Buried Treasure index

BURIED TREASURE: Exploring The Parables Of Jesus

by J. W. Jepson, D.Min.

Copyright © 1997 by J. W. Jepson

All rights reserved, including the right to grant the following permission and to prohibit the misuse thereof:

The Author hereby grants permission to reproduce the text of this article, without changes or alterations*, as a ministry, but not for commercial or non-ministry purposes.

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8.

THE JOY OF DISCOVERY

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

--Matthew 13:44-46

THE JOY OF DISCOVERY

How it got there we do not know. Perhaps some well-to-do Palestinian family had been forced to flee before an invading army. Panic-stricken, they pulled together a few necessities and prepared to escape.

At the last moment they took the family treasures--gold, silver, jewels---and buried them in the safest place they could find. Later they would return and reclaim their family fortune.

But it was never to be. The devastating waves of war rolled over the land and swallowed them up, and their secret perished with them.

Time went by. Decades, perhaps centuries added their camouflage to the land. Generations walked over the hidden treasure unaware of its presence.

Then one day a man happened upon that part of the field. What was he doing there? We do not know. Perhaps he was a hired hand moving brush and stones to provide more land for planting.

Suddenly, clonk! His tool hit something. What is this? Curiously he grubbed around the mysterious object. A few strokes revealed the rusted remains of an old chest. All at once a corner gave way under his mattock and his eyes caught the sparkle of a lost fortune.

Startled, his mouth jerked open and he sucked in his breath. For a moment he just stood there, stunned, his eyes wide in amazement.

Quickly he recovered his wits and began digging feverishly. It turned out to be a bigger find than it first appeared to be. His heart pounded and he felt himself trembling with excitement. His mind reeled from a flood of thoughts. What? Who? When? Why?

The joy of discovery was so intense he wanted to raise his arms and shout!

It took all he had to restrain himself. "I've got to get ahold of myself," he muttered half-aloud. "Think, man, think." Nobody is around. No one must know. Be calm and act naturally.

First, hide the treasure. Then come up with a believable excuse to buy this field. Go. Sell everything. Whatever it takes, buy this field.

Now the scene changes. We are following a pearl merchant on his quest for prize gems. Unlike the first man, this fellow is leaving nothing to chance. If he finds his prize, it will be because he knows what he is after and is looking for it diligently.

He travels the bazaars of the ancient East, hot on the trail of the fabulous pearls. Perhaps a few coins will buy him a tip on a rare pearl somewhere in the wealthy district of a nearby city.

With high hopes he covers the distance. Maybe he finds the new attraction, maybe not. Even if he does, it might be just another disappointment.

He has seen so many, and they all fall short. Is there really a pearl out there somewhere that is worth the search? Is it too much to hope for?

Despite his misgivings, something deep inside drives him on.

Then one day someone tells him about a gem so beautiful, so perfect, so precious, that it strains his credulity. The person testifies that he has seen it for himself and can direct him to it.

In desperation he decides to listen. It is either believe now or else give up the quest altogether and sink into disillusion and cynicism.

Surprisingly it is not far off. Is it among the wealthy, the noble, the powerful? No. The path is plain and simple, so much so he had overlooked it.

Following the narrow lane he came directly to the object of his search. Outwardly there was nothing attractive. The case was rough-hewn wood.

His pride would have turned him away. But the longing in his soul urged him to reach out and take it, open it, look at it.

And so he did. It was an act of simple faith, but that act of faith opened a world of joy beyond anything he could have imagined.

There it lay, a stunning beauty, a gem beyond his wildest hopes and dreams. There cannot possibly be another like it. It is priceless!

Sell all the other pearls. They have lost their luster. This one alone satisfies, and satisfies completely. It fulfills the noblest quest of the soul!

Now what is Jesus teaching us in the twin parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price?

First, we turn the question around and ask what our Lord did not teach.

He did not even comment on the ethics of the man who concealed the treasure from the owner of the field. That is another matter and has no bearing on the point Jesus was making.

He was teaching nothing about the nature of pearls, but only emphasizing the surpassing value of the one Pearl of Great Price--Himself.

He was certainly not teaching that we can buy the kingdom of God. Salvation is the free gift of God's grace received by faith alone.

Lastly, He is not teaching that God is hiding from us, to be found only by a lucky few. He will be found of all who seek him with the whole heart, as He promised in Jeremiah 29:13, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." The gospel invitation is to all.

What did Jesus teach in these parables? In the first parable Christ informed us that there is a priceless spiritual treasure, and it is hidden from the careless and the profane.

Yet God is able to reach through to some, usually at a crisis point in their lives. At that crucial moment they really pay attention to God, discover the treasure--new life in Christ--and gladly grasp it as their own, personally. The heart is changed and the life is transformed. Petty selfish concerns, once held so tightly, are gladly relinquished as the soul seizes the true riches. As a man drops a handful of gravel to grasp a handful of diamonds, just so the heart gladly relinquishes all for Christ.

The King and His kingdom are worth far more than anything we give up for it. And some things must be surrendered for the kingdom. Self must yield to the King; and when self yields, all yields. Then the treasure is discovered and the pearl is found. This emphasis is carried on through and expanded in the second parable.

How valuable is the kingdom of God? Look at the eagerness of those who truly find it to give all for it!

The rich young ruler yearned for eternal life, but he refused to surrender the love of his possessions. Slowly, sadly, he walked away (Mark 10:22). In contrast, Philip could hardly contain his excitement as he rushed to his brother Nathanael to break the news, "We have found him!" (John 1:45). Which would you like to be?

If only people would realize the joy God has in store for them! The devil has deceived many into thinking that becoming a Christian means the end of their happiness. They refuse the invitation to the banquet for fear they will have to let go of the moldy crusts of sinful pleasure. So they miss real life, real joy.

Jesus surprises some people, such as Nathanael and the woman at the well (John 4). Suddenly they discover that in Him "are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). Gladly the heart drops its petty idols and embraces Him.

The Ethiopian eunuch sat searching the Scriptures. God saw the quest of his soul and sent Philip the evangelist to preach Christ to him. He received the Savior and went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:39).

Saul of Tarsus was a Pharisee of the Pharisees with a head full of religion but an empty heart. One day Jesus invaded his life and everything changed. Later he wrote joyfully, "But what things were gain for me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Philippians 3:7,8).

How can we consider those things that are loss for Christ to have any value? In his Confessions Augustine testified: "What I feared to be parted from was now a joy to surrender."

Martin Luther struggled with his sins, depriving himself ascetically in his search for righteousness and peace. Then one day it dawned on him, "The just shall live by faith." Neither Martin Luther nor the world was the same after that.

We cannot serve two masters. The kingdom demands full surrender, full dedication, because it is worth nothing less. First Peter 2:7 says it well: "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious."

Heaven is free, but it is not cheap. Spiritual bargain hunters are only fooling themselves. Christ is worth everything. If we do not value Him above all else, we need to question whether or not we have truly found Him. At least we need a soul-vision of how precious He truly is.

Have you made the discovery? Has Christ changed your life? Have you abandoned all for Christ?

Do not settle for imitations. Be sure you have the Pearl of Great Price.

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9. When The Final Pull Comes

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