Seeds for 09/18/2023 - Matthew 13:44-46
Scripture: 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
Observation: As we move through these parables of the kingdom in Matthew 13, the variety is noteworthy. Some are a little longer and more involved. These two are brief and tight, each one a whole narrative in two sentences. The point is clear in each. Telling them together (a) gives us a second point of reference, and (b) underscores the truth being conveyed.
What is that truth?
The kingdom of heaven is of such immense value that impoverishing ourselves in every other regard is worthwhile in order to gain it.
The man discovers the treasure in the field, hides it again, then sells “all that he had and bought that field.” Jesus adds the descriptive phrase, “in his joy.” What he had did not compare with what he would gain, so it was pure joy to rid himself of it that he might gain the field. He was enriching himself on the exchange. The key to the man’s joy was that he understood the difference in value between the treasure in the field and the treasure he already possessed. Do we understand the value of the kingdom?
Next, Jesus tells of the man who finds the pearl of great value and sells everything he has in order to gain it. This is more perplexing and puts a sharper point on the subject. Once the man gains the great pearl, it’s the only treasure he now has. Its value for provision or acquisition is found only in reselling it—converting it to currency. The only reason to pay everything and keep it is because it is worth having in and of itself. That’s Jesus.
I sometimes say about evangelism, “You can’t scare the hell out of people.” Now, I believe that hell exists and that we will all face judgment one day. Those two doctrines seem clearly established in the scriptures. But what I mean is that avoiding hell is an insufficient reason for turning to Christ. The reality of judgment might wake us up, but the only lasting reason to turn to Christ is to gain Him, the pearl of great price—the One who is worth having for His own sake.
Application:
What would you hesitate to sell in order to buy the field?
What has motivated you more in the past—avoiding hell or gaining God’s kingdom?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, give me a heart to love you more for who you are than only for what you do. Give me eyes to see the surpassing value of your kingdom over the treasures of this world. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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