The Hidden Treasure
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| "Hidden Treasure" by Eugene Burnand |
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“[Jesus said:] “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” (Matthew 13:44).
Grace to you and peace from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Hidden treasure. Who among us has not
dreamed at least one time of finding hidden treasure? A map that leads us to
the buccaneer’s buried booty. An old chest covered with dust in the attic of an
abandoned farmhouse. The valuable antique discovered in the contents of a box purchased
at an estate auction for a dollar. We’re captivated by stories of hidden
treasure.
Jesus tells a story of hidden treasure
and He puts you and me right in the middle of it. “The Parable of the Hidden Treasure,”
is one of seven parables in Matthew 13. In each, Jesus describes an aspect of
the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ disciples asked, “Why do You speak… in parables?”
Jesus explained, “To you has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven,
but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given,
and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has
will be taken away” (vv. 10-12).
The kingdom of heaven is a secret in
that it is beyond our sinful human comprehension. It is unlike any kingdom on
earth. No human words or descriptions can describe its glories. That is why
Jesus used parables to describe it. When Jesus told His parables, a separation
took place among the hearers. For those who heard and accepted His Word in
faith, the parables helped them to understand the deeper truths of His kingdom.
On the other hand, for those who rejected Christ, the parables became a means
for obscuring the truth. Their calloused hearts prevented them from
understanding. In this respect, parables served a purpose beyond that of the
direct sayings of Jesus.
We must constantly remind ourselves that
it is precisely His work of redemption that Jesus had in mind as He told His
parables. In fact, when we read the words, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” we
might paraphrase them by saying, “When Christ is active redemptively among men,
this work is like…” The kingdom of heaven belongs to the plan of salvation our heavenly
Father designed from all eternity centered on Jesus Christ.
Although we often think of this kingdom
as something in the future, the kingdom of heaven is a present reality. The
parables do not describe something that just goes on in heaven. They were
designed to tell what goes on here and now among men when God is busy
re-establishing Himself as King.
In “The Parable of the Hidden Treasure,” the kingdom of heaven is
compared to a thing—a treasure. A treasure is something that is highly prized, valuable,
eagerly sought after. This term is used so that we might think of all the
precious things in the kingdom: e.g., righteousness, pardon, peace, salvation,
eternal life.
This treasure was hidden in a place
where no one would expect it to be—buried in an open field. In the Near East, great
treasure, such as gold and jewels, was often hidden, due to war, changes of rulers
and such. Men of wealth divided their riches into three parts: one for doing
business, another part converted into precious stones with which they could
flee if necessary, and a third part buried in a safe place for when they
returned.
The kingdom of heaven is hidden in a
similar way. Although it is in plain sight, not everyone is able to see it. It
is seen only through the eyes of faith. Once, having been asked by the
Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of
God is not coming with signs to be observed nor will they say, ‘Lord, here it
is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke
17:20-21). Even though the kingdom of heaven was present among them in the
person and work of Jesus Christ, the Pharisees were not able to see it because
of their unbelief. They were looking for a kingdom of power and glory, not a kingdom
of the cross and humility.
But God’s hidden treasure is meant to be
found by us. He did not hide His treasure far off in the heavens where no human
being could even come near it, but in a common, lowly place, where it could
indeed be found. The kingdom is hidden right in plain sight. But it cannot be
seen by the earthly wise, or the proud and self-sufficient, but only by the
humble and helpless.
God hid the treasure in His Son. He hid
it in His Word. He hid it in the water of Baptism and the bread and wine of the
Lord’s Supper. It is those gifts that give us the child-like faith to see the
priceless treasure of the Gospel. As Jesus had prayed, “I thank You, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and
understanding and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:25).
It is only those who despair of their
own efforts and accept God’s gift of salvation with the faith of children, who
are shown this wonderful treasure. As we read in Proverbs 2:1-5, “My son, if
you receive My words and treasure up My commandments with you, making your ear attentive
to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for
insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and
search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the
Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
The kingdom of heaven outweighs in value
everything else. Just as the man in the parable who finds the treasure will go
and sell everything he has in order to take possession of it; the man who understands
the value of the kingdom of heaven will, with great joy, part with all he owns.
As Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny
himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save His life for
My sake will lose it, but whoever loses His life for My sake and the Gospel’s
will save it” (Mark 8:34-35).
You would think that anyone who found
such a treasure would indeed be willing to give up everything he had to obtain
it. But can we really do that on our own? Can we really give up everything for
the treasure of the kingdom?
Think about the rich young man who asked
Jesus what He must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus looked at him and loved
him. “You lack one thing;” He said. “Go, sell all that you have and give to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Mark 10:21).
The young man went away sad, for he had great possessions.
Treasure in heaven is the gift of
eternal life, or salvation. It cannot be earned by self-denial or giving of
one’s material goods. The cost is complete surrender to Jesus Christ. In giving
away his wealth, the young man would have removed the last obstacle that kept him
from trusting in Jesus. But he wasn’t willing to or able.
By our old sinful nature, neither are
we. You and I would rather try to hold on to the things we already have. Old
Adam would rather cling to the things of this world than give up everything for
the treasure. Even if we were willing and able to sell everything we have, we
could not buy that treasure. It’s out of our price range. It’s too rich for my blood…
or yours.
Only one man could give up everything
for the treasure. Our Savior Jesus Christ, the same Jesus who embodies the kingdom
of heaven in His person and work. You see, Jesus is the man who found the
hidden treasure in the field.
A common feature in all the kingdom
parables is that the central character always represents (more generally) God
or (specifically) Jesus. The kingdom of heaven concerns what God is doing to
reestablish His reign in His fallen creation through Jesus of Nazareth. It is
only Jesus who could find the kingdom of heaven hidden in this sinful world.
And once He found it, He hid it again so that He could give up everything He
had to purchase that field—the world. He gave up all for that treasure.
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| "Hidden Treasure" by Eugene Burnand |
Jesus unselfishly gave up His own life and
bought the whole world. To claim us as His treasured possession, Christ gave up
all that He had. Though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, so that
through His poverty we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). He willingly
sacrificed everything—His power, His majesty, even His own life—to pay for the
sins of the whole world. Not with silver or gold, but with His holy precious blood
and His innocent suffering and death, Jesus purchased men for God from every
tribe and language and people and nation to be a kingdom and priests to serve
God (Revelation 5:9-10). To get His treasure, Christ bought the whole field.
Obviously, the kingdom of heaven is the
highest treasure. Nothing else measures up to—or even approaches—the tremendous
personal value of forgiveness and peace with God. This kingdom was purchased at
a great price: the death of God’s Son. Jesus willingly gave up His life to
ransom a world imprisoned by sin and Satan. His work of salvation, completed at
the cross and vindicated at His resurrection, is our assurance that nothing will
separate us from God’s love.
This kingdom is not yet clearly visible
to the world. It is not present now in all its future glory, but hidden in the
simple, humble, and even among the godless and evil. That’s the way God works. The
Savior came to the earth as a child. His ministry revolved around quiet service
and obedience. He died the death of a criminal and outcast. But Christ’s
resurrection signaled God’s acceptance of His atonement for the sins of the
world. From this humble beginning, this kingdom of heaven continues to grow by
God’s grace. Through ordinary means—words proclaimed, water, bread, and wine—when
we are brought to faith, we are present in that kingdom here and now.
This treasure has been hidden in and
among us. As the Apostle Paul writes, “We have this treasure in jars of clay,
to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).
In the Near East, it was customary to conceal treasure in plain clay jars,
which had little value or beauty in themselves. These would not attract
attention to themselves and their precious contents. In choosing us as vessels
in which to hide the kingdom of heaven, God has done the same. He has taken our
ordinary, mortal bodies to hold His most precious treasure.
One day, Christ will come to reclaim His
treasure. On the Last Day, our Lord will raise our bodies from death, gather
all His saints, and welcome us to His eternal kingdom. As you wait for that
day, always remember the great price that was paid for this treasure, living a
life that reflect the tremendous value He has given to you. Joyfully tell
others of this hidden treasure so that they too may participate in the kingdom
of heaven.
Go in the peace of the Lord and serve your
neighbor with joy. You are forgiven for all your sins.
In the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture
quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
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