“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. 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 13:44-46 KJV)
Would you or I be like each character in the Lord’s illustrations above? His illustrations catch my attention and remind me of people who get up early and go searching the markets or yard sales for something special . . . a treasure. And one should not criticize them. At least, they are searching. We certainly won’t find a treasure if we are not looking for it. Discovery is not accidental, but provoked by interest.
There is a unique element about “treasure.” It is not easily recognized. Certainly, anyone could easily recognize a huge stack of gold bars or a cache of diamonds as a valuable treasure. Yet, what about the treasures that are not so obvious. Some people only see old or out-dated stuff, while others see valuable antiques.
Since the treasure was hidden in a field not owned by this man, one wonders what he was doing there. Well, duh, he was treasure hunting! And when he “found” it, he protected it so that he could come back for it, after he bought the field where the treasure was found. The prospect of possessing the treasure thrilled him so much that he committed everything to possessing it. In the second instance, the businessman was “seeking goodly pearls.” And he too “found a valuable pearl” for which he also committed everything to possess.
In the first illustration, the kingdom of heaven is compared to hidden treasure, but in the second, it is compared to the merchant. In both illustrations, value and total commitment are taught. Note this, on the one hand the kingdom is being sought, and on the other the kingdom is the seeker. On one hand, the seeker considers the kingdom is so valuable that he commits everything to possessing it. On the other hand, the kingdom goes looking for “goodly pearls” (i.e., you and me) and when found considers them so valuable that the kingdom commits everything to possessing them.
Therefore, if the Kingdom of Heaven considers us so valuable (John 3;16) that it will totally commit to our purchase (Acts 20:28), then certainly the Kingdom is worth our total commitment.
Dear Father, thank you for seeking us and purchasing us for your Kingdom. Instill in us the spirit of total commitment that we might possess the Kingdom as it possesses us. This I pray in the name of the King of Kings. AMEN
Be encouraged today in your total commitment,