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Remain in Christ

Christ, Our Most Treasured Possession | Matt 13:44-46

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esus, our most treasured possession is highlighted in these two short parables – The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl | Matthew 13:44-46. In these two parables, whilst one man found a treasure by chance, the other was diligently searching for a treasure. Keep in mind that “man” in this context, refers to both male and female. Two notable actions are common to both men:


1Both individuals found something that they considered more valuable than their possessions.

2Both individuals acted by selling all their possessions to acquire what they found.


Text | Matthew 13:44-46

44  “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46  When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it.

What value is this parable?

The value of this parable lies in how Jesus gives grace to people and how they respond to the grace. There are two paths to how we come into the Kingdom of God through Jesus. Some will stumble upon it and others will make it their goal to seek the Kingdom. Whether you diligently seek the Kingdom or stumble upon it, the most important action for anyone  to take is to receive the Kingdom no matter the cost, for it is more valuable than anything else you possess. That is why Jesus asked this profound question in  ” What will a give in exchange of his soul” | Mark 8:37.


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Insights to Ponder Over


1The Gospel / Kingdom of God is hidden from many people

V44 | “The Kingdom of God is like a treasure buried in the field….“. A treasure buried in a field is not visible to the naked eye, but this man somehow found it. It takes the grace of God to stumble upon such a treasure. The Kingdom of God for that matter Jesus, is a treasure for humanity, but many people cannot find this eternal treasure. Today, many have tuned out their ears from the gospel and others when they hear will not receive, understand, belief and accept. Hearts  have been hardened to the extent that they are not opened to hear the message. My prayer is that many will find that eternal treasure that Apostle Paul describes as “Indescribable Gift” | 2 Corinthians 9:15. To say that Christ is “Indescribable Gift” is an understatement. Can you imagine a world without love, without forgiveness, without peace. and without compassion and care. A world where everyone is a hater, uncaring, unforgiven, vicious, corrupt and evil. It is indeed the love and the light of Christ that neutralizes that evils of this world and make life worth living. I commend Christ to you today, if you do not already know Him.


2The first man found the treasure by chance | unexpected grace

v44 | “………..a man found and reburied”. The man in this story stumbled upon this treasure. He did not go out looking for a treasure. This is what I call “Unexpected Grace of God. Biblical example of this type of unexpected grace is Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan Woman | John4:4-28. She did not go to the well for salvation. She went to fetch water, yet went home with something more valuable when she met the treasure of heaven in the person of Jesus Christ. She received grace that transformed her life and this was evidenced by her spirit of evangelism | John 4:28-42.

It is only in the Kingdom of God, that we can find unexpected grace. We get more than what we need even when we are not expecting. His grace truly abounds. May you find and receive unexpected grace and favor from God today. Grace that transforms your heart and gives rest to your soul.


3The man was joyful at discovering the treasure

v44 “……….Then in his joy he goes…..”. The man was joyful at the discovery of the treasure. What that speaks to us is that revelation of the mysteries of the Kingdom is a blessing to us and it must bring joy to our hearts.  May God reveal a hidden truth in His Word / Kingdom that enlightens your understanding and transforms your live today. May the treasure of heaven gladdens your heart when you find Him.


4The man knew that the treasure was more valuable than all his possessions  and acted accordingly.

v44 “……..he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field”. Knowing the value of the treasure, he acted – hid the treasure and went to sell all his possessions to buy the field. Why did the man reburied the treasure?. My guess is the man re-buried the treasure because he did not want to lose the opportunity. He wanted to secure the treasure to avoid losing it. Someone or the owner of the land could have found it if he left it exposed and he could have lost the opportunity. He secured the treasure. That means we must avoid exposing our valuables and reduce risk | example a business idea. Protecting and securing what we consider to be more valuable is important. We must do all we can to maintain our salvation by remaining in Chris whilst we have the opportunity. Cease the moment my dear, when Christ is near and He may be found.


5The man went to sell all his possessions: He acted promptly, not wasting time on the opportunity. He had his heart set on the treasure, but had to buy the whole field in order to claim ownership knowing that once he owns the land, the treasure buried on the land also belong to him. This is significant in the sense that when you have Christ, you have it all | Colossians 2:10-12.


 

 

Kingdom Principles to Note

The parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl teach all mankind key Kingdom principles that are worth noting:


1The Kingdom of God is more valuable than all possessions we have. 

Yes, it is more valuable than all possessions we have because of its eternal value. It is the only possession that lasts forever. It is worth trading all we have – possessions, fame, power, authority, pride, lust and everything else. It amplifies the question Jesus asked,

What will a man gain if he loses his soul and gain the whole world or what will a man give in exchange of his soul” | Mark 8:36-37.

While you have the opportunity today, you must act quickly to secure the treasure thus given your life to Christ before it is too late. Physical death has the potential to rob you of securing the treasure in the person of Jesus. I encourage you today, dear reader to call upon Christ Jesus while He is near and receive Him if you have not already done so.When you hear Jesus’ calling, do not harden your heart | Hebrews 3:15. When you have Christ, all that is Him become yours for in Him are hidden all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge | Colossians 2:3. Not only that, you are also joint heirs with Him | Romans 8:17.


2Earnestly seeking the kingdom of God and its righteousness requires sacrifice. Its discovery is rewarding.

Earnestly seeking the Kingdom of God and its righteousness requires sacrifice and its discovery is rewarding. I will illustrate with the story of Zacchaeus

recorded in the book of Luke 19:1-10. Zacchaeus was very eager to see who Jesus was. We are not told what triggered his curiosity, but there is no question something was going on in his heart. The end result was that he got more than he had expected or hoped for. His secret adventure, his diligence, sacrifice of his status paid off big time. He gave up his possessions because he found the treasure of heaven. May we be diligent as Zacchaeus was and be willing to exchange our possessions for the treasure of heaven.


Prayers


1Thank God for His Word and for  giving us insights into HIs Word.

2Thank God for His Unexpected Grace and favor today.

3Ask for grace and spiritual strength to exchange all we have for His Kingdom.

4Ask God for His help to remain in Christ, our most treasured possession.

 

Send us a note, comments, experience or insights. We will be glad to hear from you.

Thanks for Reading. God Bless You Richly