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.
The Unprecedented Gain of Value: we may imagine what we would do with the lottery (and of course it will never happen because you all don’t play the lottery), but we can dream. We can only surmise what the man in the field did, but think about the merchant a minute. He had/chose to sell all he had for something that he was not going to resale. Of course, we can push any parable or illustration too far, but I think this is worth considering. Can’t carve off a piece for a house or land. He was willing to sell out for the most valuable thing. Sometimes you can judge the worth of the gain by the worth of the loss. He “lost” it all for a shiny, white, rock…but it was worth it to him. He counted the cost, and all the he “lost” didn’t compare to what he gained.
?
Philippians 3:8 ESV
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
Illustration: “The kingdom of heaven is worth infinitely more than the cost of discipleship, and those who know where the treasure lies joyfully abandon everything else to secure it.” -F. F. Bruce,
Application: Christ is incomparable to anything on this earth or even in our dreams. His worth is beyond rubies or gold. He is the wisest of the wise. He is the King of Kings. He is the one who makes kings eat grass like cattle and stops the mouths of lions. He is the one who announces judgment upon those that have spurned him when he comes back on his white horse with angels and saints, but he is the one who ensured that the angels announced to lowly shepherds about his birth. He walked on the water, calmed the seas, touched the lepers and the blind and the unclean, raised the dead to life, and rose for himself.
He is meek, and yet powerful. He self-existent, independent, and eternal. He is sovereign and almighty. He is our healer, our comforter, our sword and shield. He walks with us, in us, through us, empowers us, uses us to accomplish his purposes. He satisfies, yet creates a longing. He lifts us up, and sometimes breaks us down. He is our shelter in a storm. He is the deliverer, and he is the sustainer through a storm. He is the preeminent one, yet we will reign with him as coheirs. He throws down kings and kingdoms, yet he feeds the birds and watches over the lilies of the field.
Does that bring you joy! Does your heart feel love for the loveliest being? Are you happy that you are a Christian? Are you happy that you are in Christ? Not in your circumstances, not in your relationships, not in your job, or you stuff, are you happy in Christ. Notify your face. Some people don’t want the kind of Jesus that our hearts testify our lack of satisfaction in.
He is the first and the last, the alpha and omega. He is the risen Christ in dazzling array with the sharp sword coming from his mouth and he is the Lamb standing having been slain. He is the one who ransomed from every tribe and people and nation, and yet he will one day separate the sheep from the goats. He has conquered death, taken away it’s power, it’s sting, and simply made it a doorway to gain that with we have only scratched the surface of reality.
He is glorious! He is priceless! He is wonderful! He is more valuable than anything in this world. Unless we understand that and believe that and our lives are transformed and satisfied because of it, we will have a problem desiring and giving him away to others.
?
Closing illustration: “Here lies the supreme missionary motivation. It is neither obedience to the Great Commission, nor compassion for the lost, nor excitement over the gospel, but zeal (even “jealousy”) for the honor of Christ’s name….No incentive is stronger than the longing that Christ should be given the honor that is due his name.” -John Stott, the Camp Viola children who almost invariably say that they would never give up their most treasured possession for my successive offers up to all the money they could ever need for the rest of their lives...
Sure they are 4th-5th graders, but how many of us buy the lie that something, anything, all things are of greater value, and worth clinging to at any cost over and against the immeasurable and incomparable wealth that lies in Christ.
This is why Christians, since Stephen in Acts 7 have chosen death, because of the value of Jesus. This is why Christians were burnt as torches under Nero and Diocletian and a dozen other emperors and dictators and czars and fuhrers. Its the reason they’ve been sawn in two, stared down gun barrels, spears and knives, faced drowning, burning, torture. It’s the reason the they sit in prison work camps in China, N Korea, and some Sharia countries. It’s the reason they endured being raped, and watching their villages burn, worry about their churches being bombed on days of worship. It’s the reason they lose their jobs and their families and all their possessions. WHY?
IT’S WORTH IT! They always come out on the better end of the deal.
He is worth in all, selling it all, releasing it all, and until we truly believe that all the other hurdles of giving him away, sharing your treasure with others, will never be moved permanently.
