The Priceless Value of the Kingdom

Today’s Reading from God’s Word

Matthew 13:44–46 CSB

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.

Introduction

As we go through the rest of May, I want to take a break from our study in Ephesians and return to the teaching of Jesus.

Throughout the spring, we’ve been talking about the preciousness of our adoption and how we are part of God’s eternal plan that began from before the beginning of the world.

Now, during May we want to focus on this amazing inheritance that we will receive.

What did Jesus say about it?

While it’s great to see what Paul, Peter, and John had to say — I thought it necessary to go back to what our Lord says in the gospels.

What better source than Jesus Himself?

Matthew 13 is a great place to start.

Here, our Lord recites seven parables describe the kingdom. Here he calls it the kingdom of heaven.

What Jesus is doing here is describing the character of God’s rule on earth until the return of Christ. The first two describe the nature of the kingdom.

In the parable of the soils, Jesus tells us there will be those who believe and those who do not.

In the parable of the wheat and tares, we learn the believers and nonbelievers will grow together until the harvest comes at the end.

Next, Jesus speaks of the power of the kingdom.

Despite the fact that good and evil are growing together, good will triumph in the end.

In the parable of the mustard seed, he describes something that will grow to massive proportions - having started from the smallest size.

Think of the church and how it began with just the apostles — and now has spread across the planet with disciples all over.

Next, Jesus tells the parable of the leaven — which essentially has the same meaning as the parable of the mustard seed.

The kingdom will grow and grow and influence the whole earth.

And, the kingdom also works internally, touching every dimension of human life.

The next two parables discuss how one gets into the kingdom - or how one appropriates it.

And this is where we want to focus today.

13:44 - the parable of the hidden treasure.

13:45-46 - the parable of the pearl of great price.

The Parables

13:44 - The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

Matthew 13:44 (CSB)

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.

It may be a little strange to us when thinking about burying a treasure in a field, but it was actually quite common in the Judea of the first century.

We put our money in the bank, stocks, bonds, or real estate.

But in Jesus’ time there were no banks for common people — and it was very normal to take what you considered of great value and bury it.

This was especially the case in Palestine — because it was a place of war. A battle ground. War after war after war — with those who came in trying to steal, loot, and plunder.

Jewish historian Josephus said:

The gold and the silver and the rest of the most precious furniture which the Jews had and which the owners treasured up underground was to withstand the fortunes of war.

And so at a later time a person might be plowing a field and inadvertently come across a treasure. That is the imagery Jesus is drawing off of here.

So Jesus says this man found a treasure and reburies it for the purpose of keeping it concealed from everyone else. There is nothing unethical here.

This was perfectly legal under Jewish law — which said that if a person found scattered fruit or money it belonged to the finder.

In fact, if you think about it, this was a very honest man.

He had the money. No one knew he had it. He didn’t run.

He doesn’t take part of the money and buy the field.

He buries all of it and then goes out and sells everything thing he had to buy the entire field so he could get the treasure.

This is not the point of the parable.

Again, the point is that he found something so valuable that he sold everything he had to get it.

He was so overjoyed, so ecstatic, that he was willing to do anything to get to that treasure.

13:45-46 - The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

Matthew 13:45–46 (CSB)

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.

46 When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.

So here we have a wholesale merchant who would search for quality pearls to resell for a profit.

Pearls were the most valuable gem at that time.

If you had pearls — you had a fortune.

Pearls were hunted for in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and the Indian Ocean.

Getting them was extremely difficult and many people died doing it.

Those searching for them would tie rocks to their body and jump off the side of a boat, holding their breath and scour the bottom in the mud trying to come up with oysters.

When they would come up with one that was of perfection and beauty — it would be worth something beyond price.

Pearls were so viewed to be so valuable that the Egyptians worshipped the pearl.

Roman women used them to display their wealth. Roman emperors were known to dissolve pearls in vinegar and drink them in their wine.

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:6? Don’t cast your pearls before swine?

He is trying to compare the worst with the most priceless.

And so, pearls then were perceived like we perceive diamonds today — of immense value.

And so here is a man who went around seeking fine pearls and he would market them because they were a good investment.

So like the man in the first parable we looked at today, this man sold everything and bought a priceless pearl.

What can we learn from these two parables?

The Principles

The kingdom is priceless in value.

There is nothing that comes close to comparing with the value of the kingdom of the Lord.

This involves Christ Himself, the gift of heaven he provides, and the inheritance we will receive.

There is nothing to compare to the value of what it means:

to be in His kingdom.

to be in His fellowship.

to be an heir of the inheritance.

It is so valuable that only a fool is not willing to to sell everything he has to gain it.

Nothing comes close in value.

In Christ and His kingdom there is a treasure rich beyond comparison. In fact, it goes beyond our ability to conceive it.

