“The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure…” Matthew 13:44a ESV¹

Read Matthew 13:44

Not far from the home in which I was raised, stood an abandoned house. As a child, I often daydreamed about what was in that old house. Contrary to reason, never once did I imagine that the rundown house was home to rodents, varmints, and pests of all kinds, or dust, mold, and rotten wood, or a plethora of useless, broken items. Every time I thought about that faded yellow house with the falling-in porch, the shot-out windows, and the holey roof, I imagined that it was the hiding place of a vast treasure. I assumed that house, set back from the road and surrounded by trees, had been the perfect cover for a band of thieves who had stored piles of cash under the floorboards, jewels in the registers, and bags of gold, of incalculable worth, between the studs of the walls. Of course, in my dreams, the robbers had, for whatever reason, been forced to leave behind their hide-out and loot. If only my parents would have allowed me to explore that old house; I was sure I would have brought back a treasure that would have changed for the better the course of the lives of my family members.

Little girls with vivid imaginations aren’t the only ones who dream about hidden treasure. I would speculate that nearly everyone, at one time or another, has entertained the thought of discovering something of great worth which would solve his/her problems and positively alter his/her future. In one of His parables, Jesus even used the subject of finding a treasure to point to the wealth of riches one can have in Christ.

The parable goes like this: “‘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’” (Matthew 13:44).

Before we look into the comparison Jesus made between Himself and a treasure, we must be reminded of something of great significance. When Jesus taught about the Kingdom of Heaven, He wasn’t speaking of merely a place, He was teaching about a Person. He wasn’t drawing attention only to a realm but to a relationship. He wasn’t just pointing to a promised Paradise but to a very present Presence. In all of the Kingdom of Heaven parables, Jesus was teaching something about God and His relationship with humans. This account is no different.

In this allegorical story, the man was going about his normal activities. He was doing his job to the best of his ability. He didn’t expect to encounter anything out of the ordinary. Treasure likely wasn’t on his mind; completing his work most efficiently and gaining what was necessary to live was what probably consumed his thoughts.

But his focus immediately changed when he stumbled upon a treasure. He had been providing for himself and those under his care with his own abilities and resources. He hadn’t been intentionally searching for more. He likely had no idea there was anything more, but when he found a treasure, he knew it was more valuable than anything, even all of the things, he currently had in his possession.

So that it wouldn’t be taken from him, the man immediately re-hid what he had found. Ecstatically, without a hint of reluctance, he sold everything he owned to get the money he needed to buy the field that contained the treasure he had discovered. He did not waiver. He held back nothing. Compared to what he had found, everything he had previously owned was insignificant. Its only value was that, in giving up it, he was able to purchase that which was way more valuable.

Similarly, before humans encounter Jesus, they go about their days in their own strength, doing what they think is right and necessary, relying on their own resources. They don’t expect that there is any other way to live. It is all they have ever known. Largely, it is all they see around them. They anticipate continuing in this same manner for the rest of their lives.

But when something happens “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in [Jesus Christ]’” (Acts 26:18), their focus should change entirely. They should cease striving in their own strength (see Psalm 46:10a) and begin relying totally on Christ’s empowerment (see Philippians 4:13). When they realize all that they have in Christ, it would be reasonable that they would joyfully give up all they have in themselves. It would be logical for them to be more than willing to renounce anything that could interfere with their obtaining all of Him. They should ecstatically live the rest of their earthly lives in Him and cheerfully anticipate their entrance into Heaven (see Philippians 1:21).

So, why, when “the grace of God [appears], bringing salvation” (Titus 2:11), are so few willing to react like ones who have found priceless treasure? Why are a limited number of those associated with Christ willing to sacrifice much, if anything, to obtain the Treasure? Why do so many, who call themselves Christians, try to live out the Christian life in their own strength? Why do many so-called Christ-followers live so similarly to those who have no interest in godly living? Why is it that the vast majority of Believers would be lying if they stated, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21)?

