“Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a 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”. Matt. 13:44
Like the parable of the pearl of great price, that follows, this lesson is to point out the true value of the kingdom of God. Many people do not agree with Jesus as to the value of the kingdom. Some say; “sure, it is valuable, but only in emergencies”. This person uses the church as a life jacket; only when the ship is sinking, and not at all times, in view of the possibility of being lost. To re-act to Christianity in this manner is to rob ourselves of life’s greatest prize, “the peace that passeth all understanding”. It is true that this prize is often expensive. Some may be called upon to “sell” or give up former friends, activities, etc., but Jesus said that is but a tiny portion of the value of the prize we may purchase. In fact, the man in the parable had to give up all that he had, in order to obtain a greater wealth. This is in complete agreement with the words of Jesus, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mark 8:36. So many times we fail to see clearly the value of a thing, and after we have squandered it, spend many bitter hours of regret.
Let us resolve that we will, henceforth, weigh all matters in the true light of the Word of God, and make whatever sacrifice is necessary in order to “make our calling and election sure”. Certainly we cannot afford to give up the hope of eternal life, for a few moments of folly, which are not satisfying, even at their best!
J. R. Chism
