“Once upon a time…”
“See, what had happened was…”
“When I was your age…”
When we hear lines like these, what do we immediately know? There’s a story coming. And each line suggests a different kind of story. We hear the intro, and we know we’re in for a fairy tale, an entertaining excuse, or a rambling tale of days gone by.
Patterned introductions like these get our attention and show us a direction. Jesus uses this storytelling technique throughout Matthew’s Gospel, to introduce parables about God’s kingdom: “The kingdom of heaven is like…” Within this series of kingdom tales, we find a pair of parables in Matthew 13:44-46.
“The kingdom of heaven is like…a hidden treasure.”
Imagine a man who is walking through a field. Perhaps he stumbles and falls. From his new perspective, as he rolls over and grumbles a bit, he notices something odd. The ground has been disturbed. He shuffles to what caught his eye, sifts through the dirt, and then sits back in amazement. Completely by accident, he’s discovered a treasure trove beyond his wildest imaginations. He frantically digs out all the riches he can find and stashes them in a new hiding place. The almost-millionaire hurries home and devises a plan. Perhaps the treasure was a secret. Perhaps the owner of the field doesn’t know it is there. The finder knows that to become the keeper would change his life.
The next morning, he rushes to the city gate, where he can find the owner of the field and the village elders. Perhaps he struggles to hide his excitement as they discuss each other’s families, the weather, and the worth of land in general. Eventually, he guides the conversation to his intended topic: the value of the secret-treasure field. The owner negotiates a price, and the elders are the necessary witnesses. Perhaps they wondered why this fellow was so eager to buy this field. Whatever his reasons, the buyer agrees and the two confirm their deal.
The cost is colossal for this man. He has no savings account, no liquid assets of serious amount. His net worth is only what is visible around him. If he is to purchase the field, he must sell everything that he owns. Is it a hardship to give up everything? Does he begrudge the loss of those sheep, that cow, and those hand tools? Not in the least. For the joy of what he found, he sacrifices all he has. He delights to part with everything else, so he can possess the treasure.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Matthew 13:44
The second parable tells the same story, substituting a priceless pearl for the hidden treasure. The man who finds the pearl sells everything because he MUST possess the pearl. What he wanted was so valuable, it eclipsed every other desire.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Matthew 13:45-46
We can relate to all-consuming desires, right? Anyone who’s spent a nanosecond with an infant knows that from our earliest states of awareness, we humans fiercely desire. Whatever that very tiny person wants, be it milk or Mom or even just a burp, becomes the supreme goal of her existence. There is nothing of value in life for her, besides getting what she desires.
And infants grow up, and it’s the same story. We all pursue the thing we consider to be the most valuable, and we are happy to sacrifice lesser things for greater things. But the trouble comes when our value placement is reversed by our sinful hearts. We place value on what is actually lesser, and so we sacrifice what is actually greater.
The young person supremely values video games is happy to sacrifice quality investment of time and effort into her education. The single adult who prizes autonomy and self-satisfaction is happy to sacrifice committed service within the family of God. The mom who finds validation in social media is happy to sacrifice attentiveness to her children. The wife who cherishes a misguided sense of self-worth is happy to sacrifice the astronomical potential of Christ-exalting marriage.
It’s all wrong, isn’t it? So what do we do?
Maybe we just need to tell ourselves to stop treasuring video games and independence and the praise of men and flawed identities, and then that’ll fix the problems. We need to give up what we sinfully prize. Make the sacrifices. Think and do the right things.
Sort of…maybe…but that solution kind of misses Jesus’s point. (Actually, it totally misses Jesus’s point…) Why would the guy in the field sell everything he had, unless he’d been captivated by a treasure drastically greater than what he was selling?
We don’t need to be guilted into sacrificing for the kingdom. We need to be fixated on the beauty and value of the kingdom, so that we gladly give up our lesser desires. It’s a joy to sell it all and buy the kingdom.
Buying the field was not an equal exchange. The man’s possessions were worth far less than what he found. That’s why he’s so eager to make the purchase! He buys that field for the price of dirt, and he gets the life-transforming treasure in the deal.
Buying the kingdom is not an equal exchange. We trade the anemic desires of this world for the unspeakable delights of the world to come. We pay for a plot of dirt and get a priceless treasure.
Does following Jesus seem to be a burden? Do you feel that pleasing God means giving up on joys? Does holiness feel like the proverbial short end of the “fun” stick? Do you, like me, struggle with sin?
The answer for us will never be to simply command obedience: “Just stop it…don’t do that!” We will always sacrifice the lesser for the better, eventually. The answer for us is to see the kingdom of God and His righteousness as the better. And we need the Spirit’s help to view what is truly valuable, to treasure the treasure.
The Spirit-empowered Christian young person who treasures the kingdom will see education as preparation for kingdom fruitfulness. She will diligently work to become the most effective warrior she can be, sharpening the skills that God may use to expand His reign by her efforts.
The Spirit-empowered Christian single person who treasures the kingdom will see her freedom and flexibility as capacities for kingdom fruitfulness. She will creatively use her time and influence to bless and build the church through prayer and the exercise of her spiritual gifts.
The Spirit-empowered Christian mother who treasures the kingdom will see her children as a field of kingdom fruitfulness. She will gladly pour out her attention and affection on them, laboring for the kingdom’s expansion in her home and in the world.
The Spirit-empowered Christian wife who treasures the kingdom will see her marriage as a strategic alliance for kingdom fruitfulness. She will energetically contribute to their kingdom mission, rendering the couple more effective in their united efforts than either would have been alone.
Have you found the treasure in the field? Has the joy of the kingdom captured your heart? Then you know it is a delight to “sell all you have” for the kingdom’s sake. The King and His reign are far more glorious than the ideas or habits or achievements we can desire in this world.
Turn your eyes from the stuff you think you have to give up and your inability to give it up. Look at the treasure, and let the Spirit of God increase its value in your eyes…so you can and will treasure the treasure.