Matthew 13:44 (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.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island is a story about
pirate gold, stolen from Spanish sailors, who had stolen it from the Incas in
South America, who had invaded the lands of other people and had built an
empire in the Andes Mountains. The pirates had buried the gold on a Caribbean
island. After the treasure map was lost and later found, people from England
went in search of it. This is a tale of mutiny, bloodshed, and—in the
end—untold riches. It is a parable about people’s ill-gotten gains and the
trouble it brings.
In Jesus’ parable about hidden treasure, our Lord doesn’t
focus on where the treasure came from, who might have known about it in the
past, and so on. That isn’t why he told the parable. The important points here
are that (1) the kingdom of heaven is a treasure worth more than anything else
we could have, and (2) sometimes people stumble upon it unexpectedly.
How easy it is to be utterly wrapped up in the struggles of
life: getting an education, landing a job, finding a spouse, raising kids,
fending off health problems, growing old, and, eventually, facing death. How
easy it would be to brush off eternal life as vague religious stuff, and to
listen to the sneers of people who call it “pie in the sky.” But what a
surprise to find that Jesus came to show God’s love for us sinners! Eternal
life and the kingdom of heaven are as solid as treasure found in a field.
Dear Lord, thank You for the surprise of Your love for us,
which makes all of life worthwhile. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment