to the grandchildren. What is a teenager going to do with a dining room table? They don’t need it and, wisely, don’t want to store it until they do. The fact is that most parents are keeping a lot of stuff that will be sold off or donated after their life ends.
To give a loved one something they desire, love them. Give them memories. Give them time. Most possessions truly desired are connected to something the recipient loves about the person who has died. They are getting a memory. All the rest is just stuff.
So we understand possessions, why they exist, and where they go. Look back at the adage - “You can’t take it with you.” The adage is not exactly correct. It is factually correct in that physical belongings will not transfer to the everlasting realm. But there is a way to convert physical possessions into something that will go into the next life. We know this because of what the Lord Jesus Christ told the rich ruler. In his Gospel, Mark writes about an encounter between the Messiah and a ruler who desired “eternal life.” Jesus instructed the man to follow God's commandments. The hearer replied that he had done that. Jesus then told the wealthy man to “sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Jesus gave this man the secret to getting the value of worldly stuff across the eternal chasm.
How is the value of worldly possessions, which cannot be carried into the heavenly realm, transferred? Before analyzing this process I would suggest that the most fruitful exercise the hearer could do is take the Son of God at His word and believe that giving away earthly possessions "to the poor" creates "treasure in heaven." But for those who must ask why and how, here is an explanation:
Let's start first with understanding why Jesus instructed the ruler to do what He did. According to the scripture Jesus "loved him." This is important to note because it establishes the sincerity of the Lord's response. Jesus saw the earnestness of this man's quest for eternal life, and He loved him. By this love we know that Jesus was telling this man facts. The ruler was rich. But to get what he desired most at that moment, he would have to let go of his earthly riches. Jesus understood the difficulty of this step, and he felt compassion for the man.
The first instruction Jesus gives is for the rich ruler to "sell all" he had. This step would convert the man's earthly belongings into currency, a medium useful for the step to follow. This is not a step that changes earthly belongings into heavenly treasures. But it gets the ruler ready to invest in eternity.
Now that earthly belongings have become earthly currency, the ruler would be ready to take the next step - "give to the poor." In this action, the rich man gives away his earthly treasure to others who need help. Thereby, transferring physical possession across the eternal divide to becomes treasure in heaven. Why? The power in this process is alluded to in both
Matthew 25 - where Jesus Christ describes a glorious and terrible day when He will divide the people of the world between what is allegorized as "sheep" and "goats." The sheep will be allowed to enter the kingdom of God while the goats will be rejected into eternal fire. The reason for the distinction between the sheep and goats is the charity expressed by the sheep to the "least of these," while the goats did not show such charity. According to Jesus' explanation, those who helped the least of these were helping the King of Kings! Here in lay the secret to treasure in heaven. When we help those in need, we give to Jesus Christ. In Jesus' kingdom, earthly possessions and money have no value. But the human spirit does. Using earthly treasure to bless God's creation in need results in heavenly treasure.
Matthew 6 - when Jesus Christ is quoted again, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." The other part of the earthly-to-heavenly treasure transfer is connected with a person's heart. When a person's heart is directed toward earthly belongings there can be no treasure in heaven. Temporal devotion results in temporary riches. Eternal devotion results in eternal treasures. One's heart must be dedicated to Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to pass on treasure ahead.
The final instruction that Jesus gave the rich man was to "follow me." This step would complete the process toward eternal life. Only in the Son of God will anyone find true life, right standing with God Almighty, and entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Can earthly possessions transfer to the heavenly realm? Can you take it with you? The answer is yes. But it is only yes when you are willing to give it away and follow Jesus.