The Priceless Value of the Kingdom
Matt.13: 44-46
Note: Some materials of this sermon were taken from the sermons of preachers in sermoncentral.com
In the book of Matthew, chapter 13, verse 44-46 we will find here our first two parables –the parable of the treasure and pearl. These two metaphors indicate and emphasize only one main point –the immense value of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, we will study these two stories at the same time.
In the first story, a hired plowman accidentally hit a hard something with his plow in the ground. “Another rock that has to be pulled out and discarded,” must have been his initial thought. He bent down to investigate. The earth was still hard, so he had to dig down and around this strange object. Finally, he broke through the hardened soil, to discover the top edge of a chest. The more he dug, the faster his heartbeat. Could it really be something of value? Banks weren’t common in those days. War and calamity often prompted people to quickly bury things of value in hopes of returning to retrieve them at a later, more opportune time.
Of course, if the owner of some buried treasure were killed during a war, he would carry his secret to the grave with him. Could it be some lost, forgotten treasure that now this worker could rightfully claim? He managed to break the lid open and there he found jewels, gold coins, and precious stones in abundance. He quickly placed the lid back on the chest and reburied this treasure, hoping that no one had seen him. The style and condition of the treasure chest and perhaps the dates on some of the gold coins indicated that the present owner of this piece of property could not have put them there. He knew nothing of this treasure. It far outdated anything that he could have hidden. The plowman immediately knew what he would do. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field. He would liquidate all of his assets and use the cash to buy this property because of what the field contained.
The second story is about a merchant who is looking for a merchant searching for fine pearls. He knew pearls. He had studied them for a lifetime. He bought and sold hundreds of these. Perhaps, he had traveled to the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and even to India in search of these pearls. And one day, he finally saw the finest pearl he had ever seen. He didn’t necessarily go looking for it, but he found it. It was perfect, flawless, and very beautiful. It was the mother of all Pearls. He went out and sold everything he had and bought it. He knew this would be the purchase of a lifetime. He calculated, evaluated, and finally concluded that selling everything in order to buy that one perfect pearl would be the right thing for him to do.
Why would Jesus describe His Kingdom like this? What makes His Kingdom so valuable, so priceless that even if you had to sell everything you own to get it, it would be worth it? The Kingdom of God is infinitely valuable because this is where we find and have:
A. PERPETUAL FELLOWSHIP
In our study of Biblical revelations, we are told that every human being is born a spiritual wanderer. We are told that when the first man fell into sin, he had lost his fellowship with the Creator God. He was expelled from the Garden of Eden and was separated from God. The idea that sinners are lost is made clear by our Lord Himself in the four Gospels. In His teachings we understand that every soul in this world is lost in sin. But praise God, we have the good news that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. When He died at the Cross of Calvary, He made the way in order that the lost sinner will be restored back into fellowship with God. The truth is this: we are all spiritual wanderers before we encountered Christ. Restoration to God is to be found in God’s kingdom alone through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Only in God’s kingdom will a person find unending fellowship with God. From the moment he belongs to God’s kingdom through Christ, there exists an unending and unbroken relationship between him and God –a relationship that nothing can ever break down. This relationship we have with God is eternally secure and is something that we shall enjoy forever.
Well, of course, there are things at present that may disturb and bring interruptions to our fellowship with God: noises, problems, temptations, afflictions, etc. But ultimately in heaven, these things shall be done away. In heaven our fellowship with God will not only be unending and unbroken, it will also be undisturbed.
Another wonderful thing we have in God’s kingdom is the fellowship of believers. I love Christian fellowships. I love to see and be with God’s people, gathering in unity, praising God and expressing love one to another. That’s why I’m looking forward to that day when the fellowship of believers shall come to perfection. And yes, in God’s kingdom this is not only possible; it is a future certainty. I can imagine how wonderful it will be when the fellowship of God’s people comes to perfection. Imagine, all believers from all time, including all your christian love ones who have already passed away, shall be one in perfect unity and fellowship in God’s kingdom without end. I’ll be there because I want to be there because I have the hope to be there because Jesus saved me to give me the assurance to be there. How about you?
B. PERMANENT PRESENCE
First of all, it means, in God’s kingdom death is no longer a problem. Today, we see death as a conquering enemy over everything that has life. But when Jesus and His Kingdom invaded the previously held enemy territory called earth, He conquered what has proven to be our biggest problem of all – death. Death has already been conquered at the resurrection of Jesus. Death has been rendered powerless to those who believe in Jesus. And now, we have the assurance that through Him who saved us, we shall live with Him forevermore. This is the divine truth emphasized by the Lord when He said to Mary and Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and those who live and believe in me will never die” (Jn.11. 25-26).
