Right in the middle of today’s reading, we find one of Jesus’ shortest parables about the Kingdom. It reads simply:
…the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. (13:44)
For most of my life, these one-line parables never meant much to me. Honestly, I used to think they were a waste of my time. The meaning is obvious, right? The Kingdom is valuable…okay, Jesus, get on with talking about something more important!
In retrospect, I suppose I didn’t get as much from the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, not because I was brilliant and had already figured out all that “simple stuff” but because I was horribly, horribly naïve. Perhaps it takes seasoning in life…getting burned a few times…to begin to understand what Jesus is talking about. Now when I read this parable, I see Jesus talking about a man who saw value where no one else did. What must they have wondered as this fellow sold everything he had to buy a useless, old field?! I suspect this man’s neighbors made the same sort of naïve assessments that I once made of friends who chose to forego lucrative careers in the States to become missionaries in foreign, poverty-stricken lands, for example. As I look at them now, I realize how rich they truly are. They were fortunate enough (or wise enough) to find something of great value early in life and they dedicated themselves to it whole-heartedly. That singleness-of-purpose gave their lives a direction and a meaning that most people can only envy from afar.
It is my belief that not only the is Kingdom of Heaven like that hidden treasure; It also contains a limitless number of other hidden treasures within it. Like Russian nesting dolls, the deeper we move into the Kingdom, the more “undiscovered country” there is. At thirty-one, I am finally coming to this realization and am trying to recommit myself to making “foolish” decisions for the sake of buying that Kingdom field. Will you do the same? Will you join me on this great adventure that is Kingdom life? No question, abandoning everything for the sake of the Kingdom is a scary business; But it’s much less scary if we have the joy of companionship on the journey. Be well, fellow traveler. I hope to see you on the way…and if not here, then at our destination.
-- Justin
For Everyone: When I Get Where I'm Going
What a great post! I need to be reminded of that everyday, as I am constantly trying to put my career on hold so I can serve as a mom.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words. I must tell you that I think your dad was one of the greatest examples of this principle that I've ever known. You had such outstanding examples between he and your mom, I have EVERY CONFIDENCE that your children never have (and never will) have to wonder how much their mom loves them, or where they rank in her list of priorities.
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