Kingdom Treasure
Can we truly value what we have in this life?
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” - Matthew 13:44-52
There is something bothersome about these parables of Jesus.
The first one is about finding that something of value is buried in a field and the one who finds it leaves it buried but buys the field.
If he had uncovered the treasure, it would belong to the owner of the field, so by leaving it buried, it could be purchased with the land.
That seems a bit deceitful, doesn't it?
The commentary I read paints a picture of gain and loss. The value of what is gained when all is sacrificed for God's kingdom is much greater than what is given up.
I get that, like the merchant who sold all he had to buy the pearl, but what about the owner of the field?
Imagine you are helping someone clean out an attic, and you come across an antique jewelry box and discover a diamond in it. Would you offer to buy the box without telling the owner about the diamond?
The lesson isn't complete here. If the message is that we all must be prepared to give up all that we value for the kingdom, which is of far greater value, I am not sure everyone gets it.
Maybe there is another way to say it, but in the end, who will really be willing to give up all he has?
The rich man walked away disappointed when Jesus told him that was the path to the kingdom, and so might we.
The point may become much clearer as we grow old and realize the things we accumulate in this life are really of little value to us.
What matters more is our relationship with God, but we may have to be much closer to the end to see that clearly.
More to come...