Treasure and Judgement

Introduction

My hope this morning is that each of you will take time today to ask yourself a very fundamental question: what do you want? What is it you are hoping to get out of what you are doing in life right now? Your life is a series of thoughts and behaviours that are all aimed at accomplishing something. Perhaps you’ve never considered this seriously before, looked into your heart and honestly asked what it is you life for. There is something there that motivates you, something you want to achieve or experience or obtain. In other words, what is it that you value? The word “worship” in English literally comes from the word “worth” and it means to give something worth. To worship something it is see and pursue it as the greatest and most excellent thing, and you will spend your life trying to obtain it.

In the parables Jesus spoke in this text, we see that knowing Christ and being part of the Kingdom of Heaven is all about what you worship, what you consider the most valuable thing and what has your desires so that you go after it. We all, with human souls, desire only the things which God can provide, and faith is the trust that God will provide all we need according to his promises. So we see in these parables what those who seek the Kingdom of God look like, as well as a sobering warning for those who do not value Christ for who he is.

The Treasure and the Pearl: The Kingdom is Worthy of Your Devotion

The first two parables in this text are very simple and somewhat redundant, with both having roughly the same message. Yet they are put here together in parallel with slight variations that give us a well, rounded perspective on the point Jesus is making here.

In the first parable we see a man finding treasure, which is obviously similar to the very valuable pearl in the next. Treasure here means a valuable thing which is kept safe or stored for future possession. The word most often refers to a money box which may be hidden if someone wants to keep their money safe for a long while, but it can also refer to the contents of the treasure itself. Here it probably refers so a money box that has been stored away and over time forgotten about.

At the time, all one had to do to legally gain ownership of hidden treasure was to take it, but there were many exceptions which might mean the the man’s employer or the owner of the property could potentially claim the prize. They could claim that the man taking the treasure was doing so as an agent of that employer or property owner. This explains the man’s actions when he hides the treasure again, then sells all he has to buy the property. This would remove all legal doubt that the treasure was rightfully his.

This parable shows a man who is not willing to take any risks in securing the treasure for himself. Likewise, those who seek the Kingdom of Heaven must do so urgently. It’s not enough that you think your chances of salvation are pretty good, or that you are pretty sure you will go to heaven when you die. You must pursue a walk with Christ that will bear the kind of fruit that removes all doubt that the Kingdom of Heaven is yours, even if that assurance comes at a great cost in this world.

On difference between these two parables is the way in which the person comes across this thing of great value. Some who come to Christ are going through life without a care of eternal life when they stumble upon the Gospel. Those with Spirit-given faith see the value of it immediately and act accordingly. Others are on the search for meaning, purpose, and truth as they go through this life. They are on the lookout for that which brings lasting value, such as many who are devout followers of another religion or are simply rigorous in living a good and meaningful life. Either way, both of these men encounter what they know has great value and act wisely and yet radically to secure it. Whether you are here today searching for eternal value or not, you have found it in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Maybe you came to church seeking that value, maybe you came here for less meaningful reasons. It really doesn’t matter! You have found the treasure, now the question is: what will you do with it?

In his joy - Here we see the primary motive for entering the Kingdom of Heaven, and the one that should ultimately motivate us. Although there is the threat of judgement which we will see in the parable of the net, the pursuit of this great treasure should not be primarily in fear of hell, but rather in delight of the thing which has been found.

Understand this: if you do not see the promises of God fulfilled in Christ and the hope of eternal life in him as, not only the most valuable of all things, but the source of all joy in life, you do not see it correctly and are unlikely to take the steps necessary to secure it. Human beings are much more motivated by joy and hope than by punishment or the threat of other negative consequences. Jesus leads this series of three parables with two stories of joyful finding.

