Treasures, Pearls and Piano’s

Mathew 13:44 “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. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

The Kingdom of heaven is God’s rule on earth, and that impacts our lives. God’s rule on earth, in our hearts, brings his influence into where we live, what we do, why we do anything, and how we do it.  Our behavior changes to fit into the rule or reign of the Kingdom. If I were living in a time when a king reigned, I would be at the mercy of his command. Still, I would also be a recipient of his control and protection, and as long as I was in his kingdom or under that reign, I had privileges other people living outside the kingdom didn’t have privy to.

These two parables show two people in two different situations. One found something he wasn’t looking for, while the other searched for something he had explicitly in mind.

I identify with the second parable, searching for the pearl. I grew up in the church and knew God’s presence. I knew who God was, and as I attended church, camps, etc., as I sought the treasure, God slowly revealed His plan for my life. Then, knowing personally the treasure, I embraced giving up control and changing my wants and thoughts to give Jesus full access to every part of me.

Others may identify with the one who found the treasure quite by accident.  I listened as others testified how they stumbled into a relationship with Jesus. It wasn’t something they were looking for; however, the same intensity caused them to walk away from and sell all they had previously thought was important, because this treasure of forgiveness, walking with Jesus, and eternal life was priceless.

A treasure is priceless, or so it was to the one purchasing the field to gain the treasure. To sell everything, one has to acquire a treasure, which is a total commitment. For us, that would be selling the house and the car, emptying the storage locker, and reducing the clothes closet to what you wear right now. No pots and pans to cook with, nothing in the pantry to cook with, and no table to sit on to eat anything anyway. That’s committed to what you believe: the treasure was worth the cost.

As I ponder these parables, one thing keeps coming to my heart. What about the person who hid the treasure in the field? Did he die, move, or forget he had a priceless treasure? Did anyone else know he had a treasure and he hid it there for safekeeping?  How do I bring that home to my heart?  What am I coveting so much, that I hide it, and then its value isn’t seen by anyone? Do I covet, to hide, or so no one else can enjoy the treasure with me?

I love my upright grand. I want a grand, but they are big, and they cost a lot, and yet, I knew there was a Bosendorfer Grand Piano (one of the best in the world) worth $395,000.00 hiding in a warehouse, and I could buy the warehouse, and get whatever is in it, I might think about it. Is it the pearl that I cannot resist, and what am I willing to sell, how much am I willing to sell, to give my soul to its keeping?

I have eternal life, worth more than any Grand Piano, Condo in the Bahamas, pearl, diamond ring, or chalet in the Rockies. I have a personal relationship with God. Am I hiding a treasure, the wonder of knowing a personal relationship with the creator of the universe, in a field and not sharing its value?

It would be comparable to walking by someone with cancer, with the cure in my pocket, and keeping the cure in my pocket. It is comparable to eating lunch with an unbeliever and not sharing this treasure, Jesus. Do I treasure my treasure, or do I hide it? What am I willing to sell, my dreams, hopes, and plans, to be committed to this relationship with the treasure of eternal life?