The Hidden Treasure

Imagine your surprise if one day as you walked along in a field your foot stumbled over a metal chest of some kind. Although hidden from plain view, it jutted up just enough to give you a jolt. As you carefully examine your speed bump, you realize that it is not an empty box.

Your heart races as your face begins to glimmer from the reflection of gold pieces and precious stones inside of the chest. The amount of money this chest is worth goes beyond any amount you have ever dreamed about. Your fingers swim through the golden sparkling sea, as you think about having such a treasure chest for yourself.

Your eyes start to dream of fancy robes of luxury, and crowns displaying the glories of these unique jewels. As your eyes focus again, they notice an object standing beyond the top of the chest. A red and white sign is poking through overgrown branches. Walking over to inspect the faded letters, you read two incredible words, “For Sale.”

Could it be? This piece of land and its hidden treasure is available for purchase. “If I owned the land,” you think, “I’d be the owner of everything on this land including the chest of treasure.” Joy begins to swell in your heart like a balloon ready to burst.

Carefully you close the door of the chest. You make sure everything is covered up and completely hidden from sight. It cannot look like anything unusual to anyone else that may pass that way.

Determining the exact location of the property and the right property office would be easy enough. But how much would the asking price be? Can you possibly afford it? It doesn’t matter, you must have it! Searching for the information seemed like surfing on waves of joy. You are carried by your enthusiasm.

When you finally determine the asking price, it is an enormous dam. The waves of your joy, however, kept rolling in and climb up the wall. Yes, it is a high amount. Yes, it means you will have to cash in everything. Your house, your car, your retirement account, your furniture, and even your books and DVD collection will have to be sold. Your joy grows as you see that though you must sell everything, if you do, you can afford the field and its hidden fortune.

What could keep your happiness from laughing out loud as the letters of your name are impressed upon the new title deed? It is yours! Yes, yes, yes, your name is on the deed. The field is yours and the treasure chest is also yours. None of the other stuff in life matters next to the incredible treasure that you are now the rightful owner of. Though it cost you everything, it is completely worth it. “Oh yes,” you declare, “it is worth it!”

Jesus told stories like this one to help his hearers make comparisons with spiritual realities. He would tell crowds of people stories of well-known sights and subjects that they could understand and relate to, in order to reveal truths from the spiritual realm that they were not familiar with. The story I just told was actually one of Jesus’ stories. His version only uses two sentences in the Bible.

“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” (Matthew 13:44).

So, what is the kingdom of heaven that Jesus was making his comparison with? Well in some sense it is about Jesus himself and his message. After he was baptized by John, Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

Later, when questioned by the religious leaders of his day about the kingdom, Jesus told them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:20, 21).

Jesus himself is the King of God’s kingdom. He lived perfectly during his days on the earth. He did mighty miracles and compassionately reached out to those in need. His greatest act of love was allowing himself to be violently killed on the cross. He did that taking the punishment that sinful people deserve. Three days later God raised him from the dead—proving that God accepted his sacrifice and that all that Jesus said and did was real and right.

Now, when a person stumbles upon Jesus in a field, what do they see? He is that incredible treasure. God is described in the Bible as having, “delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14, 15).

King Jesus is your fortune in the field! Do you see that? Do you recognize how valuable he really is? Have you responded to him like you would the literal field with the treasure in it?

Yes, it will cost you to have Jesus. In fact, it will cost you everything to have Jesus. But Jesus is completely worth it. He is the greatest treasure of all. This is what real Christianity looks like. It is not adding a little Jesus into your life. Repentance and true faith are cashing in everything you value in this world for the sake of Jesus.

It is true that other people and possessions are still in your life, but they are not as important as Jesus is to you. He is your treasure and joy! You love him too little, as one old Christian put it, if you love anything with Jesus, that you don’t love for Jesus’ sake.

Will you look carefully at your life? Is Jesus your greatest treasure in the whole world? If he is not, what is? Jesus is the one who described himself and his kingdom in these ways. Ask him to give you the kind of faith you need to see him for who he truly is and to value him above everything else in the world.