Pentecost 10

Matthew 13:44–52 (NIV): 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. 47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. 52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Although Jesus did not teach about such a mythical or magical water, he did associate his gift of eternal life with water when he said to the Samaritan woman in John 4:10–14 (NIV): 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The Fountain of Youth is an example of something that people will go to great lengths to obtain even if it means hardship and great effort along the way.

So consider for a moment or two . . . What do you consider to be so important to you that you are willing to dedicate yourself and your resources to obtaining it? PAUSE This has been answered in a variety of ways.

We have an example in our Old Testament lesson. 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. 7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

The Lord listed common goals for people of leadership at that time. Ironically, even though the Lord granted Solomon this legendary wisdom, he writes in Ecclesiastes that he still pursued other goals. (Research list.)

Wisdom

Pleasure

Great projects

His conclusion? Ecclesiastes 2:17–26 (NIV): 17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. 24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Jesus was aware of what people sought after among his audience. Food, clothing, treasures on earth. St. Paul warned that the pursuit of wealth would dominate people and obscure pursuing what was really important.

Many years ago I made the observation that modern Americans has traded cars for kids. Think about it. Several generations ago it was not uncommon to have families with six or more children. I had one family that had twelve children in it and only one car so they had to make two trips to church each Sunday to get them all there. Now the average number of children in a family is two and most households with more than one adult certainly have at least two moter vehicles if not more. There has been a dramatic shift from family to materialism in just the past several generations.

Most of us must admit that even though the hymn says otherwise . . .

“Many spend their lives in fretting

Over trifles and in getting

Things that have no solid ground.”

The pursuit of happiness has become the pursuit of things or experiences that we think will make us happy but do not really fulfill our desires. We have become like Solomon before he realized the futility of it.

What does Jesus teach about pursuing what is most important?

The first two quick parables sum up his teaching.

Matthew 13:44–46 (NIV): 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

In the first parable it seems as though the discovery of this treasure was accidental. We can imagine a man plowing a field as a hired hand and turning up buried treasure. He recognized its value. Legally he could not just claim it but had to own the field. So he hid it again and then exchanged all he had to possess the field and the treasure.

“We have given up all . . . “

The second parable describes someone who is actively searching for something very specific. It is a merchant who is combing the marketplaces to find that one exquisite pearl. He also gives up all in order to possess it.

What do the treasure and the pearl represent? Some may say that it is the kingdom of heaven itself (God’s rule in our hearts by the word of God). But Jesus doesn’t say that exactly. He says the kingdom of heaven is like one giving up all to possess what is most important. This refers to an attitude and action on the part of someone in the kingdom of heaven toward obtaining and holding on to what is most important.

So . . . what is most important according to Jesus? The opening verse to the sermon hymn reminds us:

“All depends on our possessing

God’s abundant grace and blessing

Though all earthly wealth depart.

They who trust with faith unshaken

In their God are not forsaken

And e’er keep a dauntles heart.

Matthew 6:31–33 (NIV): 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

John 6:26–29 (NIV): 26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Colossians 1:28–29 (NIV): 28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 (NIV): 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Our main goals in life are to remain faithful to the Lord until death and to use our time, talents, and treasures to carry out the Great Commission — making disciples of all nations.

Specific sin. We don’t do this. You can evaluate this for yourself by monitoring how much time, talent, and money you spend on growing in your relationship with God and how much you spend in maintaining your lifestyle or gathering and protecting your possessions. Jesus teaches that “Man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” because that is the error that many were making and he was warning against it.

Specific gospel: Promise to those who do give up all.

Luke 18:28–30 (NIV): 28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

1 Timothy 6:6–12 (NIV): 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Conclusion: You may never come across buried treasure or scour the market place for the perfect pearl, but you do have your treasures and pearls of great price that you strive for. Jesus wants us to make sure we are pursuing the right things and promises abundant blessings to those who do so intensely.