Matthew 13:44-46NIV
“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.”
We have considered some thoughts about “treasure” in the Bible. I conclude with the words of Jesus about the kingdom of God…a treasure to be sought above all treasures…surely one of the most important truths to consider in the Word.
Google explains…
“The parable of the treasure in the field teaches that the Kingdom of Heaven is of such immense value that it is worth sacrificing everything to obtain it. The meaning can be understood in two main ways: from the perspective of the individual who finds the treasure and sells all he has to buy the field, or from God’s perspective, who sacrificed His son to acquire humanity. The common interpretation emphasizes the individual’s response to a life-changing revelation of the Kingdom’s worth, while an alternative interpretation sees God as the one who sacrifices to redeem humanity, the treasure.”
Matthew gathered together a cluster of parables Jesus told about the kingdom of God in chapter 13 of his gospel, all beginning with “the kingdom of heaven is like…” As a true Jew, out of reverence for God’s name, he used the word “heaven” in place of “God”.
Jesus’ stories about God’s kingdom reveal, in many-faceted detail, some of aspects of this “treasure” hidden in a “field” which, in His parables, represents the world. God’s kingdom is like a diamond, for example, mined from the earth, too difficult to describe in one sentence but which flashes with the colours of a prism as we view it from different angles.
What is God’s kingdom?
“According to the Bible, God’s Kingdom is the spiritual and literal dominion of God, a heavenly government with Jesus Christ as King, that will rule over all creation and accomplish God’s will on Earth. It is not merely a state of being in the heart but a distinct government with its own rulers, subjects, and laws, which will bring about a future era of peace, abundance, and righteousness by reclaiming creation from evil forces.” (Source: Google AI)
Jesus came to usher in the rule of God again, this time over the whole earth, His rule which His people had rejected by their disobedience to His covenant.
“From that time on (following His baptism and temptation), Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.””
Matthew 4:17 NIV
God had always intended that His government would extend to all the nations on earth. His rule over Israel would show the nations what life would be like in His kingdom…but Israel failed to fulfil its mandate.
Jesus came from heaven in person to usher in God’s kingdom, first by paying man’s debt of sin by His own death, and second, by giving humans access to His rule through the forgiveness of sin, faith in Him, and the supernatural intervention of God by the new birth.
Just as humans are citizens of this world through natural birth, so they become citizens of the kingdom of heaven through supernatural birth…from above…as Jesus explained.
To Nicodemus’ question, “How can a person be born again when he is old?”
“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” …Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”
John 3:3, 5 NIV
God’s kingdom is both here now, in part, and still to come it its completeness when Jesus returns to renew the earth and restore His reign over all His creation.
Why did Jesus refer to the kingdom of God as a treasure and as a pearl of such inestimable value that the one who finds it sacrifices everything to possess it?
Let’s look at it this way. First, those who are in God’s eternal kingdom will have the nature of Jesus Himself. Their old sin nature and all sin will be gone from them forever.
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”
1 John 3:2 NIV
Second, heaven and earth will be united as one, and God Himself will be present with His people in a far more real and tangible way.
“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
Revelation 21:1-3 NIV
Third, all the effects of sin on earth will be eradicated.
“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.””
Revelation 21:4 NIV
Fourth, the reign of Jesus over His kingdom will be perfect…in righteousness, justice, and peace.
God promised, through His prophet, Isaiah, a kingdom and reign of God’s Son, one devoid of human imperfection.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV
Jesus ushered in this kingdom when He came, offering the promise of the internal reign of God now even in the midst of a corrupt world system, and in the life to come.
“Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Luke 17:20-21 NIV
God’s reign is both among us and in us.
Those who have born supernaturally from above have already come under Jesus’ authority and reign now, in this life. They experience the benefits of God’s benevolent rule, His love, goodness, and favour despite the wickedness of the world around them.
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,”
Romans 14:17 NIV
Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, we have God’s kingdom within us now and the benefits of God’s rule in part as a foretaste of life in His kingdom forever.
Is it any wonder, then, that Jesus called God’s kingdom a treasure…of such great value that nothing is too much to relinquish in exchange for life under God’s rule! There is nothing on earth too big or too valuable to keep or to lose for the sake of this everlasting prize.
Jimmy Elliot, a martyr for Jesus in the Equadorial jungle in 1956, wrote in his diary…
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”.