This morning we did devotions with our kids, and we came to a passage in their children's Bible that I have probably read hundreds of times. I never found this passage very meaningful, it never seemed to make much sense. In order to try to get my kids to think about what they just heard, I started to ask my kids some questions. And then it hit me, this deep and profound truth, and I am still coming to grips with it.
Matthew 13:44
“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. Again, 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.”
OK, so I am sure, like me, you have read this a hundred times, and you are saying, "Yeah, I know, so what?". Well, maybe you always got it, but I didn't. I just thought about treasure, thought about a big box of gold doubloons, or whatever, that you see in pirate movies. And I thought how you might sell all your stuff to buy the field, ripping off the original owner since you plan to take a treasure that belonged to him. I figured you'd sell all you owned, but end up wealthy from the treasure, which you would live off of for the rest of your fabulously wealthy days.
But, then, the pearl guy. This guy sold everything he had to buy the pearl. He bought it at retail, for its Blue Book value. He's not making a profit here, he won't be selling it, he won't be living off of it. This guy sold his house, his car, his business, all his pearls and jewelry, his wedding ring, his iPod, iPhone, Mac, his music collection, his John Deere tractor mower, his motorcycle, boat, RV, his clothes, his bicycle, his gym membership, his home brew setup and his wet bar, his 42" TV and his 55" plasma TV, Play Station 3, Xbox 360 and all the games, his World of Warcraft characters, he gave up his hot tub and swimming pool, his perfectly manicured yard and his wife's flower bed, and his garage full of tools. He cashed in his 401k and his pension, he emptied his savings account and checking account and his savings for his kids' college expenses. You name it, whatever this guy had, whatever this guy cared about, whatever he was working towards, whatever he valued, whatever he managed to put away for his family's future, he sold it all.
In the end of the story you see a man with empty pockets, no way to make a living, no health insurance or life insurance, no savings or retirement plan, no home and no way to take care of his family. He has only one thing in the world, he has this pearl. He will not sell it, he will never let it out of his sight. It is his greatest joy in all the world, to have this pearl. I think the other guy, who found the treasure in the field, is the same way. It is not a box of doubloons, that can be lived off of, but something that this guy treasures with great joy, he will never part with it, though it cost him all that he is.
I could never relate to these stories, because I couldn't imagine caring about a pearl or, as I originally saw it, a box of treasure. But the point is that we should care about the Kingdom of God like this. Why do I look around and see so much stuff that I own (or that a bank owns and I hope to one day pay for)? What is it that I truly treasure in my life? These guys sold anything worth anything in their lives to gain their treasure. How will they eat? Doesn't matter. How will they take care of their children? Doesn't matter. What if they get sick and you can't pay for them to get medical care? Doesn't matter. Are we all going to starve to death? Doesn't matter, I have my treasure, the one thing that matters.
Seriously???? Can they seriously treat their families like that? That doesn't sound like love, that doesn't sound responsible or honorable or good. This reminds me of something else that Jesus said:
Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”
Once again, that doesn't sound like the right thing to do, to hate your mom and dad and wife and children. In fact, what about this:
Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
? I think it all ties together. Jesus is telling us that the Kingdom of God is so valuable, so precious, that to not have it is to not have anything. We should pursue it with all that we are. I think that Jesus is saying that a man who does not seek to have the Kingdom of God at any cost has nothing. That a man who does not put the Kingdom of God first in his life is a man that hates his mother, his father, his wife and his kids. A man who has not laid down his love for the things of this earth, a man who has not put to death his earthly desires, this man has nothing of value to give to his wife, his children, and does not bring honor to his parents.
It is so easy for me to say that I have to live in a nice enough house in a good enough school district so my kids can get the best education. I have to have a large, safe car to take my kids to their school and everywhere else we go. I have to make sure that we have health insurance and life insurance and car insurance. My kids need new shoes when their old shoes are smelly or old looking. We have to have tons of food and snacks in the house so no one is ever hungry for more than 30 seconds. All of this seems so reasonable, so responsible, so safe and smart and right. But am I spending my life building the Kingdom of Me, or am I seeking the Kingdom of God?
What do I treasure? I can say that I love Jesus with all my heart, but it is so easy to deceive ourselves that I have to look past my words to find the truth. If I look at what I spend my time on, what do I treasure? If I look at what I spend my money on, what do I treasure? If I look at the fruit of my life, of my words, of my actions, what grows from my toil? Is it the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Me?
I will tell you right now, I have not sold everything in my life to gain the Kingdom of God. I have not picked up a cross to follow Jesus. My heart is tied up in the stuff of my life, and the people in my life. So, do I hide behind the people I love, the people I care about so much, as an excuse to not live all out for Jesus? And if I do, am I just short-changing the very people I claim to be serving? Could I truly leave them a greater and more valuable legacy by having less stuff, less security, less insurance, less comfort, less entertainment; if I replaced that with more Kingdom of God? More faith, more truth, more miracles, more love, more victory, more joy?
Does anyone else find this scary?
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