Today’s passage is Matthew 13:37-46.
Jesus explains his parable of the wheat and weeds, saying that in the end the angels will weed out evil people and the things that cause sin, and the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom.
Then Jesus tells two more parables in which the kingdom of heaven is compared to a treasure found hidden in a field and a pearl of immense value.
In Matthew 6:21 Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Today’s passage elaborates on that by giving two examples of someone finding a treasure, putting all his heart into it and selling everything he has in order to keep it.
What I notice in these parables is that the man who found the treasure hidden in the field and the merchant who found the best pearl both keep their treasure to themselves.
They’re not sharing it. It’s theirs alone. It reminds me of Matthew 10:37: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
Jesus may be willing to share us with others but he must receive the lion’s share of our love.
We can share our love with others but most of it must go to God.
The kingdom of heaven is intensely and deeply personal treasure.
The Westminster Confession says that the purpose of life is “to know God and enjoy him forever.”
In Matthew 22:17 Jesus says the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.”
There is an exclusivity about our relationship with God which the parables in today’s passage focus on.
So, how exclusive is my relationship with God?
How much do I value the kingdom of God?
Am I willing to let go of everything to have it?
Do I really believe it will enrich me beyond anything in this world?
Is my heart truly in the kingdom of heaven?
The comedian Robin Williams killed himself today.
He was eight days older than I am.
He thought he had nothing to live for although he had all the wealth the world could offer.
The kingdom of heaven was nothing to him.
It was not a treasure that called him to sacrifice everything for.
He had no stability.
Today I realized that in order to be balanced and stable I must be unbalanced in the world’s eyes and focus on one thing only, the kingdom of heaven, just like the guy who bought the field with the hidden treasure and the merchant who sold everything to buy one pearl.
Only then am I defended against the world’s allure because I will have the only thing with meaning, my life purpose of knowing God and enjoying him forever, an exclusive relationship, the pearl of great price.
Lord, I pray you keep me focused on the treasure of your kingdom only, today, tomorrow and forever.#65279;