Though the parable of the pearl does not mention the joy of the merchant, it is implied in his actions. Finding a pearl of great value, he is willing to sell all his wares to buy just one thing. Normally, investing in one object rather than having a diverse portfolio would be foolish, but in this condition, the pearl is of such worth that he is willing to take the risks associated with such a business decision. He knows the value of the pearl, he knows it is one of a kind and that the current seller does not know its true worth, and even at such a high price he joyfully sells everything to obtain it.

This teaches us something about the nature of sacrifice and self-denial. It is very unhelpful to think of sacrifice and self-denial as a selfless act. Nowhere in Scripture are we told not to act in our best interest, though many reformed preachers today speak as if this is so. On the contrary, Jesus encourages us again and again to act in our ultimate best interest. A college student sacrifices the money he pays in tuition for the hope of long-term gain. Someone who decides to deny themselves unhealthy foods and sacrifice comfort by engaging in rigorous physical exercise does so in order to benefit their health and wellbeing in the long term. Sacrifice and self-denial does not mean giving up what is best for you, it is denying yourself the things that bring immediate pleasure and reward for the things that will, in time, bring you greater pleasure and reward.

This is at the heart of what Jesus said a few chapter back in Matt 10:39

Matthew 10:39 ESV

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Jim Elliot, the missionary pilot who was martyred during his ministry to the natives of Equador, famously said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” This is not about giving up what is good for you, this is giving up temporary happiness for eternal joy. If you invest in a stock and, though the value is rising, you know that at any time the market will come crashing down, you will sell even if it keeps going up after you do and invest the money in a stock that will achieve long-term growth.

I could go on with these illustrations, but I hope you realize by now what Jesus is saying. The only reason the men in both these parables sell all they have to buy a single field or a single pearl is not because they are selfless or giving up what is ultimately good for them, but exactly the opposite. Christian self-sacrifice is giving up the temporary pleasures of sin and the comforts of this world in order that we may obtain something better in the age to come. It can only be done if we trust the promises of Christ, which is why we are saved by faith alone. Faith is the trust that following Jesus will benefit me more than any other course of action in this life, and I am willing to give up comforts, pleasures, pride, relationships, health, temporary happiness, and even this temporary life in order to obtain what moth and rust cannot destroy and what thieves cannot break in to steal.

Here is another way of thinking about it. Someday, every person here will stand before God on Judgement Day. Some will inherit eternal suffering and death because they chose what was temporarily pleasurable over what is eternally joyful. Others will inherit eternal life and unimaginable treasures in heaven that accord with their faithfulness to Christ and the good works done in faith in this life. Think of future you, in that place and time, the most important moment of your existence, and ask yourself: “What do I really want? What do I want that day to be like? What do I want the outcome to be? What is the best thing I can do for future me with that day in mind?”

What Christ wants to convince us of is that, although the details of that glorious day and the treasures awaiting us are at this point hidden and vague, the inheritance of eternal life is infinitely better than all the happiness you can achieve here.

Psalm 16 gives us a promise in Christ. Although the passage is speaking about the Messiah, those who are in Christ have this promise for themselves, since to believe in Christ is to be a fellow heir of all that he has earned by his righteous life and death. Psalm 16:10-11

Psalm 16:10–11 ESV

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

What we do know is this: the glory of that eternal age exists only in Christ. The treasure and pearl are found, not made or earned. Both of these men know that the value of these items far exceeds what they could earn after a lifetime of labour and work. The Kingdom of God is found, not earned. It is given, and its source is Christ. He alone lived a righteous life and thus inherited all the promises of the OT covenants. He alone earns the Father’s exaltation. He alone died the righteous death which pleased the Father. He alone earned all glory and power and wealth in heaven and on earth. Now, he offers it to you in this way: by uniting to him in a covenant of faith. Believe on Christ and walk in the way in which he walked, in holiness, humility, in the Spirit, in obedience to the Father, in service to the Kingdom, in love for his Church, in suffering, and in self-denial. Christ is the treasure, for all the glory of eternal life is to be in him.

