January 21
Genesis 38
Psalm 12:5-8
Proverbs 3:7-8
Matthew 13:24-58
Priceless Treasure
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44-46 LSB
Jesus often taught with parables. He used everyday objects that His audience was very familiar with to explain deep spiritual truths. On one particular day, Matthew explained that Jesus was sitting by the sea teaching a large crowd. He spoke many things to them in parables. He often used agricultural references in his teaching because it was something they could relate to and understood well. He told them a parable about a sower, a parable about tares among wheat, a parable of the mustard seed and leaven. He then left the crowds and went into a house with his disciples. They asked Him to explain the parable of the tares which he did and then told them the parable of a hidden treasure and a costly pearl. He saved these parables especially for His disciples because He wanted them to understand the value of the kingdom of heaven. They needed to count the cost and determine if they were willing to pay the price of following Him.
Each parable begins with an everyday object that has enormous value. When someone discovers its true worth, they are willing to sell everything they have in order to obtain it. It is available to anyone, but many are unwilling to pay the price for it or they fail to recognize its value. In Jesus’ day, land was very valuable and the owner of the land could determine how it was used. This field had even more value because it had a hidden treasure. It was valuable on its own, but the treasure hidden within it made its value rise exponentially. When the man found the treasure, he immediately recognized what it was worth, hid it again, sold everything he owned and bought the field. He knew that even though he had to give up everything he currently owned to buy the field, owning the field was going to make him far richer than he was before.
The second parable had the same message as the first. A merchant was buying precious stones when he came across a pearl of great value. He realized that it was worth far more than the asking price. He went and sold everything he owned and bought the pearl because he recognized its true worth. Following Jesus is like the field with hidden value and the costly pearl. When we recognize that Jesus is the Son of God, we realize that following Him is worth far more than any possession, relationship, status, or position we have. When we figure out who He is then we know that nothing else is of any value to us. He is the only way to God and he is the only One who can give us eternal life. He is the only One who can make this life have any meaning and purpose. There is no other option. When we come to this realization, then we are willing to follow Him completely and totally without reservation. It may cost us everything to follow Him, but the abundant riches He offers are more than worth any sacrifice we may experience.
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