Look at how Peter describes it:

1 Peter 1:4 (CSB)

4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

It’s a heavenly treasure lying in the field of this poverty stricken, bankrupt, and cursed world — a treasure rich enough to eternally enrich every one of earth’s poor, miserable, blind, and naked inhabitants.

It brings salvation, forgiveness, love, joy, peace, virtue, goodness, glory, heaven, and eternal life.

It is truly a priceless treasure.

The kingdom has to be sought out

It is not obvious, out in the open, lying around on the surface.

Those in the world do not see it — although it stands there and looks them in the eye.

Those in the world do not often understand why we give ourselves to Christ.

They don’t understand why we’re all about worshipping God.

They don’t understand why we want to live a certain way that goes against every human inclination.

They can’t figure out why we view this so important when it means so little to them.

Look at what Paul says

1 Corinthians 2:14 (CSB)

14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (CSB)

4 In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

How does Satan blind people?

Indifference or uninterested to never look beyond the surface.

Easily distracted … by all the shiny trinkets on the surface of life that they never get to the treasures beneath.

And some simply do not care.

We can explain the beauty and immense value of the treasure we have found — and some just turn away.

They do not understand it’s immeasurable value.

Matthew 7:14 CSB

14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

The kingdom has to be pursued.

If you’re going to look for all the superficials — you’re going to miss it — because the truth is hidden deeply in the word of God.

This I think is so relevant for our time.

Many of us want things handed to us.

We are so busy — going through the busyness of life — much of it without a thought for anything that is deep or profound or of true value.

So many things we pursue have nothing to do with the truth at all.

The things that really matter aren’t on the surface.

There has to be the desire to dig down and pursue.

Here’s a warning for all of us.

Jesus, in a conversation with the religious elite of his day said:

John 5:39–40 CSB

39 You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. 40 But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.

John 1:9–11 (CSB)

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him.

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

How strong is our pursuit?

The warning here is that we can busy ourselves in the Scriptures and still miss the truth that is right in front of us.

Are we willing to lay aside our own prejudices and biases and pre-formed conclusions and dig for the truth?

This fits in really well with what Mark and I were talking about Wednesday pm in our class.

It must be pursued and personally appropriated.

You can’t just ride in on someone else’s coat tails.

It is not enough to be under the influence of your family, this local church, or Christianity in general.

You must personally come to know God.

The kingdom is the source for our joy

Let’s go back to v. 44b:

Matthew 13:44 (CSB)

44 Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.

This is a basic desire of the human condition … to find joy in things.

God wants us to experience this.

John 15:11 CSB

11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

Romans 14:17 (CSB)

17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

People want to be joyful and happy.

And it’s all bound up in our treasure.

True joy is found in the discovery of our inheritance and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We should be the happiest people on the planet because we have found the treasure.

The kingdom may be entered into from different circumstances

Now there are similar things between the two persons in these parables.

Both find something of great value.

both understand the value.

Both are willing to pay any price for it.

But there is a huge difference.

The first man just comes across the treasure.

The second one knew exactly what he was looking for.

So, what’s the point?

The man in the field was probably not looking for treasure.

Just a normal, mundane day for him — working, plowing a field, whatever.

He was doing what he did trying to get along in life and stumbled into a fortune.

Paul was like this … wasn’t looking for Jesus but met him on the side of a road.

So was the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at a well outside of town.

And what about the man born blind who Jesus healed. All he wanted was his sight and went away redeemed.

And the other man — went out knowing what he was looking for. Seeking something of genuine value.

This is the Ethiopian Eunuch of Acts 8.

This is the Cornelius of Acts 10.

This is the Lydia of Acts 16.

This is the Philippian jailer of Acts 16.

It is the Bereans of Acts 17.

This is the person seeking God and virtue and things of true value and when he found it he knew exactly what it was and did everything he could to get it.

As We Close…

One last thing to consider.

A few moments ago we talked about making all this personal.

The kingdom is made personal by a transaction

And it’s not money, its not works.

The transaction is that you give up all that you have for all He has.

This is the essence of our salvation.

We give up all that we have and God gives us all that He has.

Matthew 16:24–26 (CSB)

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.

26 For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?

Salvation is an act whereby we exchange ourselves for Jesus as the ruler of our life.

That is the basic principle.

Isn’t this what Jesus instructed the rich young ruler?

Matthew 19:16 CSB

16 Just then someone came up and asked him, “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?”

Note how Jesus answers:

Matthew 19:21–22 CSB

21 “If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

Is the salvation in giving all your money away?

No, the salvation is when you are willing to abandon everything to affirm that He is the Lord of your life.

We exchange ourselves, our sin, our will, our control of our lives for Christ’s leadership.

I’m not sure if we’ve stressed that enough. And maybe we need to do so more.

We must abandon ourselves to receive the supreme rule of Jesus Christ.

The kingdom is precious. It is hidden. It is personal. It is joyous. It is entered from different circumstances, but the price is always the same.

Are you willing to give it all up for Christ?