The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Against, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matt. 13:44-46)The value of a thing is revealed by what you're willing to give up to attain it.
I love these two little parables that Jesus tells in Matthew 13. Everyone dreams at some point about stumbling across some sort of treasure. We want to be Jed Clampett, shootin' at some food only to discover a bubblin' crude. And if you're like me, sometimes you acquire an old coin, maybe a nickel minted in 1968, and you think, "Hey, I bet this is worth a lot of money!" But then you find out it's only worth five cents.
I've never found treasure in my backyard or in my piggy bank. But the man in the parable does. (I always wonder exactly how he discovered this treasure in the field. I imagine he tripped over a corner of a treasure chest sticking out of the ground and did a face-plant there in the field. Because face-plants are always funny, even in Jesus' time). But when he recognized the value of the treasure (maybe it was a whole box of Honus Wagner baseball cards), he goes home, sells all his stuff (certainly not a safe or conservative financial decision) and buys the field so that he can acquire the treasure.
It's the same story with the merchant. While rummaging through the merchandise at the market, he comes across a fantastic pearl, and realizing its worth, he also sells all he has and buys it. Perhaps he then kept it with him at all times, called it "My Precious," and began referring to himself as a plural.
Jesus says his kingdom is like the treasure and like the pearl. It is the most valuable thing imaginable, so any sacrifice is worth attaining it. The value of the kingdom is a common theme in Jesus' teaching. As he travels around Galilee among people caught up in family responsibilities, the need to make a living, and difficult political situations, he tells them that the most significant thing they can do is enter into God's kingdom. The value of all else pales in comparison.
Other passages in the gospel highlight the value of the kingdom. There are some who have made themselves eunuchs--that is, abstained from marriage--for the sake of the kingdom (Matt. 19:12). If your eye causes you to sin, you are told to pluck it out it's better to enter the kingdom with a pirate-y patch than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell (Mk. 9:47). And those who leave "home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom" will receive back exponentially more (Luke 18:29).
There are some in the gospels who fail to recognize the value of the kingdom, so they refuse to make sacrifices in order to be part of it. The rich young ruler wants to follow Jesus, but he's too attached to his wealth to give it up. And the bad news is that many people today, especially in American culture, frequently look more like the young ruler than anything else.
We all want a kingdom that can fit in with our lives as we've already crafted them. But the reality is that the kingdom doesn't fit into our lives. The kingdom demands our lives.
But the wonderful thing is that the kingdom is worth it. No amount of money, popularity, pleasure, or power compares with what is gained by citizenship in the kingdom. Why? Because God's kingdom is where God reigns, and he's the only king who is truly just, righteous, and loving. And that's worth buying the field.
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