I believe the answers to the above questions can be summed with: we don’t know the Treasure we have in Christ. I believe we have not been adequately taught concerning the amazing Treasure we have at our disposal. But above that, I believe many have little desire to discover the extent of the Treasure.

What if the man in the above parable, as he was working in the field, discovered the treasure but ignored it because he didn’t realize its value? What if the sparking gems, glittering gold, and fine things before him were no more real to him than noble thoughts that don’t come to fruition, hopes that never materialize, or dreams that pass with the morning light? What if, because he never expected to have anything more than he already possessed, he plowed over the treasure, kicked it around, and, finally, pushed it back in the soil? How would the treasure have benefited him, his loved ones, or anyone else?

Jesus is the Something of Great Worth that will change for the better the lives of all who find Him. But if we don’t realize His value, all we believe about Christianity will be no more than noble thoughts that don’t come to fruition, hopes that never materialize, and dreams that pass with the morning light?  If we never expect to have anything more than a home in Heaven someday, we will miss all we can have in Christ here and now. How then will the Treasured One benefit us, our loved ones, or anyone else?

This Kingdom of Heaven parable is begging us to discover the depth of a relationship we can have with the Ultimate Treasure. As an X marks the spot of the treasure on a treasure map, Christ’s Cross marks the climax of all Scripture. We have the Bible, but do realize the Treasure to which it points? Do we study God’s Word as a treasure hunter would pour over a treasure map? Are we willing to sacrifice the time and energy to discover and experience the Treasure? Are we content with knowing about Jesus or do we want to know Jesus?

The Bible is the Treasure Map which reveals Christ. Christians should follow the Map to the Treasure. they must dig where the Map indicates. Once they discover the Treasure, Believers need to open the Treasure Box to reveal what is inside. Then Christians must reckon the Whole Treasure available to them both now and into eternity. After all, true Christ-followers who have given up all they had in themselves to gain the Treasure just as well enjoy the Treasure to the fullest.

Do you desire to intimately experience the Treasure about Whom this parable and the Word of God point? Are you curious about where to start? If you need a little direction, how about doing one or more of the following?

• Spend some time looking through the Bible for the names by which God refers to Himself and through which He reveals His character. In this Treasure hunt, you will be humbled by the grandeur of God’s magnificent power and holiness. At the same time, you will be uplifted by God’s intimate acquaintance with every detail of your life and His desire to be deeply connected with you. (For a brief overview of the Names of God mentioned in Scripture, click here).
• Read through the Gospels concentrating on the “I am” statements Jesus made about Himself. In this pursuit, you will find yourself falling in love with the God who left His place in Heaven to take on the body of a human, to walk perfectly among His creation, to teach and to heal, and to sacrifice Himself to buy back humanity from slavery to sin and the curse of death. You will find yourself worshipping the One who rose again, is seated in Heaven with His Father and is preparing a place to spend eternity with His Bride. (For a study on some of the “I am” statements of Jesus, follow this link).
• Look up every verse in the New Testament containing the phrase “in Christ.” When you realize the depth and vastness of the Treasure all Believers have by being in a relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, you will want to settle in and never leave. Thankfully, you will never have to give up your position in Christ, because that is exactly where God wants you to be. Jesus gave His all so that you could have such a Treasure. (For a sermon that introduces all that we have in Christ, check out this).

Unlike the treasure in the old house in the neighborhood of my childhood home, the Treasure we have in Christ is not a figment of anyone’s imagination. The Apostle John testified, “The Word [Jesus] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus is “‘the Way and the Truth and the Life’” (John 14:6a).

The Treasured One is not hidden too deeply to be found. “‘I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me find Me’” (Proverbs 8:17). “‘You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart’” (Jeremiah 29:13).

If it is the desire of your heart, no one can prevent you from finding the Treasure. “‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you’” (Matthew 7:7). “‘The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of Heaven and Earth … He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else … God did this so that [humans] would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us’” (Acts 17:24a, 25b, 27).

Let’s find the Treasure!

¹ Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.