Treasure Hunting - Jesus Style

Scripture: Matthew 13:44; John 3:16-17; Luke 19:10

Theme: Dirt Sayings

Title: Treasure Hunting – Jesus Style

This sermon focuses on the greatest treasure that has ever be found – Humanity. Jesus found us, paid the price for us and now in Him we can enjoy the Abundant Life here on this earth and on the New Earth to come.

INTRO:

Good morning and grace to you from God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!

Our passage this morning centers on the subject of dirt. It seems like the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY really loves to deal with dirt. After all, as we have looked at before, the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY used dirt in our creation.

You and I started off as some dirt in the land of Eden. The Lord God took some dirt, formed Adam and then breathed life into him. That simple dirt became a human being that was able to reflect God’s glory and honor. That simple dirt became a human being that was made just a little lower than the angels in Heaven. That simple dirt creation was given the ability to be One with God, with others, with themselves and with all of the rest of creation.

Now, that in and of itself is a powerful message. But let’s get back to our passage this morning.

Verse 44 is just a simple little verse. While it only contains a few words those words pack quite a bit of substance:

+They are centered on the Kingdom of Heaven

+They share a story about a person who discovers a treasure in another person’s field

+The discoverer takes the treasure and hides in another location in the same field

+They then go and buy the field from the person who actually owned it

+Now, both the field and the treasure are theirs to enjoy and relish

As with all of Jesus’ little pithy sayings there is more than one message that we can glean from this single little verse. We see that because over the years, different messages, sermons and teaching lessons have come from this little verse.

It reminds me of the many times that Jesus ended his messages with “He who has ears let him hear.” In other words, Jesus is telling us to open our hearts and minds to all that the Holy Spirit wants to share with us. If we will do that then we will find ourselves understanding more and more of the Bible and thus enabling us to deepen our relationship with the LORD.

There are some things that almost everyone agrees about this little verse:

1. The extreme value of the treasure that has been discovered in the field.

2. The cost that it took to buy the field that contains the treasure – everything.

3. The joy that comes from now owning both the land and the treasure.

Now, for us that have lived under capitalism, one of the first things that may cause us to wonder is what in the world was the treasure?

Was it a bag of golden coins?

Was it a bag of diamonds or other jewels?

Was it a chest full of property deeds that would then lead to the person owning a great many more properties?

We just don’t know, but I think we perhaps might know an answer if we go back to the beginning of the verse – “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like”

When we put everything into context of what is being said, I believe it opens up for us the opportunity to understand Our Lord and Savior Jesus a little more. I think that the treasure that has “been hidden” is none other than all of humanity and in fact all of creation and Jesus is the One who was willing to pay the price for rescuing and redeeming that treasure.

Now, let’s take some time to flesh this out.

When we read Genesis chapters 1-3, we discover a story that is filled with creation, amazement, beauty and everlasting life. Adam and Eve (the first humans) are enjoying life to its fullest in the Garden of Eden. They have been given permission to eat of nearly all the trees in the Garden including the Tree of Life. They have been given dominion and power over all of creation. Everything has been entrusted to them and they have been commissioned to go and make the rest of the Earth look like, feel like, smell like and be like the Garden of Eden.

The more you reflect on Genesis 1-2 the more you are aware of just what an amazing place it was and what an opportunity had been handed to Adam and Eve. Even though once again, they had started from dirt all the treasures of the world were theirs to own and command. That included all the trees, plants and animals, fish of the sea and minerals and jewels on the earth.