Knowing What You Have

Background to passage: Jesus was in Galilee doing miracles to attest to the fact that he was Messiah, teaching the crowds, and telling parables. Chapter 13 is entirely parables with a slight explanation to the disciples about why parables are used and the account of his rejection at the end of the chapter.

These two tiny parables are one, as Jesus often did, teaching one great truth: the kingdom of heaven, Jesus himself is the most valuable treasure, and we must know him that way.

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.

Opening illustration: children’s book we used to read about the man with the favorite hat that he used to wear, but was asked to sell to purchase the pearl he wanted so badly. The Tsar's Treasure: The Sunken White Star Liner With a Billion Dollar Secret by Martin Bayerle (2013). US explorer/treasure hunter who search and salvage operation still may contain the most valuable contents by a sunken vessel in the world. The wreck has been found, one operation located the wine lockers, but not design plans have been found to help find the compartment where the gold might allegedly be.

Main thought: Over the next few weeks, we will pause from Joshua and consider purpose. As Christians, as a church we have an ultimate goal: as the catechism states, “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” The penultimate goal, the means to get to glorifying and enjoyment, is coming to know him as Father, Redeemer, Lover of our Souls, Counselor, Comforter, Keeper, and every present help and life, not only initially, but continually. (repeat, succinctly).

I want to call us to be reminded of that penultimate goal of beginning and continuing a living relationship with Christ, AND the one thing that we can’t do in heaven: share Christ with those who don’t know Him. Church, we have a calling, a commission, a command to go, to share, to love and a dozen other things that we will talk about in the coming weeks, to take the gospel and person of Jesus to a needy world.

This morning I want to remind us, or inform us, and excite us about what we truly possess — Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory!

1) Seeing the Value (v. 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.

1) Seeing the Value (v. 44-46)

Explanation: Explain how treasure could get buried and forgotten or left. However, the Four little sub points and I am done

The Assessment of Value: both the man in the field and the merchant both knew immediately, upon sight, that what they were looking at was of immeasurable value. This was kinda like winning the lottery. Kinda like this copper-plated herringbone damascus steel bladed Marfione knife that Knox and I got to hold with the latex gloves they gave us. We often miss the value of Christ

The Response to Value: these two men were different in the fact that one accidently picked the winning ticket with a once in a 1000 lifetimes step and the other was searching for valuable pearls. However, once they made a common assessment of infinite worth, their response was also shared — “joy.” One explicit and the other implicit (we know the second one “felt” joy, because of his action that follows.)

The Action because of Value: They both decided that all that they have is worth the exchange. Everything they own, everything of value, everything that is dear to them is worth it. We don’t know if the man in the field was poor or rich, but we do know the pearl merchant owned pearls, sought valuable ones, and when he saw this one, he counted it a fair trade against everything he owned. “Christ is supremely satisfying in such a way that if you lose everything on this earth, but you get the kingdom of heaven, you have a happy trade-off.” -Platt

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.