Irenæus, the early church Father, writes:

If any one … reads the Scriptures with attention, he will find in them an account of Christ, and a foreshadowing of the new calling. For Christ is the treasure which was hid in the field, that is, in this world (for “the field is the world”9); (and) the treasure hid in the Scriptures is Christ, since He was pointed out by means of types and parables.

So I do not primarily call you to Christ and to a more committed walk in him with the fires of hell or with fear of judgement. I am no hellfire preacher, as most of you know. I do not want the reason you come to Christ to be the heat of judgement singeing your toes, but rather the glory of a hope in all that Christ freely offers you today. It is a hard road, as Matthew has shown us again and again, but as the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:18

Romans 8:18 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

And in 2 Cor 4:16-18

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

So the decision for you, whether you are a Christian today or not, is this: where will you invest yourself? Do you trust Jesus enough to live in poverty, suffering, self-denial, and loss in this world in order to invest in what, in the end, will be the best thing you could possibly do for yourself? Or are you, Christian, content to put the bare minimum into the Christian life, at best getting into heaven will little eternal rewards to enjoy, and at worst find that true devotion to Christ was never really in your heart and you are counted among those to whom Christ says, “depart from me, I never knew you.”? Are you, who are not today a believer in Christ, really going to continue to invest in this world and your current happiness, knowing a day of judgement is coming after which all joy and pleasure, all the good gifts which God gives in order to draw you to himself, will be cut off and you will be forever miserable? Consider carefully the wisdom of Christ’s call. Today you have the Gospel, you behold the great pearl, the hidden treasure is opened to you. What will you do now?

The Judgement of the Fish: Are You Worthy of the Kingdom?

It is only at this point that Christ turns to a parable of judgement. Two parables of joy, for it is joy that is the best reason to come to Christ, but one parable of judgement for those who are still unmoved by the promises of the Kingdom.

This parable has obvious parallels to the end of the parable of the weeds. In both, gatherers or fishermen representing the angels gather either fish or crops and sort them, the good from the bad. Both end with the bad being throw into the fiery furnace where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In this parable, we see a scene described that would have been very common on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. A large net would have one end anchored to the shore and another to a boat, which would sail out in a large semicircle before returning to the beach. All the fish in that area would be caught, but not all would be useful and so sitting down and sorting good fish from useless fish was necessary.

Here Jesus gives us another picture of the end of the age; the day of Judgement. Again, it is angels who carry out God’s sentence as they go into a world over which Christ is King and sort the children of the devil from the children of God. Again, we are all born as children of the devil, we are all sinners by nature, and it is only by the grace of God received by faith in Jesus Christ that can make us born again to a new and living hope.

The repetition of this point, already made in the parable of the weeds, reminds us that as we travel through this life we are all on our way to this day of sorting. All will be resurrected on that day, and then like fish in a net we will be sorted, those who belong to God from those who do not. Jesus emphasizes the fate of the unbeliever by detailing the nature of their eternal state: one of sadness, grief, anxiety, despair, and hopelessness. Isolation from God’s goodness, which we all experience in this world to a degree, and eternal enmity with and punishment from God.

If the value of the reward of the Kingdom of God does not draw you to earnestly seek Christ, so much so that you would give up everything to obtain him, may you be chased from the coming destruction of the wicked by this impending reality.

