Lighthouse scribes

Matthew 13:44-46 NLT
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

I love reading the parables of Jesus, and I believe that his revelations are embedded in the very words we read. Every word contributes to the overall meaning or message Jesus intended to convey. Therefore, when we examine the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl, we will observe their similarities, differences, and ultimately, their common theme.
I also consider the possibility that Jesus did not tell these two parables together. It’s quite easy to assume that because one was written after the other, they were spoken in the same breath, but this isn’t necessarily true (and this opinion doesn’t alter the message of the parables). That said, let’s dissect them one after the other.

Treasure Hunting
If you’ve ever played “hide and seek” or “treasure hunt,” you’d understand the thrill of discovery. Finding what you sought fills you with relief and triumph; you’re beside yourself with excitement. This is akin to finding God for a person who embarked on a journey with a purpose similar to a treasure hunt. The fact that he found it hidden in a field suggests he wasn’t on a mindless journey but a purposeful one. Finding something hidden paints a picture of someone looking for something that wasn’t obvious. While others might have been looking for a field, he was looking for a treasure of great worth hidden within a field. The moment he finds it, he knows this is what he’d been after. He doesn’t go seeking other treasures. He’s excited, satisfied, and intent on possessing it, so he sells all his possessions to obtain the field.
I know stories of parents who find the best schools in a region and invest all their life savings into sending their children there so that their children can have the advantage of academic opportunities, personal development, and future prospects. I know stories of people who commit everything they own to back an investment opportunity they are certain will be a game-changer and an inheritance for many generations after them. I know stories of men and women who pursued an idea they believed would change the world and put everything they had on the line in exchange. You know these stories, too. They all begin with a determination to give up anything or everything to acquire the one thing they’ve found. So, when I read about the merchant, I see someone looking for that one thing that changes everything. He is ambitious in his pursuit of the extraordinary—a quest different from any of his prior adventures—so he is determined to give up everything he owns when he finds this pearl.

Chasing Big Things
Both men esteemed their find so precious that this one thing was more valuable than the numerous treasures they already possessed. Ponder that. The treasure was so important that everything else paled in comparison. This illustrates how they received the kingdom and is not a point to suggest the kingdom is “bought” or that we can earn it through good works. The parable of the prodigal son shows us how to enter into the kingdom. Jesus shows us how to enter into His kingdom.

Total Surrender
Jesus shows us that receiving His kingdom requires a complete transformation that comes with a total submission. We either cling to old treasures or completely give them up and accept God’s treasures. We become Christians not by our increasing degree of submission to God but by our total submission every day, even when it’s painful. Yes. Obeying God can be painful. I will not delude myself by saying there aren’t instructions in the scriptures I read that I don’t find painful, but I’ve decided that I will be submitted to the ways of this kingdom.

Our Treasure
Jesus. Jesus is the treasure we give up everything for so we can become a part of His kingdom. What’s interesting is that we continue to give up treasures in this kingdom, in the sense that the way we honour God is never measured by anything external. So, we may lose jobs or livelihoods, good health, relationships, or loved ones. We may even have prayed and hoped, and things didn’t turn out the way we wanted, yet we confess that God is good, because we do not measure him by the things or people that are dear to us.
Do not insinuate that I write(speak) like this because I’ve never experienced difficulties in life. I have afflictions. Afflictions of all kinds are ubiquitous. Whatever you see on the outside is not proof that we do not lack or suffer loss, but that we have faith and totally trust in God and His word.

So, let this lesson stay with you: These parables are not lessons on how to trade or do business nor are they pointers to how to evaluate and treat human relationships. They are about how to be in this kingdom, because in this kingdom, it’s all or nothing.

Love,

Osi