The Parables of the Great Treasures (Matthew 13:44-46)

Introduction

This article comes from the website of the Cape Town Diamond Museum in South Africa:

Imagine you’re busy with a routine inspection through a mine in the early 1900’s when something shiny catches your eye. You look over only to discover that the shiny object is indeed a diamond as large as your fist. What would you do? Well, this is what happened to the superintendent, Frederick Wells when he was walking through the Premier Mine in South Africa.

On 26 January, 1905 during his routine inspection Frederick made an unexpected discovery changing the world of diamonds. It was on this historical day that he discovered the world’s biggest diamond. The diamond was then named the Cullinan after the owner of the mine, Sir Thomas Cullinan, who was visiting the mine on that particular day. A replica of this marvel can be seen at the Cape Town Diamond Museum.

What would you do if you had found this magnificent diamond? Of course, what you would do would depend upon the value you placed upon such an item.

For Sir Thomas Cullinan, when the diamond was found and measured over 3000 carats, he gave the diamond to King Edward VII as an act of goodwill for the King’s birthday. The diamond has since been cut and divided into many smaller diamonds and is being stored in the Tower of London as part of the Crown Jewels. Its value is estimated over $400 million.

In the science of economics, there is a theory known as the subjective theory of value. It teaches and argues that no object has an objective inherent value, but that value comes from what others place upon it. If I wanted to sell my car, the value would be dependent upon what others might be willing to purchase it for. And that value would probably be different depending on who I went to.

The value of this diamond, while great, is only determined by what others put on it.

However, RC Sproul in his commentary on Matthew, argues that true and objective value lies in the mind of God. What God has determined as valuable is truly valuable, regardless of whether anyone else recognizes it as valuable. Our goal as men and women is to adjust our value systems to God’s value system.

This is the point of Jesus’ next parable that we will be looking at this morning:

Read Matthew 13:44-46

Matthew 13:44–46 (ESV)

“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.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Here Jesus shares with us a parable telling us of the value of the Kingdom of Heaven, but the question that is laid before us is will we see the value of the Kingdom of Heaven and what will be our response?

So in these two parables, we have two different men who both come across some valuable treasure.

There are some differences between these two men. One of them is actively searching for a great treasure. He is a merchant who is travelling and searching for pearls. He knows there is treasure out there to be had and he is searching for it.

The other man was just going through life and happens to stumble upon some great treasure. He wasn’t really looking for it, but when he found it, he took action.

Both men found something worthwhile to them. The same is true for many of us here this morning. Some people are searching for something beyond themselves, whether that is the meaning of life, or for the truth of who God is. To borrow the line from X-files, they know the truth is out there, even if they haven’t discovered what that is yet.

Others may not be looking for anything beyond themselves, but when the Gospel comes to them, they see it as valuable and they act on it. While the two men are different in how they found the treasure, they both responded exactly the same when they found it.

I. Recognize the Value of the Gospel

First, both men recognized the value of what they found.

Just as Frederick Wells had to see and notice that something valuable was laying close by, we have to see and recognize the value of the Kingdom of Heaven, of salvation itself.

Not everybody sees the value in this treasure.

Some hear the gospel and walk away without another thought thinking it is rubbish. This response would be similar to those described as the path or hard ground we looked at in Jesus’ parable of the soils. There is nothing in the gospel that is appealing to them.

Mike Stanley and his father, Doc, have recently been in Australia searching for new rocks to bring home, to cut, and either keep as part of their collection or to sell. As they’ve shown me the rocks they have found, there is a sense in which you need to know what you are looking for. Many of the rocks they have, while unimpressive on the outside, are incredibly beautiful and valuable on the inside. I’m afraid, if I ever went with them on one of their rock hunting excursions, I would miss out on many valuable treasures because I wouldn’t really know what I am supposed to be looking for.

This is how the Gospel is for many people who do not even understand their sinful and rebellious state before God. Thinking they are good in and of themselves, the Gospel may seem to be an ordinary rock to pass by and leave lying where it is, only to have someone else come by and recognize the true value and worth that is right there to be had.