One day, each of you will die. Your life right now is drawing to a point of closure, and what you do between now and then will decide your eternal fate. You can come to Christ in humility, with all your heart, and cry to him for mercy, and he will hear you. He is a merciful Saviour! He’s waited 2000 years and counting before his coming so that you may have more time to hear the Gospel and come to Christ. This isn’t a call to join this particular church, it is a call to unity with Christ. The one whom you have offended with your sin, the one you deny and reject and ignore even though you owe everything to him, he offers you peace today. He comes to you with the promise of eternal life in union with him in his glory. If you do not take this offer, you will one day close your eyes for the last time. Perhaps as your senses fade you will hear the heart monitor in the hospital start to beep and you will know that this is the moment, this is the end, its all over. You will feel coldness in your arms and legs as your body begins to shut down. Your sight will go, your hearing, your sense of touch and smell. The world around you will fade and you will be aware of just how insignificant all the things you poured yourself out for truly are. You will experience a consciousness apart from your body and at that point all the cards are dealt, all the moves have been played, all the results are in, the game is over and the only thing that will matter to you is that you will soon stand before God and be sorted by his angels. Only those who have traded in the things of this world for the next, who have come to Christ as a disciple without any hesitation or reservation, who have trusted in him and followed him in this life, will be found in the book of life. The rest will be cast out, never to experience joy or relief or goodness or fellowship or pleasure or wonder or bliss or happiness ever again.

Conclusion: The Joy and Terror of the Kingdom of God

So we see that the Kingdom of God comes, nothing can stop it and nothing can push it out. Christ is currently on the Throne and all Creation is his domain. This Kingdom has come with Joy and Terror: Joy for those who put their trust in Him, and terror for those who continue to rebel against their King.

If you do not know Christ, consider these things. Do not go to bed tonight, nor leave this building without having weighed in your heart the reality of these things. These are not the theories of man, but the declarations of God.

Perhaps you confess to know Christ, but you know that you have not followed him wholeheartedly.

I am not speaking to you who are already troubled by your sin and lack of faithfulness, who wrestle with assurance and are earnest in seeking it with tears. Perhaps you pray and pray and seek him but feel he is far away, and the words of this message are further discouraging you and giving you undue fear. I am not talking to you because if your heart is burdened so much, you are already following Christ. You see his value and you are in the process of selling all you have to obtain it. Don’t be discouraged. Though it is a struggle, you are on the narrow road and all I can say to you is continue to press on, because you safe so long as you continue and don’t lose heart.

I am talking to those who come to church, call themselves Christians, take the bread and the cup, but you know that you have little desire for the Kingdom of God. Your life consists of other things: your hopes and dreams and aspirations, your comforts and pleasures, your efforts and plans, all exist with little thought of Christ and his Kingdom. To you, church is something you attend and not something you are a part of. You have not seriously considered the high calling of discipleship or that Christ says that anyone who follows him must deny themselves, take up their cross of suffering and death to self, and follow him. You have not shut your phone off long enough to sit down and consider that Christ said many who call him Lord do not really know him. You read these parables and, if you are brutally honest with yourself, you know that you are not the man or the merchant, and so you are not among the good fish in the net.

It is these I am most concerned for. You of all people are in the most dangerous spot. I plead with you to shut off your phone, turn off Netflix, power down the PlayStation, take your thoughts off your plans, your work, your school, your family and friends, your temporary desires, and sit alone with God for a solid hour and consider what you want. You will sit for two hours or more for a film, will you not sit for one hour and consider your own heart and soul? Ask yourself what you really want and be honest as you answer that question, even if you do not like the answer. Do you want Christ? Do you want his Kingdom? Do you value his glory? You may not be living in open sin, but do you value Christ enough to walk a long and hard road to glory? I hope God shows you the grace enough to disturb you deeply so that tonight is a sleepless night if the desire for Christ is lacking in you. That you see how foolish you are in being satisfied with a Christian walk that isn’t going anywhere.

This is not to cause you fear for the sake of fear, but to bring about a fear of God that leads you to repentance and true discipleship; I eagerly desire that you would desire Christ. 2 Cor 13:5

2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Jesus is lovely, he is glorious, he is all you need. He is ready to take you on the adventure of your life. It’s a hard road, full of many difficulties and trials and you will fail a lot. That’s OK, keep pressing on to make this salvation yours. Press on towards the goal of glory, for if you do so with your eyes on Christ you will certainly reach it if you endure to the end.

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.