Second, physical corruption is no longer a concern. We know the reality that nothing is what it used to be as you grow older. Someone said: “A person’s life can be described as a train on a railway track. When they are 20, they want to stop at every station. When they are 30, they can only stop at one station. When they are 40, they want to stop but they are not allowed to stop. When they are 50, they want to stop but they cannot stop. When they are 60, forget about stopping, they can’t even start!”
The body is perishable and mortal. In time, our aging body engine, brakes, tires, and other parts wear out. As we grow older, our bodies need more time to heal, mend, and recover. People live longer but geneticists, biologists, or nutritionists can only postpone, but not stop or reverse, the signs of aging. No matter how young you feel, your body feels different. Snacks, soda, exercise, health supplement, and stress do not help either.
Gradually we gain weight, acquire wrinkles, and go downhill. We lose our hair, teeth, vigor, memory, and mind. Our health deteriorates, our muscles shrivel, and our bodies shrink – 1.5 inches according to experts - with old age. Our bodies are no longer limber when we are old.
James says that man is but a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes or corrupts (James 4:14). The body will not only lose shape or suffer damage as days go by, it suffers loss. The Bible says that only the precious blood of Christ can redeem people from the empty and corruptible way of life (1 Peter 1:18-19) and only the living and enduring word of God makes the germination of the imperishable seed possible (1 Peter 1:23). That’s why we wait for the resurrection of the dead, for the exchange of a heavenly body that is incorruptible, glorious, powerful, spiritual, and immortal (1 Cor.15: 42-43, 53).
Third, we will have perfectly transformed nature. Man was made in God’s image and His likeness, but sin so corrupted every aspect of his existence – spiritually, physically, intellectually, emotionally, culturally, economically, and socially. Nothing is out of sin’s reach and nothing is left untouched. Man’s innocence ended when he sinned. He became perverse, evil, and vicious. His depravity came to the point of no return. No incarceration or punishment is strong enough to deter him. The sinful man will take the shortest cut to deprave living, lowbrow interests, and meaningless existence.
All of us were born with the problem of corrupt nature. But when we encountered the King of kings, transformation took place. Our lives were changed as we encountered the kingdom of God in Jesus. God’s kingdom is indeed priceless because it transforms lives of people and enables them to live in righteousness rather than self-indulgence, love rather than hate, humility rather than pride and arrogance. And as the days go by, kingdom citizens are being changed into God’s image more and more. Then one day, they shall be fully perfected, spiritually, physically, intellectually, and even emotionally.
C. PRICELESS POSSESSION
We often confuse the difference of being wealthy with being rich. Money makes people wealthy, not rich. Being wealthy is financial or material, but being rich is relational, emotional, and spiritual. A wealthy man buys and sells, but a rich man gives and takes. Being wealthy is having the things that money can buy, but being rich is having the things that money cannot buy. The wealthy think a person is broke without money, but the rich is merely poor without money, never broke. A wealthy man is defined by what he has, but a rich man is defined by who he is. Wealth is what you have in the bank but riches are what you have in the heart. The wealthy are prosperous, but the rich are content.
The Bible uses the word “riches” with a twist. The riches of this life is deceitfulness (Matt 13:22, Mk 4:19), but the riches of Christ is glorious (Rom 9:23, Eph 3:16, Phil 4:19) and immeasurable (Eph 3:8). The riches of God’s grace are demonstrated in the forgiveness of sins through Jesus’ blood (Eph 1:7), His kindness to us in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:7), and His glorious inheritance to the church or saints (Eph 1:18). His riches are the basis of His present kindness, tolerance and patience even to unrepentant sinners (Rom 2:4).
The powers of this earth are inferior, shaky, and doomed to fail because their riches are temporal, but the kingdom of God is superior, unshakable, and poised to succeed because our King is eternal. In this life no king is worth our imitating, following, dying.
The King James Version word “corrupt” describes aptly the inferiority of earthly things to heavenly things. One of the “corrupt” word that describes the impermanence of the world’s riches has been translated as the word “destroy” (Matt 6:19) in NIV. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Matt 6:19). The Greek word for destroy or corrupt is aphanizo, or defacing, disintegrating, and disappearing. Money, property, and belongings do not last forever. But nothing is as secure as salvation. No material possession can survive the havoc wrecked by earth, wind, fire, and water. Homeowners know too well what termites, mold, lead, asbestos, radon, and other pollutants and hazardous materials can do to their homes. Only salvation is priceless, eternal, and salvageable. Like the merchant in the story, believers know too well salvation is our most precious possession, the only thing in this earth we must have, cannot do without, and cannot leave without. Other things are merely goods, extras or accessories.
CONCLUSION:
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. John says, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12). The treasures of the earth are inferior compared to the riches of heaven. This world is imperfect because of the presence of pain, suffering, grief, sorrow and loss. Even the best things have to end one day and no party here on earth that is unending. But there’s a new world coming where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. God himself will be with the residents and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. (Rev 21:3-4). Won’t you join me there?