These men that Jesus is describing in these parables are men who do not just find the treasure, but they see and recognize the great value of that treasure. If we wish to be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven, we have to recognize the great value of the Gospel and of who Christ is. Many believe Jesus was simply another teacher out of many. But those who truly understand who Christ is, realize He is much more than that. When we understand that Jesus is God made flesh in order to save us from the eternal consequences of our sin and to reconcile us to God, we see that He is incredibly beautiful and precious!

II. Seek to Value Christ Above All Else

However, seeing that something is valuable is not enough. There were many who saw Christ as good and beautiful and even vitally important. However, there were still some who missed out, because as valuable or precious they saw Christ, there were still other things more valuable to them than Christ.

Going back to the Cullinan daimond, Sir Thomas Cullinan ended up taking the diamond, the largest diamond in the world, and gave it to the King for his birthday in order to garner good will with the king. For Cullinan, the king’s goodwill toward him was more valuable than the diamond. It does not mean that the diamond was not seen as immensely valuable, just not as valuable as something else he was willing to gain with the diamond.

In the parable Jesus tells, he describes the men being willing to sell all they have to obtain the treasure they have found. This does not mean that the Gospel or salvation and entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven can be bought. One only has to look at the rest of Christ’s teachings and throughout the rest of Scripture to know that this is not what He is teaching.

What He is saying here is that those who are part of the Kingdom of Heaven are those who will not allow anything else to keep them from being a part of God’s Kingdom. They not only see the value of Christ and His Kingdom, they see it as being of utmost value in regards to everything else. And it is worth giving everything else up to obtain it.

The question we have to ask ourselves is, are there things we are unwilling to give up for the sake of Christ?

Self-righteousness or pride

Reputation and Influence

Wealth

Sins

This is not necessarily exhaustive, but it is a good sample that most of the things our hearts crave can fall within these categories.

Christ tells us that following Him comes with a heavy cost. There is a cost we must consider before we come after him. And if we do follow Him, He tells us that daily we must take up our cross to follow Him. This means, we must choose to die to our selves, our desires, our plans, even our sins.

Some days we will get it better than others. And this is not to say that as believers we will not struggle with putting things above Christ in our hearts.

The question is, however, are we seeking to grow in our love for him each day. Are we asking Him to reveal to us what things we are still clinging on to and asking Him for help to release those things so that we can have the better thing!

This is what Martin Luther was talking about when he wrote in his famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” the words, “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also.” He did not think that giving these up was going to earn him eternal life. What he was saying is that being found in Christ’s presence is infinitely better than holding onto these things. Are you willing to give up your hold on life in order to attain a better prize?

III. No Regrets for Those Who Seek Christ

The last thing we want to see here in this parable, is that these men had no regrets in giving up everything else they had in order to attain these great treasures.

Sometimes, there might be within us fears that we are giving up more than what we will get back.

Christ wants us to see and to be assured there is joy when we receive Christ. That what we give up when we take up our cross to follow Him, is not worth comparing to the great and immeasurable prize of knowing Him.

Yes, following Christ can be hard. It comes with suffering in this world. This world hates those who follow Christ because it hates Christ. We have to give up our pride and reputation and influence, and sometimes even our wealth because the world is going to make life hard for us. It is also hard to give up sins that our hearts are drawn to. There is self-denial when it comes to fighting against the sins and temptations of our hearts.

However, in the words of Paul to the Romans,

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.

During one occasion, the disciples were making a statement to Jesus of how much they’ve given up to follow Him.

Jesus responds to them by saying:

Matthew 19:29 (ESV)

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

What Jesus is saying is that there will be no regrets about giving everything up to follow Him because nothing else is worth comparing with His greatness.

As C.S. Lewis would put it, it is like a child having to give up making mud pies in the slum because he is being invited to take a holiday at sea. A child might complain about it at first because he is content with making mud pies and because he doesn’t really know what a vacation on a cruise ship is like. But when he experiences the greatness of the cruise ship, he will not want to go back to the mud pies.

We might not be able to truly imagine everything that Christ has for us when we enter into His presence, but we can rest assured that whatever we might have to give up now, we will not even remember when we experience true life when we look into His eyes. There will be no regrets to following Him, only the fullness of joy as we rejoice in His presence.

We will be able to say with the Psalmist:

Psalm 16:11 (ESV)

You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 84:10 (ESV)

For a day in your courts is better

than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Conclusion