Matthew 13
December 9, 2022
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (v44)
Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is like finding treasure hidden in a field. But there’s a dilemma for the guy who finds the buried treasure. He can’t just dig it up and take it home. That would be stealing. The only way he can get this treasure legitimately - is to sell all his stuff so that he has enough money to buy the field to get the treasure. And evidently, this guy knows that this treasure is so valuable that he doesn’t even blink an eye at selling everything he has to raise the money. And neither was this a painful decision for him. Jesus says this guy did what he did “joyfully!” After all, it was a matter of relative value. I’m sure his possessions were valuable to him. But compared to the value of this treasure, all of his possessions were a mere pittance. Jesus says this is the way we should view the Kingdom of heaven – with this perspective that whatever we give up here on earth will be incomparable to the treasure of Heaven.
Father, I thank You for opening my eyes to the beauty of Your Kingdom. I can take no credit for being able to see its worth. As You did with the disciples, You opened my eyes to see the incomparable riches of Your Kingdom and see You as the ultimate Treasure. You and Your Kingdom are worth giving my all for. You’re worth all the suffering, service and sacrifice. Keep stamping eternity into both my eyes so that I see Your coming Kingdom for the Treasure it is - especially on days that are tough.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
